RJMI is the first Canadian shipyard to be certified to international standards for ship recycling.
The Hong Kong Convention (HKC) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which was adopted in 2009, is intended to ensure that ship recycling does not pose any unnecessary risks to people or the environment. After a long period of hesitation on the part of many countries, the convention will finally come into force worldwide next year. The regulation concerns safety and environmental conditions in ship recycling facilities and the hazardous substances on the ship to be recycled. The focus is on the scrapping hotspot of South Asia, but the HKC applies worldwide and the first shipyard in Canada has now also been certified according to the criteria. [ds_preview]
Classification society Lloyd’s Register (LR) has now certified Nova Scotia-based ship recycling facility R.J. MacIsaac (RJMI) as operating in accordance with the requirements of the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships. It is the first Canadian facility to be issued a Statement of Compliance (SoC) for the Convention.
RJMI had to demonstrate that its systems for environmental protection, workforce safety and emergency preparedness exceed the stringent requirements of the Convention. LR also certified that the company operates in accordance with its own environmental, social and governance policies.
Hakan Erkal, a senior surveyor in LR’s Dartmouth, Nova Scotia office, worked closely with RJMI on the project: “We are pleased to provide RJMI with a Statement of Compliance (SoC) for the Hong Kong Convention (HKC) on Ship Recycling. As an industry first in Canada, RJMI has shown real commitment to ensuring that the high safety standards at its facilities are in line with the requirements of this international convention. With the HKC coming into force in less than two years, it is encouraging to see yards like RJMI pursuing certification to these requirements.”
Boyd MacIsaac, President of RJMI, said: “Our focus on continuous improvement in safety, environmental protection and efficiency is why we are achieving these international certifications. We are determined to remain the leading environmentally friendly ship recycling company in Canada. By meeting increasingly stringent international standards for safety, environmental protection and efficiency, we can compete not only in Canada, but abroad as well.”
RJMI has dismantled a variety of vessels at its facilities in Sheet Harbour, Nova Scotia, including the Deep Panuke offshore gas production platform and Canadian government vessels ranging from warships to ferries. Currently, the former CCGS Hudson is being dismantled and recycled.
