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As the fog season is approaching, the Director of Marine, Mr Francis Liu, has reminded coxswains and persons-in-charge of vessels to post extra lookouts, keep to a safe speed and fully comply with the Collision Regulations when navigating in poor visibility in Hong Kong waters.
Speaking at the opening of the Navigational Safety Seminar at the Hong Kong Space Museum this afternoon (January 16), Mr Liu reminded attendees that in these days of erratic climate changes, it is not surprising when mist or fog appear outside the normal season. In such cases, crews must take adequate safety precautions and have in place contingency arrangements, and be fully aware of the latest weather conditions when preparing their vessels for every intended voyage or before setting sail.
Marine Department Notice No. 172 of 2012 on safe navigation in poor visibility has been issued and it has been uploaded to the MD's website (www.mardep.gov.hk).
Mr Liu also took the opportunity to appeal to the industry to note the related Marine Department Notice, which includes the traffic regulation and control arrangements as well as the relevant guidelines.
Mr Liu said, "The Marine Department will again implement the safety measures during the Lunar New Year Fireworks Display to be staged on February 11. These include requiring a passenger and crew list to be kept on board and children on board to wear a lifejacket. The Marine Department will also step up vessel inspections on the event day. If any vessel is found not complying with the requirements of the guidelines, officers of the department will immediately give directions to the coxswain and require him to follow them. If the coxswain refuses to comply with the directions given, appropriate follow-up actions will be taken and prosecution will be considered."
Marine safety measures are ineffective without the awareness and co-operation of marine users and associations. To address this, the Marine Department is putting together a series of education seminars and publicity campaigns to highlight proper safety precautions to prevent marine accidents from happening.
This annual seminar, hosted by the Marine Department, was attended by more than 190 representatives from the shipping industries, as well as masters and operators of local vessels. Topics discussed included the control and safety measures of spectators' vessels during major events at sea, as well as the inspections of vessels on the day of the Lunar New Year Fireworks Display, the application of collision regulations in Hong Kong waters, analysis of marine accidents and their implications, and maintenance and safe operation of ship engines.
In addition to representatives from the Marine Department, others from the Hong Kong Police Force, the Fire Services Department and the Customs and Excise Department also joined the discussions.
Ends/Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Issued at HKT 17:46
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