See unitsPollution prevention on ships: oil record book, garbage plan, SOPEP, ballast water and emission control areas
SOPEP and SMPEP: the shipboard pollution emergency plan
1The lesson in plain words
The SOPEP tells you whom to call and what to do in an oil spill. Know where it is, what is in it, and the first steps at a bunker overflow.
Who needs one
Every oil tanker of 150 GT or more and every other ship of 400 GT or more must carry a shipboard oil pollution emergency plan (SOPEP), approved by the flag. Ships of 150 GT or more certified to carry noxious liquid substances (NLS), the bulk chemicals of Annex II, need a shipboard marine pollution emergency plan for noxious liquid substances. One combined SMPEP may cover both.
What is in it
The plan follows IMO guidelines and must contain: the procedure for the master or others to report a pollution incident; the list of authorities and people to contact; a detailed description of the actions to reduce or control the discharge; and the procedures and contact point for coordinating with national and local authorities. The contact lists in the appendix must be kept up to date.
Reporting
Report without delay to the nearest coastal state any discharge, or probable discharge, of oil or NLS above the permitted levels, or from damage to the ship. Use the fastest means, and follow the report format in the plan. Tell the company too. Oil tankers of 5,000 t deadweight or more also need prompt access to shore-based computer programs for damage stability and residual strength.
Equipment and drills
The SOPEP locker holds absorbents, plugs for scuppers (deck drains), shovels, buckets, protective clothing and sometimes a small pump. Check it is complete. Train the crew in the plan and practise bunker-overflow or hydraulic-leak scenarios. In US waters, covered tank vessels and self-propelled non-tank vessels of 400 GT or more carrying oil as fuel need a vessel response plan (VRP). A SOPEP does not replace it.
Record it
Record an accidental discharge in the ORB under code G, with the time, position, estimated amount and what was done, and keep copies of your reports.
2Step by step
First steps at a bunker overflow on deck
- 1
Stop bunkering at once and sound the alarm.
Every second of flow adds oil to the deck and the sea.
- 2
Make sure scuppers (deck drains) are plugged; contain the oil with absorbents.
Oil kept on deck does not reach the water.
- 3
Remove ignition sources and keep people upwind.
Fuel vapour can ignite and can harm the crew.
- 4
Report to the master, the terminal and the coastal state as the SOPEP says.
Early reports bring help and are a legal duty.
- 5
Clean up and keep the waste for proper disposal ashore.
Washing oil overboard is a second discharge.
- 6
Record what happened, including whether oil reached the sea. Use code G for an accidental discharge to sea; follow flag guidance for a deck-only spill.
Accurate records show what happened and what you did.
3Key data
- SOPEP
- Oil tankers ≥150 GT; other ships ≥400 GT (Annex I reg. 37)
- NLS plan
- NLS ships ≥150 GT (Annex II reg. 17); may be one SMPEP
- Report
- Without delay to the nearest coastal state
- Tankers ≥5,000 t DWT
- Shore-based damage stability and strength programs
4Key points
- 1
SOPEP: oil tankers 150 GT or more, other ships 400 GT or more.
- 2
NLS ships of 150 GT or more need a plan; a combined SMPEP may cover both.
- 3
Report spills without delay to the nearest coastal state.
- 4
Keep the contact list and the SOPEP locker up to date.
- 5
Record an accidental discharge in the ORB under code G.
5Frequent mistakes
Wrong: A small spill that was cleaned up on deck does not need reporting.
Right: Follow the SOPEP and local rules. Report any oil that reached the water, and tell the master and terminal of any spill.
Wrong: Wash the oil off the deck with water so it disperses.
Right: Contain and collect it with absorbents. Washing it overboard is a discharge.
6Practice case & exam keys
Alongside at a terminal, a hydraulic hose on a deck crane bursts. About 20 litres of oil spray over the deck and some drips over the side. What do you do?
Show the answer
Stop the crane and isolate the hydraulic system. Plug the scuppers and contain the oil on deck with absorbents from the SOPEP locker. Tell the master and the terminal at once, and report the oil in the water to the port authority as the SOPEP and local rules require. Clean up, keep the waste for disposal ashore, and record it in the ORB under code G.
Exam keys
- SOPEP: oil tankers ≥150 GT, other ships ≥400 GT; approved by the flag.
- NLS ships ≥150 GT: SMPEP; combined plan allowed.
- Mandatory contents: reporting, contacts, actions, coordination with authorities.
- Report without delay to the nearest coastal state; record in ORB code G.
Finish this unit
When you've read it, answer three questions. Get all three right to finish the unit; opening the page alone doesn't count.
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