ABS Awards AIP for Infection Mitigating Design to SHI

Classification society ABS said it has awarded South Korean shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) Approval in Principle (AIP) for crew accommodation and ventilation systems designed to mitigate the spread of infectious diseases such as COVID-19.

The AIP, which is said to be an an industry first, is the product of a joint development project (JDP) between ABS and SHI that applied the principles described in the ABS Guide for Mitigation of Infectious Disease Transmission On Board Marine and Offshore Assets to a crude oil tanker, a container carrier and a liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier.

The design includes a designated area that can be used to isolate infected seafarers, along with dedicated medical support and infection mitigating laundry facilities. The ventilation system is also specially adapted to reduce the potential for transmission of infectious disease.

“We are focused on the safety of crew and securing the operations of vessels against the impact of infectious disease, which, as we have seen, is potentially very significant. ABS has pioneered an approach to mitigating the spread of disease on floating assets which has been developed with leading health practitioners and regulators to support the marine and offshore industries. We are proud to partner with SHI on applying our approach to the next generation of vessel designs and advancing the cause of safety," said Patrick Ryan, ABS Senior Vice President, Global Engineering and Technology.

Jong-Hyun Yoon, Executive Vice President of SHI’s Shipbuilding & Drilling Engineering Division said, “For shipping companies, the outbreak of infectious disease at sea is a very important issue that is directly related to the operation schedule as well as the safety of crews. And, we expect SHI’s design to mitigate the spread of infectious disease to be the best solution.

"We are grateful for the ABS advancements that enabled us to respond quickly to the new rules through this JDP."

ABS launched the ABS Guide for Mitigation of Infectious Disease Transmission On Board Marine and Offshore Assets in November 2020. And, in another industry first, introduced a new notation indicating compliance with the standards. It was the latest in a succession of support developed by ABS to assist the marine and offshore industries’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic and readiness to handle other infectious diseases.

The guide follows comprehensive guidance on cleaning and disinfecting marine and offshore assets exposed to COVID-19 published by ABS in April 2020. Response Measures to COVID-19 for the Marine and Offshore Industries provides best practice guidelines for sanitizing assets exposed to COVID-19 and helps maritime leadership address the many challenges the virus brings.