Customs strike to continue until Saturday
September 23, 2014, Togo, Lome
The strike by the Togolese Customs Administration and National Council of Forwarding Agents which started on 17 September will continue until Saturday 27 September.
For information about operations in Togo, contact GAC-OMA Togo at gac-oma.togo@gac.com
Fire fighters battling stubborn blaze at port
September 23, 2014, United States, Los Angeles, California
Fire boats, scuba divers and ground crew have been deployed by the Los Angeles and Long Beach Fire Department to fight a blaze at the Port of Los Angeles.
The fire broke out at about 6.40pm last night (22 September) in the 800 block of South Fries Avenue beneath a steel warehouse, threatening nearby cargo ships.
It has been contained to a 50-foot-by-800-foot area, but efforts to extinguish the fire are expected to last for at least an additional 12 hours as crews struggle to reach flames within multiple layers of heavy timber soaked in dark, tar-like liquid creosote.
Employees at the TraPac, Yang Ming, China Shipping, Pasaha, NYK, APL and Evergreen terminals were told to check with their employers before heading into work, due to constrained access.
About 850 terminal employees were evacuated Monday night as a precaution.
According to an update posted today on Twitter by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, thanks to the work of the fire department, port operations will not be interrupted.
For information about operations in the USA contact GAC USA at usa@gac.com
Concentrated Inspection Campaign on Fire Safety Systems
September 23, 2014, United Arab Emirates, all ports
The 6 Maritime Authorities of the Riyadh Memorandum of Understanding (RMoU) on Port State Control will launch a Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) with the purpose of ensuring compliance with SOLAS Chapter II-2 and the International Code for Fire Safety Systems on board ships.
This inspection campaign will be held for three months, commencing from October 1st, 2014 and ending on December 31st, 2014.
The CIC is designed to ensure that:
* There is compliance with the requirements of the SOLAS Convention Chapter II-2 and the International Code for Fire Safety Systems as applicable;
* The firefighting equipment is readily available and maintained at all times;
* The master, officers and crew are familiar with the equipment and have received training in carrying out their duties and
* To raise awareness of fire safety related issues.
In practice, the CIC will mean that during a regular port State control inspection conducted within the RMoU region, the fire safety plan, fire control measures, drills, crew awareness and other applicable documentation will be verified in more detail for compliance with SOLAS Chapter II-2 and the International Code for Fire Safety Systems.
For this purpose, PSCOs will apply a questionnaire listing a number of items to be covered during the Concentrated Inspection Campaign…. …When deficiencies are found, actions by the port State may vary from recording a deficiency and instructing the master to rectify it within a certain period to detaining the ship until serious deficiencies have been rectified.
In the case of detention, publication in the monthly detention lists of the RMoU web site will take place. It is expected that the RMoU will carry out approximately 300 inspections during the CIC.
The results of the campaign will be analyzed and findings will be presented to the governing body of the RMoU for submission to the relevant IMO sub-committees.
(For information about operations in the United Arab Emirates contact GAC at abudhabi@gac.com, dubai@gac.com, fujiarah@gac.com, rasalkhaimah@gac.com or sharjah@gac.com)
Source: National Transport Authority, The Maritime Administration of United Arab Emirates
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