Emphasis on environmental protection, and safety and honesty
a) Safe and honest vessels
Honesty traffic, as an important part for building of harmonious traffic environment, is the developing direction of the Traffic Safety Culture. In order to boost the construction of Chinese Shipping Safety Culture and to create sound shipping conditions, shipping companies and the crew are encouraged to perform the safety management over the vessels and companies well to improve the self-conscious discipline and law observing behaviors of the shipping companies and the crew. State Maritime Safety Administration formulated Appraisal Regulations for Vessel of Safety & Honesty and Captain of Safety & Honesty Stipulated by Maritime Safety Administration of P. R. China, which was put into practice on January 1, 2005. In response to the Regulations, the Company launched activities regarding Vessel of Safety & Honesty and Captain of Safety & Honesty. In 2005, after appraisal and verification conducted by the State Appraisal Commission composed of the senior captains, chief engineers and marine surveyors, 12 vessels including River Yunteng of the Company were awarded as Vessel of Safety & Honesty, and 17 Captains including Mr. Yu Guohua were entitled as Captain of Safety & Honesty. In 2006, this will be encouraged effectively and more vessels and captains will fight for the mentioned qualification.
Chen Yongkang, a National Label Model and captain of safe and honesty vessel
b) High-quality vessels in the 21st Century
The Company participated actively in the Project QUALSHIP21 promoted and implemented by the American Coast Guard in January 2001, the purposes and aims of which were to avoid vessels of low standard and to encourage the ship-owners or the shipping companies operating vessels of high quality by improving and identifying the vessels of low quality. On May 21, 2004, examined and approved by the American Coast Guard, CCS-class River Lingyun was first awarded the QUALSHIP Certificate signed and issued by the American Coast Guard. By October 28, the American Coast Guard awarded 10 container liners including Ship River the QUALSHIP Certificate. The ships mentioned above were first and earliest ones entitled QUALSHIP21.
c) Long Beach Green Port Project
In the middle of 2005, Long Beach, the US, commenced the GREEN PORT Project, among which, arrival and departure of the vessels at low speed (Required speed: within 12 knots / hour) is one of the requirements. Like other shipping companies, the COSCO Group participated in the project actively by announcing its participation and deploying the arriving vessels. Emphasis was laid on the mutual duty of environmental protection and all the vessels were required to coordinate with the work. In November 2005, all the shipping companies were notified to comply with the GREEN PORT Project. All the vessels arriving at the mentioned port of the Company seriously implemented the relevant requirements and controlled the speed within 12 knots / hour. The implementation coverage of the vessels reached 100%.
d) CDI examination and verification
Safety Quality Assessment Systems, abbreviated as SQAS, are the qualification assessment procedures applicable for dangerous cargo transportation. The purpose to set up such assessment systems is to establish a smooth and safe transport link between the manufacturer and the consignee. Since chemical industries employs the third logistic service provider, usually called dispatching company, which engages in storing and transporting the raw materials and made products between the manufacturer and the end user, it is essential for the chemical industries to make sure that safety, quality and protection of the staff and environment be taken into account in the mentioned logistics activities. In 1990, EPCA and CEFIC established a united working group to draft relevant documents and the SQAS assessment systems were put into practice in September 1994. In 1994, in compliance with the protocol published by CEFIC and ACC, Chemical Distribution Institute, abbreviated as CDI, an independent non-profit-making organization, was founded and the specialized website and the data were established in succession, revising the standards and maintaining the data. In order to meet the requirements relating the distribution course, to implement the safety control over the shipment of dangerous chemicals effectively and to ensure the safety of the vessels and environmental protection, in March 2005, the Company established the working team, invested RMB 988 thousand Yuan and volunteered to join CDI to carry out SQAS and to apply for CDI examination and verification over 63 vessels engaged in the European and American routes. By December 31, 2005, 9 vessels of the Company had passed the examination and verification.
