• International Association of Classification Societies safety rules mean ship builders must upgrade cable and pipe seal maintenance
• Many shipyards and ship owners unaware of new rules and their reporting obligations
• First generation of ships to fall within new framework are now being delivered
• Roxtec’s software solution supports inspection regime and verification checks

Roxtec, a manufacturer of penetration sealing systems for the global marine industry, is launching a new software solution to help marine engineers comply with the International Association of Classification Societies  (IACS) rules governing watertight cable transits.

Roxtec Marine & Offshore divisional manager Richard Keith said the IACS regulations are ‘kicking in’ now and apply to all ocean-going vessels commissioned after July 2021, with the first generation of ships to fall within the framework now being delivered to their owners. He said the rules place new obligations on shipyards and ship owners to keep up-to-date records of a vessel’s cable transit sealing systems and are designed to raise standards of maintenance, quality and safety.

“We’ve seen increasing scrutiny on sealing systems from CLASS, USCG, Port Authority and other regulatory bodies since the total flooding of the Emma Maersk container vessel in 2013, in which a watertight cable transit failure was found to be a contributing factor,” he said. “These regulations now recognise watertight cable transits as an essential safety system in the same context as fire doors and fire suppression systems and bring the commercial marine market into line with cruise ships, yachts, naval vessels and mobile offshore units in terms of upholding quality and safety.”

Richard reports that many ship owners are not aware of their obligations under the IACS regulations and more needs to be done to raise awareness:

“Ship builders are required to include a digital or hard copy watertight cable transit sealing systems register as part of the handover construction file, while the owners are responsible for maintaining the register and making it available to CLASS surveyors as part of an audit or inspection. But a big challenge is that many ship owners don’t understand the level of detail that’s needed to satisfy the rules over the life of the vessel. Moreover, most don’t have the information in a format that’s easy to update and can be shared internally with crew members and externally with auditors.”

Richard said the manufacturer is launching the Roxtec Software Suite after consultation with ship builders identified the need for an easy digitised platform which maintains up-to-date records of ship sealing systems. The digital solution provides compliance with the new regulations and offers lifecycle support of the ship’s sealing systems, from build to ongoing management and inspection. Ship builders and owners can log and share detailed data relating to the vessel’s sealing system, including records of as-built condition, manuals, certificates and drawings, as well as descriptions and images of modifications made to individual seals. If a change required on board involves a seal, all the information is available on a handheld tablet or PC to make a good update and subsequently evidence it.

“When the integrity of a ship’s structure is breached by fitting a cable or pipe through a fire, gas or watertight-rated deck or bulkhead, a sealing solution is used to reinstate that integrity and help to prevent fire, flood water or gas spreading from one area of the ship to another,” said Mr Keith.

“Regular upgrades during the lifecycle of the asset – from scheduled repairs to the installation of new machinery, or simply adding more electrical cables – can lead to seals being opened and closed many times, and this can compromise their performance. IACS and the CLASS societies have identified this as an important issue with potentially catastrophic implications and are putting the onus on ship builders to evidence that seals have been correctly installed and on owners to prove they are being properly maintained.

“The ship’s sealing system has never been on the agenda for ship owners before. Previously, owners have largely deferred the issue to ship builders, but both parties now have obligations. We’ve developed this software to give builders and owners a convenient way of maintaining up-to-date records of the system that will satisfy the requirements of a CLASS inspection and improve quality and consistency across the industry.”

Roxtec has been the market-leading supplier of marine sealing products for over 30 years. Its mechanical cable and pipe transits are specified on thousands of ships around the world as a safety system to prevent the movement of fire, water or gas from one area of the vessel to another.