into account guidelines developed by the Organisation .
13 ) Safe and environmentally sound management of Hazardous Materials . Ship recycling facilities authorised by a Party shall ensure safe and environmentally sound removal of any hazardous material contained in a ship certified in accordance with regulation . The person in charge of the recycling operations and the workers shall be familiar with the requirements of this Convention relevant to their tasks and , in particular , actively use the Inventory of Hazardous Materials and the Ship Recycling Plan , prior to and during the removal of hazardous materials .
14 ) Emergency preparedness and response Ship recycling facilities authorised by a Party shall establish and maintain an emergency preparedness and response plan . The plan shall be made having regard to the location and environment of the ship recycling facility , and shall take into account the size and nature of activities associated with each ship recycling operation
15 ) Reporting on incidents , accidents , occupational diseases and chronic effects Ship recycling facilities authorised by a Party shall report to the Competent Authority ( ies ) any incident , accident , occupational diseases , or chronic effects causing , or with the potential of causing , risks to workers safety , human health and the environment .
16 ) Reporting upon completion . When the partial or complete recycling of a ship is completed in accordance with the requirements of this Convention , a Statement of Completion shall be issued by the ship recycling facility and reported to its Competent Authority . The Competent Authority shall send a copy of the Statement to the Administration which issued the International Ready for Recycling Certificate for the ship . The Statement shall be issued within 14 days of the date of partial or completed ship recycling in accordance with the Ship Recycling Plan and shall include a report on incidents and accidents damaging human health and / or the environment , if any .
Parties to the Basel Convention have recognised that ship recycling States and the facilities within their jurisdiction may require assistance in implementing the requirements of the international regime pertaining to ship recycling . The Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention requested the Secretariat to develop further its programmes for sustainable ship recycling in conjunction with other bodies . The Secretariat has implemented various activities under the Global Programme for Sustainable Ship Recycling which was developed in 2007 to encourage collaboration between organisations in facilitating improvements in worker health and safety and environmental conditions in ship recycling countries .
The capacity-building activities undertaken by the Secretariat aim to promote :
● The sustainability of the ship recycling industry by enhancing the application of internationally recognised standards relating to occupational safety and health ( OSH ) and environmental protection ;
● Effective implementation of the Basel Convention and the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships .
Conclusion
Ship breaking can be a dangerous and hazardous industry if it is carried out without due attention to prevailing guidelines and good practices . The Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships sets the policy direction that is accepted internationally for this industry .
Malaysia with its vast coastline may consider this industry since it has a few steel mills ready to accept the scraps recycled from the ship breaking industry . However , consideration has to be given to the Hong Kong Convention , in particular , on environmental concerns .
REFERENCE
Marine Insight International Maritime Organisation ( IMO ) UN Basel Convention
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