4.13 STCW Sopep

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SOPEP: Shipboard oil pollution emergency plan

When oil spill occurs at sea, it spreads over the surface of the sea water, leaving a
deadly impact on marine mammals, birds, the shore line and most importantly
the ocean and the environment.

The cost to clean up an oil spill depends on the quantity and quality of oil
discharged in the sea and is calculated on the basis of factors such as legal claims,
money paid as penalties, loss of oil, repairs and cleanups, and the most important
– loss of marine life and the effects on human health which cannot be measured
against any amount.

As prevention is better than cure, in order to avoid the above mentioned


monitory losses and primarily to avoid marine pollution and losses of marine
species, a prevention plan is carried on board by almost all cruise and cargo
vessel. This plan is known as SOPEP or shipboard oil pollution emergency plan.
In accordance with Regulation 37 of Annex I of MARPOL 73/ 78

1. Every oil tanker of 150 tons gross tonnage and above and every ship other than
an oil tanker of 400 tons gross tonnage and above shall carry on board a
shipboard oil pollution emergency plan approved by the Administration.

2. Such a plan shall be in accordance with guidelines developed by the


Organization and written in the working language of the master and officers. The
plan shall consist at least of:

(a) The procedure to be followed by the master or other persons having charge
of the ship to report an oil pollution incident, as required in article 8 and
Protocol I of the present Convention, based on the guidelines developed by
the organization;
(b) The list of authorities or persons to be contacted in the event of an oil
pollution incident;
(c) A detailed description of the action to be taken immediately by persons on
board to reduce or control the discharge of oil following the incident; and
(d) The procedures and point of contact on the ship for coordinating shipboard
action with national and local authorities in combating the pollution.
Oil tankers of 5000 tonnes dwt or more shall have prompt access to
computerized shore based damage stability and residual structural strength
calculation programs.

SOPEP contains the following things:

 SOPEP contains the general information about the ship and the owner of
the ship etc.
 Steps and procedure to contain the discharge of oil into the sea using
SOPEP equipments.
 On board Reporting procedure and requirement in case of oil spill is
described.
 The list of authorities or person to be contacted in the event of an oil
pollution incident (Designated person).
 Authorities like port state control, oil clean up team etc to be notified.
 SOPEP includes drawing of various fuel lines, along with other oil lines on
board vessel with positioning of vents, save all trays etc.
 General pumping arrangement of cargo pumps and also emergency
pumping arrangement including the emergency tanks, in case of any oil spill
on deck, for containing the spill on board.
 General arrangement of ship is also listed in SOPEP, which includes location
of all the oil tanks with capacity, content etc.
 The location of the SOPEP locker and contents of the locker with a list of
inventory.

SOPEP to be kept with the Master and Chief Engineer. For it to be effective, it is
important that all officers familiarize themselves with the plan. The practice drill
and exercises to be carried out in order to reduce error and oversight and to
save time and thus reduce the effects of an oil spill.
Contents of SOPEP locker

SOPEP locker is normally located on deck (midship stores), it contains


the following equipment’s for controlling oil spill:

 Sawdust in bags
 Cement in bags
 Shovels for sand
 Scupper plugs
 Rags
 Plastic boots
 Helmets
 Gloves
 Brooms
 Rubber squeeze
 Oil spill dispersants
 Buckets
 Oil Absorbent sheets
 Non sparking air pump and hoses
 Empty 200ltr drums(to collect oil)
 Oil boom

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