1|
Page
What is BNWAS ( B r i d g e N a v i g a t i o n a l Wa t c h A l a r m S y s t e m ) ?
Bridge Navigational Watch Alarm System BNWAS stands for Bridge Navigational Watch Alarm System - a safety system which has th
been made mandatory as per amendments to SOLAS Chapter V Regulation 19, adopte d on 5 June 2009. BNWAS has been introduced with an aim to observe bridge activity and detect operator disability which could lead to accidents. The system monitors the attentiveness of the Officer of the Watch (OOW) and automatically alerts another qualified OOW or the Master if for any reason the OOW becomes incapable of performing the OOW's duties. Series of indications and alarms are used to achieve this purpose. The system is designed to alert first the OOW and, if he/she he/ she does not respond, then to alert another qualified OOW or the Master. Additionally, the BNWAS may include a provision of summoning immediate assistance by OOW, if required. The BNWAS should be operational whenever the ship's heading or track control system is engaged, unless inhibited by the Master. It should also be used at anchor, if appropriate. Vessels should amend the relevant operating procedures accordingly in their Safety Management System. As a minimal requirement to comply with the regulations, the system is provided with a control panel, one re-set push button, one bridge sounder, one level 2 sounder, and one level 3 sounder. The fitting of BNWAS is a mandatory requirement under SOLAS V / Regulation 19 and as such the system should be Type Approved under the Classification Society the vessel is registered with. BNWAS should comply with the relevant IMO performance standards. However, if the vessel st is fitted with BNWAS which was installed onboard prior to 1 July 2011; she may be exempted from full compliance with the performance standards at the discretion of the flag state. The system may either be a bulkhead-mounted or console mounted control panel. Some manufacturers provide PIR (Passive Infra-Red) movement detector. However, certain classification societies (e.g. LR) do not approve the use of PIRs as a method of compliance. For this reason PIRs are usually provided in addition to the manual reset functionality. The carriage of a BNWAS, complying with IMO performance standards, is mandatory on ships of 150 gross tonnage and upwards and passenger ships irr espective of size, with a phased carriage requirement requirement for existing ships, as follows: 1. Ships of 150 gross tonnage and upwards and passenger ships irrespective of size constructed on or after 1st July 2011.
For more details please visit: www.captyashpal.blogspot.com
2|
Page
What is BNWAS ( B r i d g e N a v i g a t i o n a l Wa t c h A l a r m S y s t e m ) ?
2. Passenger ships irrespective of size constructed before 1st July 2011, not later than the first survey after 1st July 2012. 3. Ships of 3,000 gross tonnage and upwards constructed before 1st July 2011, not later than the first survey after 1st July 2012. 4. Ships, of 500 gross tonnage and upwards but less than 3,000 gross tonnage, constructed before 1st July 2011, not later than the first survey after 1st July 2013. 5. Ships, of 150 gross tonnage and upwards but less than 500 gross tonnage constructed before 1st July 2011, not later than the first survey after 1st July 2014. Most of the systems are installed as retrofit when the vessel is sailing from one port to another or installed the next time the vessel is in dry-dock. Normally, it is more cost effective to exchange an old dead man alarm with a new BNWAS than trying to upgrade the old system. The vessels next dry-docking is an ideal time to install and if the system is designed as a simple installation, the work could be done whilst alongside or during passage.
An example of BNWAS
For more details please visit: www.captyashpal.blogspot.com
