SOPEP, Your role

Under MARPOL regulations, a vessel must have a plan in place that prevents or minimizes pollution from spilled fuel or cargo oil. Additionally, if a vessel carries noxious substances in liquid form, it should also have an emergency pollution plan on board. This course increases awareness of why a vessel needs to have an emergency pollution plan, whilst highlighting that drills are necessary in making sure the plan is correct. It also emphasizes to crewmembers that their own observations are valuable and can improve drills.

The aim of this course is to provide the ratings on all types of vessel with an understanding of why there is a plan to prevent or minimize pollution, and how they become involved with it to safeguard the environment, themselves and others and to protect the interests of the vessel.

Learning objectives:

• State why a vessel has an emergency plan for the escape of oil and noxious substances
• Identify the role that social media plays during a pollution incident
• Recognize how to contribute effectively to a shipboard pollution drill
• Identify the role of the rating within this plan
• Identify the behaviours required to be able to react effectively if there is a pollution incident