This image is unrelated to the article. [Getty Images Bank]
This image is unrelated to the article. [Getty Images Bank]

Small vessels under 10 tons will no longer need their propeller shafts removed during inspections — visual checks alone will now suffice. The change is expected to ease the financial burden on small operators, who have typically spent three to five days and 2 million to 3 million won ($2,150) on propeller shaft inspections.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced Monday that it had revised the enforcement regulations of the Ship Safety Act to reduce the inspection burden on vessels under 10 tons and outboard-motor vessels.

Under the previous rules, vessels undergoing safety inspections were required to detach the propeller shaft connected to the engine for examination. For a vessel of roughly 10 tons, the process — including disassembly, extraction, reassembly and non-destructive testing — typically took three to five days and cost around 2 million to 3 million won.

Under the revised rules, vessels under 10 tons can complete the inspection through a visual check alone, without removing the shaft, provided the bearings surrounding the propeller shaft show acceptable wear.

Inspections for outboard-motor vessels will also be streamlined. Outboard motors are engines mounted outside the hull; vessels equipped with them will be exempt from propeller shaft extraction inspections and main engine open inspections if the motors are in good working condition.

The ministry estimates that about 1,450 vessels will benefit from the eased requirements — roughly 670 vessels under 10 tons and about 780 outboard-motor vessels.

The qualifications required to become a hazardous-cargo inspector will also be broadened. Previously, candidates needed at least an industrial engineer certificate in chemical engineering. Going forward, holders of an industrial engineer certificate in hazardous materials will also be eligible.

Hazardous-cargo inspectors carry out inspections and approval duties related to the loading, transport and storage of dangerous goods aboard vessels. The ministry expanded the qualification criteria to allow personnel with specialized expertise in handling and managing hazardous materials to enter the inspection field.

"This revision is expected to significantly ease the operational burden on small businesses working on the ground in the shipping and port sector," said Jeong Do-hyeon, director general of the ministry's Maritime Safety Bureau. "We will continue to pursue rational deregulation while keeping safety as our top priority."


adastra@heraldcorp.com