OOCL’s fleet has gained certified ISSC by ABS, a Recognized Security Organisation.(RSO) for its full compliance to the provisions of International Ship and Port Security (ISPS) Code, SOLAS chapter X 1-2 and the Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA).
The ISPS Code was adopted by the UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) to address maritime security at all international ports and the security of ships engaged in international commerce. Compulsory implementation of the code will come into effect on 1 July, 2004. At this time, all vessels will have to be put under the scrutiny of an RSO to certify the compliance of their ship and port security programs to the ISPS code.
Mr. CC Tung, Chairman of OOCL (second from left) received ISPS from
Mr. Kingsley C.S. Koo, Vice President of Southern Region, ABS Pacific Division (second from right)
According to Mr. S.C. Tai, the General Manager of OOCL’s Fleet Management Department, “We created our own training program back in 2002, to ensure all our sea staff were well trained not only for ISPS Code but also Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) compliance. In May, 2002, OOCL appointed a Security Officer and rolled out our corporate and territorial security plans. Training of our ship staff under the program of ‘Ship Security Officer and Sea Staff Ship Security Awareness Training (SSO)’ immediately followed. In July 2002, OOCL enrolled in C-TPAT driven by US Customs and Border Protection Department of Homeland Security, and completed C-TPAT validation and passed the audit in 2003."
“In November 2003, OOCL assigned a recognized security organization (RSO), ABS, to start the accreditation of ship security plan and external ship security verification. In April 2004, we completed the verification of our vessels, (manned and operated by OOCL), including 24 owned vessels, according to the ISPS code and was awarded the International Ship Security Certificate (ISSC),” Mr. Tai continued. “For the two recently-named newbuildings, the 8,063 TEU SX-class vessels, the-Hong Kong flagged OOCL Ningbo and OOCL Qingdao, are scheduled to have external ship security verification audits in May and June, respectively, well before the deadline,” he concluded.
“Placing a priority on security and safety to meet the deadline in advance, especially for the entire fleet, is quite an accomplishment,” said Capt. Hamant Juneja, Division Head, Safety, Environment & Security Certification, ABS Pacific Singapore. “It shows OOCL’s commitment to good management systems practices which is the hallmark of a quality operator.”
OrientOverseas Container Line Ltd. (OOCL) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hong Kong Stock Exchange listed Orient Overseas (International) Ltd. OOCL headquartered in Hong Kong, is an international container transport and logistics service provider. Linking Asia, Europe, North America, the Mediterranean, the Indian sub-continent, the Middle East and Australia/New Zealand, the company offers transportation services to all major east/west trading economies of the world. OOCL is one of the leading international carriers serving China, providing a full range of logistics and transportation services throughout the country. It is also an industry leader in the use of information technology and e-commerce to manage the entire cargo process. Website: www.oocl.com
