Responding to Casualties of Ships Bearing Hazardous Cargoes.
Abstract
In recent years, there has been a sharp and continuing increase in the volume of hazardous cargo transported by water. Acknowledging the risks, manufacturers and shippers, along with federal and state governments, have made commendable efforts to prevent casualties that involve dangerous cargoes. However, this focus on prevention may have diverted attention from an equally important aspect of hazardous cargo safety: the need for prompt, orchestrated, and highly effective response to the casualties that can and do occur despite the most stringent precautions, with emphasis on developing the technical and institutional capabilities for this response. In the meanwhile, the technical community who would be called upon to cope with a casualty has expressed concern about the capability to respond to and manage a significant marine incident involving hazardous cargoes. In reply to these concerns, the National Research Council's Marine Board undertook an assessment of current capability, both technical and institutional, for responding to casualties involving ships carrying hazardous cargoes. In February 1978, the Marine Board established a Panel on Response to Casualties Involving Ship-Borne Hazardous Cargoes to undertake the assessment. This report presents the results of that assessment. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1979
- Accession Number
- ADA075203
Entities
Organizations
- National Research Council