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CISS GROUP of companies provides successfully independent services for ship owners and operators all over the world. We organize, plan and perform critical maintenance and emergency repair work. Our goal is to focus on minimizing maritime asset downtime with highly efficient engine service, fast workshop and full environmental compliance retrofit.

Between other services we provide:

Ballast water services

What the ballast water is and why this issue becomes so important for marine industry today?

Ballast water operations are critically important issues in maritime transport. Vessels are sailing in different weather conditions, with various cargo loads and over various maritime ways. To provide maximum possible stability and minimize dangerous mechanical stresses to vessel constructions frequent pumping in and out of ballast water is equired.

During this operation vast amounts of water can be transported over thousands of miles and be discharged into altogether different sea environment. And with the ballast water some spices of sea fauna and flora can be discharged. Today we understand very well the danger of such situation – some spices which are normal and beneficial for an example arctic water can be lethal for the Great Barrier Reef. Furthermore ballast water can be polluted by remnants of various transported cargos. All the above concerns resulted in various maritime conventions which are governing the ballast water operations. Proper execution of these requirements needs professional and independent services which CISS GROUP of companies provide as follows:

Independent Inspections of ballast water:

The aim of such inspection is the confirmation that ballast water operations – procedures and control instruments used to it – are in the conformity with existing marine regulations and conventions.

There is a massive possible environmental danger in case of ballast water mishandling, so that fines imposed on a culprit may run into thousands of dollars. This is why proper ballast water operations, properly controlled and supervised are so important for vessels owners and operators.

CISS GROUP of companies provide independent inspections and analysis of ballast water in ports all over the world.

Ballast water inspection is a complicated process, as a presence of some kind of “pollutant” - being natural for a sea environment or industrial pollution – must be compared and assessed versus the area where the samples were taken. In some cases discharge of “polluted” ballast water can be performed if for example the found pollutant is normal for the vessel operational area.

So it is important to grant the supervision and control of ballast water operation to a company which is experienced and technically capable to properly conduct such supervision.

Main stages of ballast water control:

Initial inspection consist of checking vessel’s documents and procedures for ballast water operations. Furthermore the entire ballast water system is visually and operationally checked for its integrity and proper working condition. Samples of ballast water may be taken from the various points of the ballast installation. As the ballast water can be harmful – not only to the sea environment, but also to the sampling staff – a proper sampling procedure as well as proper personal protection clothing must be used.

Accredited inspector of CISS GROUP checks vessel ballast system for its compliance with requirements of the convention in force. Such checking consist of the following stages:

• Ballast water system shall be in good working condition, fulfilling the convention regulation and shall be installed and supervised by vessel’s classification society.
• If ballast water system operations are continuously monitored and recorded by automated systems, such records must be in the format which allows its long time storing and easy access to its.
• Sampling of ballast water must also be performed according to standing rules as far as method of sampling, labelling, distribution and storage are concerned.

Upon completion of ballast water inspection the performing inspector prepares inspection report which is immediately available to the client. It is important to stress that CISS GROUP control and inspection can be provided on the 24/7 basis.

Laboratory analysis

CISS GROUP conducts analysis of ballast water in own or fully accredited third party laboratories according to required international standards. Most frequently required and performed analysis are: temperature, salinity check, organic impurities, color content, non- organic impurities, presence of sea (or other) fauna and flora particles. Sea flora and fauna content is carefully checked against standing international ecological standards.

Photo and video reports

Each stage of the inspection is video and photo recorded. All such evidence is permanently marked with date and time of the occurrence. On the completion of the inspection CISS GROUP provide the full inspection report – including videos and photos – for each inspection stage.

Certification

All results of performed ballast water inspection are provided to our clients in the form of the Inspection Certificate. Authenticity of our reports can be checked and confirmed by our clients with help of unique QR code which is an electronical “key” to all CISS GROUP certificates. Our certificates are protected by electronic cryptographic signature for their integrity and validity.

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