The MPA Singapore has issued a notification, that usage of electronic log books equivalent to manual log books, will be accepted unless the conditions specified in the IMO are correctly applied.
As per Merchant Shipping Safety Convention Regulations laid down in Chapter V Regulation 13 & Regulation 28, all ships have to carry deck and engine room log books to record:
- Permanently in English about the performance of the ship, machinery, boilers.
- Other daily events implying ship’s position, speed, course, weather conditions, fuel consumption, sounds from tank, pressures operating on machines and temperatures.
- Any incidents with regard to safety of life at sea, pollution prevention to the environment, etc.
- Navigation and Engineering activities.
- Incidents carrying sufficient details to restore a complete record of the voyage.
Manual recordings are to be signed by the Officer of the watch and countersigned by the Master/Chief Engineer as applicable. Details of such information in copies or logs should be made available to the Director as and when required.
MPA Singapore has advised that:
- Ship owners, managers, masters and officers of ships fitted with electronic log book have to stick to the guidelines to facilitate the safe and efficient usage of electronic log book. The existing automatic recording devices will be treated as a part of the electronic log book.
- Ship owners and managers using the electronic log book should incorporate procedures in their company’s and ship’s safety management system to address the training, use, maintenance, backup and safe keeping of the electronic log book.
Source: MPA Singapore
