Grigori Yefimovich Rapustin Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Grigori Yefimovich Rapustin - Essay Example He taught his disciples that sex, alcoholism, bribery, violence or all kinds of sins are part of human life and these things are necessary to get salvation. He was succeeded in attracting many people with his magical powers, appearance and communication abilities. He was often referred as the mad monk in history because of his crazy life styles and teachings. He was able to establish deep relationship with the Imperial family in general and with Queen Alexandra Feodorovna and her son,  in particular. These relationships helped him to become a prominent figure in the even in the imperial court. Some people believe that he was responsible for the downfall of the Romonov Russian Imperial family whereas others argue that he was simply a scapegoat. This paper analyses Rasputin’s personal life and teachings in general and his influence in the down fall and later the overthrow of the Romonov Russian Imperial family in particular. Rasputin’s personal life and teachings Rasput in’s education was limited and he struggled even for reading and writing. Like most of the modern self declared saints, Rasputin also realised that it is easy to influence the public with the help of magical powers even without formal education. He has realised that most of the people around him were superstitious and exploitation of such superstitious public is easy. â€Å"Having undergone a form of religious conversion while aged 18, Rasputin embraced the Khlysty sect.   Happily for Rasputin the sect preached the notion that the closest relationship to God could best be achieved while exhausted from prolonged sexual engagements†3 Rasputin’s personal life was not suitable for the traditional beliefs about the life styles of a monk or saint. His teachings were entirely different from the teachings of traditional saints. He argued that sins are part of human life and it is necessary for getting salvation. In his opinion, â€Å"sin is an inescapable part of the human condition, and the responsibility of a believer is to be keenly aware of his sins, and willing to confess them, thereby attaining humility†4. He established strong relationships with people in the upper class society and engaged in all malicious activities. He stayed with prostitutes and had no hesitation in getting addicted to alcohol. â€Å"He shortly afterwards hit upon the satisfying discovery that sexual contact with his own body imbued a healing effect upon women†5. Influence of Rasputin in the downfall of the Romonov Russian Imperial family Even though historians have different opinions about the role played by Rasputin in the downfall of the Romonov Russian Imperial family which led to the formation of Soviet Union, nobody has any doubt about his deep relationship with the Tsar Nicholas II, his wife, the Tsarina Alexandra and their only son, the Tsarevich Alexei. Rasputin was able to establish strong relationship with the ruling family because of Alexeiâ €™s hemophilia disease. Tsar and Tsarina had only one son and they were worried about their son’s hemophilia disease. They tried to treat their son using all the available medical facilities of that time; however their son’s pain and agony increased day by day. Rasputin used this opportunity well and convinced Tsar and Tsarina that he has holy power and he can easily get their son’s pain relieved. He was regarded as the last resort of the desperate Tsar and Tsarina. They had tried

Introduction of the bachelor and master system Essay Example for Free

Introduction of the bachelor and master system Essay Globalization and liberalization are two factors that greatly impact on the potential that nations have for generating value. Of the numerous dynamics that affect the society in the current operational environment, globalization comes up as the most influential due to the effect that it has on nearly all sectors of the modern economies (Neal 129). With increase in interaction between different communities a need for standardization has developed due to difference in standards and approaches that are employed across different societies (Lee 43). Electronic standard, wireless protocols, international courts and trading blocks have all come up as a result of the need to standardize approaches that the current societies use. The European which is the largest trading block globally has also come to terms with the fact that there is need for standardization especially in the area of higher education thus the Bologna accord (Loosvelt and Gysen 163). However, the effect of standardization of higher education is viewed differently with some claiming that it impacts positively on the education standards in Europe while some positing to the fact that it could reduce flexibility and therefore relevance of the education system to individual societies (Alesi and RosznyaI, 396). This study employs the aid of existing researches and theories to explore the effects of the Bologna process including its advantage on both employers and employees with the aim of seeking to develop a clear picture of its implication and areas that may need further address to ensure that Europe optimizes gains in its educational and social systems. The Bologna Process The main motivation to the Bologna accord was to ensure increased compatibility of higher education standards across Europe (Van Biesen and Rahier 222). The naming of the Bologna process follows directly from the Italian city in which it was signed (Dobrenkova 46). Though 29 nations were the initial signatories to the process, the number has increased with time. The signing of the Bologna process is considered the end process of numerous processes notably in Germany and Western Europe universities that were aimed at harmonization of the architecture or systems that is used in higher education (Lindblom-Ylanne and Hamalainen 161). Nearly all members of the council of Europe are signatories to the accord through there are nations that despite applying were denied a position to be in the process. The basic approach that is employed by the Bologna process employs three stages or cycles of higher education qualification. The main defining factors of the Bologna process are the qualification and ECTS credits. Bachelor’s degree, masters and doctoral degrees are some of the key variables that are considered under qualification. Most nations in Europe employ the 3-2-3 year cycle to ensure completions of the three levels in higher education as per the Bologna accord (Malan 295). Though the actual naming of the degree course may vary from one nation to the other, an academic year is standardized to 60 ECTS credits (Pusztai and Szabo 102). There is a clear correlation between this new system and the approaches that are employed in North America and even in Japan with many researchers and educators stating that this may be the way forward with respect to global education (Becker 265). A noticeable change that is a result of the Bologna process is more emphasis being awarded to practical training and even research projects. This is in line with developments in education that have generally been geared towards adoption of approaches that are more practice oriented. The credits being a measure of the input that students have in their education is reflective of not just the overall cognitive abilities but also presentation skills (Patricio and Engelsen 601) innovation, hours spent studying and even general skills (Tauch 277). Many education experts are of the view that this development brings educations closer to the society and requirements in practice where theoretical and practical skills are all important in ensuring efficiency and improvement of the nature of practice. The main issues that the Bologna process sought to address arise from responsibility in higher education, governance, research, values, changes in the nature of society and increase in complexity that institutions and organizations face which has led to high qualification needs. With the implementations of the Bologna process educations is provided with higher flexibility that makes it easier for students to move from one institution to the other within Europe (Berner and Richter 251). Other benefits that have come up as result of the Bologna process include increased attractiveness of higher education in Europe, a broader higher education framework that places emphasis on quality and advancement of knowledge base and an increase in the levels of convergence between US and Europe with respect to higher education standards which increases the scope of education and its absorption of European students into mainstream job markets. Like all change processes the Bologna process was criticized from some quarters with some being of the view that the framework adopted favored the UK especially England and Ireland while presenting numerous difficulties to continental Europe nations (Vogel 133). Economic and Academic Background Higher education like all other systems in the current society is affected by increase in cost of operations. Many educators are of the view that the basic factor that underpins a number of plans developed by the EU is economic consideration and this is reflected in the Bologna process. Researchers and education theorists are of the view that the Bologna process is aimed at enlarging the higher education system in Europe with the aim of cutting down on cost and therefore ensuring a Europe wide standardization (Beertsen 107). The changes are cited as being in line strategies that have been proposed by the WTO and GATS in education that have generally been aimed at minimizing and even eliminating the control that political systems have over higher education. The academic aspect is considered central to the numerous differential viewpoints that have been developed of the role of the Bologna process in ensuring that educational goals are met (Moshkin 10). In fact nearly all controversies that surround the Bologna process have their basis on the academic and social impact of the Bologna process rather than the impact that it could have on economies. Continental Europe nations mainly employ a model that was inspired by the German educational system where a clear difference existed between vocational and academic training (Ash 264). This system from the upgrades that it has received was viewed as counter-productive thus the adoption of a system that is in line with the English. The main areas that were of concern under such an educational system which was employed by a majority of continental Europe nations is the fact that vocational training was not developed with the aim of further studies. Masters level education was a minimum level requirement in some fields for instance engineering which limited the applicability of Bachelors level education in some fields (Chuchalin 200). Moreover, the continental approach to Bachelors degree did not prepare the students for employment rather it was aimed at preparing them for master’s level education. This reduced the skills that such students had and the level of efficiency that they display in the workforce. Despite the disparity in level of skills that Bachelors level student displayed with respect to their ability to manage workforce issues, they were awarded the same title as engineers. One of the key implications of the Bologna process is therefore an urgent need for steps that are aimed at harmonization of professional bodies which requires revaluation and in some cases change in qualification (Hibbert 34). Moreover a number of key assumptions that have been made by the Bologna process have been under spotlight for instance 60 ECTS per year requirement is based on the assumption that 1500-1800 hours will be available in a year which presents a complexity in its implementation if it is considered that it does not standardize semesters. Other critics claim that some courses were just redefined with no change in course content or requirement which due to ECTS requirements effectively implies additional demand with little gain (Sanz and van der 34). These are some of the key issues that have been highlighted as being central to controversies surrounding the objectivity in implementation of the Bologna process. However, the fact that it is being employed and nations seek being signatories implies that an understanding of the benefits is critical in determining the areas that it could be lacking in and therefore the development that can be incorporated to ensure that the society gains for it is the future of European education. Implication on Selected Educational Systems A review of selected educational systems shows that the implications of the Bologna accord have had differential effects across Europe. The Finish system of higher education was least affected by the implementation of the Bologna accord. The major changes are the inclusion of engineering and military programs into masters and bachelors systems and increase in adoption of English as the main language. A course that has basically remained the same as it was before the adoption of the Bologna accord is medicine which still runs on a five years program (Cooper 259). The Italian system was based on award of a degree after the first three years of undergraduate level education that had no value in the market unless one went ahead and finished graduate level course has changed considerably. A three plus two year system has been adopted though there are some exceptions to the structure of â€Å"Nuovo ordinamento† (Kilic 319). Medicine and some areas of science have not changed and place a requirement of up to six years of undergraduate level education before one can proceed to master’s level. In UK the implication of the Bologna accord differs with the nations. The educational systems in England, Scotland and Wales display some significant differences due to the nature of their formulation. The England system though relaying some similarities to the Italian system is fundamentally different from others in Europe (Georgantopoulou 13). In Wales it was possible for a student straight from high school to undertake a program that would lead to attainment of a master’s degree without having to undergo undergraduate level education. The Scottish system which is one of a kind due to the flexibility that it offers lower level educational stakeholders like school heads to formulate curricula was also affected considerably. Under the Bologna accord all this systems can actively seek educational goals and students can easily transfer from one institution to the other without having to worry about the grade that he has attained and even difficulty in integrating into the new system. There is no doubt that the Bologna accord has played an important role in convergence of standards that are used in higher level education which is an important factor in ensuring that the role of the EU in ensuring labor mobility is attained. Employers Advantages Pro Bologna Reform activists are generally of the view that it is the best development that has happened in Europes educational systems for a long time (Stallmann 24). This is the same view that is held by computing enthusiasts on the level of development that computing has attained due to the standardization of protocols. Standardization is generally perceived as an avenue through which development within any industry can be molded in a manner that increases the level of interrelationship between existing systems. A melange of degree titles defined the higher education systems in Europe before the implementation of the Bologna accord. The effects of the confused state on European employees were high due to the effect of EU policies that were seeking economic integration (Rauhvargers 341). Employers found it hard to develop an objective measure that could be used in determining the potential of job seekers by objectively assessing their academic credentials. Under such an environment the benefits that European nations sought through economic integration and ensuring workforce mobility was reduced. Business and management education is one of the areas that have been affected by the Bologna accord. Globally employers and HR executives were becoming more confused with the bachelor, Lauren and Diplomkaufmann titles that were held by jobseekers (Verhesschen and Verburgh 134). Complexity in assessing the potential of a job applicant is further brought out if the array of master’s degree programs that were offered is considered. The effects of the Bologna accord are numerous and impact on not just the educational systems or employers but also governments (Sanz 141). Countries that have employed the Bologna accord are more likely to partake in the benefits that it offers especially with respect to reducing the recurring costs of higher education. Moreover, the quality and competitive degree programs that are offered under the Bologna accord present such nations with an edge with respect to attracting students into their institutions. Such students may play a role in ensuring overall development in host nations. The benefits that the Bologna accord present with respect to predictable educational budget, fixed course durations, predictable enrolment and graduation rates which aid in budgeting and educational planning and shorter graduate study will play a role in ensuring that the span of productivity is increased (Giuliano 103). The introduction of shorter masters degree level courses that is pushed for by the Bologna Accord will play an important role in ensuring that education in Europe is compatible to standards that are being employed in other nations. In a global environment where commercialization of education is widespread the international students that pay considerably higher than their domestic counterparts will pave a way for the education systems to gain more revenues. However, a number of issues arise relating the specific details in implementing the strategies. Language is a key issue that has been central in discussions relating to success that can be attained in ensuring integration. Generally English being the most developed and popular language in global circles has been adopted by a number of masters programs. Relaxation of immigration and permit requirements has come up as one of the areas that governments must be wary of to ensure gains from the Bologna process (Griffin 98). Such a process must be carried out in tandem with simplifications of visa conversion from study to employment if Europe to gain the most out of the benefits presented by the Bologna accord. The nature of strategies and even systems that are employed by the education systems is affected by workforce requirements. Employer requirements are cited as critical factors in determining the curricular and even activities that are embedded into school systems especially at higher level of learning. Higher education strategies are highly dependent on the nature of requirements that they are placed on social systems (Sakari 179). Employees are cited as playing a key role in determining the level of success that can be attained in implementing the Bologna accord. Unless employers can actively seek and employ Bachelors level graduates then the value of this level of education will be lost across Europe. Researchers are of the view that though standardization has been achieved with the adoption of the Bologna accord by various stakeholders’ success in its implementations is highly dependent on collaboration between employers, instructors and evens students. Unless higher education seeks to develop critical lifelong learners the benefits that employers stand to gain from the Bologna accord are minimal. This is in line with the fact that employers having realized the role played by critical reflective skills spend consummate funds on development of interpersonal, leadership and communication skills (Widerberg 137). The key challenge that European educational institutions face in ensuring success with the aid of the Bologna accord is to provide students with high transformational potential that will ensure they are easily employed. As the Bologna accord takes root, many will seek graduate level education and therefore employers will be provided with a far much wider pool of experienced job seekers to choose from. This is one of the key goals that were sought in formulating the EU. Moreover, a clear description of the course presents a common approach to assessment that encompasses all areas that employers seek and aid in accurately determining the exact qualifications required for a given job title (Jaschke and Neidhardt 306). Employees have to take steps in ensuring that their requirements and overall HR departments are aware of the differing qualifications that are offered by institutions. Despite initiatives that have sought employment of Bachelors degree holders, it is generally believed that master’s level education will continue being a key prerequisite for entry into mainstream employment (Zgaga 253). However, most researchers are of the view that this condition can be reversed with the input of the public sector which is in fact the largest employer in all European nations. If the public sector seeks bachelor’s level education then there is a high likelihood that other employers with follow suit which will aid in ensuring Bologna accord goals are attained. With time and maturity of the job market, both bachelors and graduate job seekers will be effectively absorbed into the job market thus increased workforce availability. Another benefit that employers stand to gain from business oriented degrees is their ability to offer a platform upon which bachelors degree holders from other fields can seek further studies in business related subjects (Labi A36). Such a process leads to graduates who have diversified skills that are relevant to global operational environment. It is important to note that experience has been highlighted as one of the factors that greatly determines the pay and even suitability of an employee irrespective of the level of education that one has attained. Employees The Bologna accord is considered a platform upon which students are presented with new opportunities that they can effectively use in sidelining the long cycle to seeking graduate level education into stages with increase in platform upon which they can seek further education. Increased student mobility associated with the accord is likely to present the platform upon which employees can seek further their careers. The choice though complicated offers students with the opportunity to either continues with their education or seek employment after undergraduate level which presents a wider platform for decision making. This is further complicated by the multitude of courses that students have in choosing the course or areas of specialization at graduate level. This is likely to lead to an increase in the levels of diversity that is displayed by employees which may directly translate to increase in the level of competition in the job market or reduced competition depending on the qualification that a employees display (Konjic and Sarajlic 219). The Bologna accord is also cited as being a catalyst to increased academic activities across Europe. Employees are under increased pressure to ensure that they update their skills and acquire multiple skills to develop in their areas of professionalism. Another area that employees are likely to benefit from is applicability of their skills. A factor that has for a long time been central to the difficulties that students and even employees face in making the most out of the freedom that they are presented by the EU is language barrier and the differential systems that were used across Europe (Sandstrom 61). The Bologna accord presents a standardized education system that predominantly uses English as the main mode of transmission thus increased availability of jobs in even areas that were least accessed due to language barriers. Another area that the Bologna accord has impacted on is decision making. Most employers often consider their jobs as their source of livelihood. Decision making as one of the most important variable that determine the direction that ones life will take is complicated by the number of options that one has (Augusti 258). The Bologna accord presented employees and students with multiple options on which to base their professional development each of which impact directly in the quality of education that they can attain. Having such a large basis presents complexity in decision making which may even lead to the development of firms that seeks to guide professionals into their career paths. This is an example of a development and even complexity that is presented with standardization of education across Europe. Employers awareness There is a large potential that has been presented to European employees with respect to seeking suitable candidates by the Bologna accord (Adelman 11). However, surveys across Europe show that the level of awareness that employers have of the potential that is presented by the Bologna accord is low (Jung-Eun 36). Generally the low level of awareness that employers have of the accord is a worrying situation considering the role that employers have to play in ensuring that its goals are attained. Numerous independent studies have shown that up to 64% of employers are unaware of the existence of Bologna process in the UK (Shearman 177). The same trends are observed in Finland with a far much grim picture painted in Italy where up to 80% of the employers are not aware of the existence of the Bologna process (Guth 331). These statistics paint a grim situation and a clear need for politicians and policy makers to work round the clock to ensure that the state is corrected failure to which the potential benefits that could be attained with the implementation of the accord may never be experienced. A far worse picture is created if research findings on employers that are informed on the internal details of the accord are considered. Basically less than 5% of all employers in Europe are aware of the details relating to the implementation of the accord and the implications that it could have on the nature of the job market (Salzer 656). Awareness is first developing on this poor state in implementation of the accord and has led to a number of taskforces and even researches that have sought to determine corrective measures that can be put in place to ensure that the initial goals of the accord are driven at (Wex 76). The measures not only seek to raise the levels of awareness that employers have of the Bologna accord but are also aimed at devising systems and means through which employers can reduce their transaction costs when seeking new employees (Burnett 287). A systematic exchange of information between parties that are involved in the Bologna accord is one of the recommendations that have been developed to aid address the worrying situation. Sharing experiences between students has also been cited as a possible avenue to ensuring that future employers are aware of the benefits presented by the Bologna accord in the higher education framework in Europe (Witte and van der Wende 217). Increased involvement of employers and career advisers by developing information packages that are targeted at this audience is one of the directions that can be sought in ensuring that career goals are accurately sought. Analysis A deeper analysis of the Bologna accord shows that it has implications that may be further than the current economic effect that it is assessed under. The EU as an economic system is an important factor in determining the level of efficiency that can be attained with the application of the accord and is a critical reference point with respect to its effect on the political, social and organizational systems (Veiga and Amaral 61). From the discussions it is apparent that though the freedom that is presented by the EU in terms of movement serves as an effective platform for the Bologna accord, there are several policy issues that are yet to be addressed that would ensure ease of movement and even transformation of students into active workforce. The effects of globalization and an improved information system together present an effective platform upon which students from different cultural backgrounds can easily interact to ensure gain from the education system (Karran 7). Though there have been some resistance to the implementation of the accord the levels of adoption that it has received is reflective of the growing appreciation of its relevance in consideration of the nature of the modern society. Multiculturalism is fast developing within Europe which presents a suitable avenue to ensuring ease in accessing employees of different background. This diversity that is presented to employers is cited as being a critical ingredient to generating value in competitive business segments (Sall and Ndjaye 47). However, an understanding of the complexity that is associated with management of diversity has to be developed for any value to be generated. Though diversity is associated with generation of value, an understanding of how it can effectively be managed is important in ensuring that this benefit is gained. In general there are a number of strengths and benefits that are associated with the Bologna accord. One of the notable threats is the erosion of the level of awareness that curricula have to issues that are of interest to a particular society (Gaston 17). The implementation of the Bologna accord is based on the assumption that the effects of globalization in Europe is high to the extent that Europe can be considered a single society that is faced with similar educational challenges. The reality is that Europe is diverse and made up of both developed and developing nations that have different needs and are of different perception on what can be considered an effective higher educational system. Recommendations Though the goals and even theory beneath the implementation of the Bologna accord are noble, practical implementation issues pose a threat to the achievement of its objectives. Creating awareness among employees and developing further avenues for employment are some of the issues that have to be addressed in seeking its goals. Incorporation of other nations in the EU is also important in ensuring that overall development of the EU as a region is attained (Petit and Foriers 16). More research ought to be conducted on avenues that can be used in ensuring that challenges that are unique to communities are accurately addressed failure to which the role of higher education in ensuring address of social and even communal issues may be lost. Works Cited Adelman, Clifford. â€Å"Accountability Light: Our Version Is Going the Way of the Dollar vs. the Euro†. Liberal Education, 94. 4(2008): 6-13. Alesi, Bettina and RosznyaI, Christina. â€Å"The Implementation of Bachelor and Master Programmes in Hungary†. European Journal of Education, 42. 3(2007): 395-409. Ash, Mitchell. â€Å"Bachelor of What, Master of Whom? The Humboldt Myth and Historical Transformations of Higher Education in German-Speaking Europe and the US†. European Journal of Education, 41. 2(2006): 245-267. Augusti, Giuliano. â€Å"Transnational recognition and accreditation of engineering educational programmes in Europe: perspectives in a global framework†. European Journal of Engineering Education, 31. 3(2006): 249-260. Becker, Frank. â€Å"Globalization, curricula reform and the consequences for engineers working in an international company†. European Journal of Engineering Education, 31. 3(2006): 261-272. Beertsen, Wendy. â€Å"PhD Programmes†. European Journal of Dental Education, 10. 2(2006): 107 Berner, Heike and Richter, Roland. â€Å"Accreditation of Degree Programmes in Germany†. Quality in Higher Education, 7. 3(2001): 247-257. Burnett, John. â€Å"Tilling the soil of the European higher education area†. Educational Action Research, 15. 2(2007): 283-293 Chuchalin, Boev. â€Å"The Russian system of higher education in view of the Bologna process†. International Journal of Electrical Engineering Education, 44. 2(2007): 109-225. Cooper, David. â€Å"International restructuring of higher education: comments on implications of global trends, for restructuring of Sociology in South Africa†. South African Review of Sociology, 37. 2(2006): 260-292. Dobrenkova, Erick. â€Å"Problems of Russias Entry into the Bologna Process†. Russian Education Society, 50. 4(2008): 42-51. Gaston, Paul. â€Å"Bologna: A Challenge for Liberal Education and an Exceptional Opportunity†. Liberal Education, 94. 4(2008): 14-19 Georgantopoulou, Catherine. â€Å"Medical education in Greece†. Medical Teacher, 31. 1(2009): 13-17 Giuliano, Augusti. â€Å"Accreditation of engineering programmes at European level†. International Journal of Electrical Engineering Education, 44. 2(2007): 101-208 Griffin, Gabriele. â€Å"Womens/Gender Studies,1 Professionalization and the Bologna Process—Cross European Reflections†. NORA: Nordic Journal of Womens Studies, 14. 2(2006): 87-102 Guth, Jessica. â€Å"The Bologna Process: The Impact of Higher Education Reform on the Structure and Organisation of Doctoral Programmes in Germany†. Higher Education in Europe, 31. 3 (2006): 327-338 Hibbert, Lee. â€Å"Time serving†. Professional Engineering, 20. 7(2007): 33-34. Jaschke, Hans-Gerd and Neidhardt, Klaus. â€Å"A Modern Police Science as an Integrated Academic Discipline: A Contribution to the Debate on its Fundamentals†. Policing Society, 17. 4(2007): 303-320. Jung-Eun Oh. â€Å"Equity of the Bologna System†. European Education, 40. 1(2008): 35-50. Karran, Terence. â€Å"Pan-European Grading Scales: Lessons from National Systems and the ECTS†. Higher Education in Europe, 30. 1(2005): 5-22. Kilic, Puljak. â€Å"Studying electrical engineering and information technology at the University of Split, Croatia†. International Journal of Electrical Engineering Education, 44. 2(2007): 175-357. Konjic, Tatjana and Sarajlic, Nermin. â€Å"Higher education structure at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Tuzla: Influence of the Bologna agreement†. International Journal of Electrical Engineering Education, 44. 2(2007): 166-339. Labi, Aisha. â€Å"Bologna Conference Highlights Progress and Limits of Europes New Degree Cycles†. Chronicle of Higher Education, 53. 39(2007): A36 Lee, Hibbert. â€Å"Degrees of separation†. Professional Engineering, 21. 6(2008): p43-44. Lindblom-Ylanne, Sari and Hamalainen, Kauko. â€Å"The Bologna Declaration as a Tool to Enhance Learning and Instruction at the University of Helsinki†. International Journal for Academic Development, 9. 2(2004): 153-165. Loosvelt, Hugo and Gysen, Marleen. â€Å"Engineering education at the Association K. U. Leuven: A changing higher education landscape†. International Journal of Electrical Engineering Education, 44. 2(2007): 146-300. Malan, Thierry. â€Å" Implementing the Bologna Process in France. † European Journal of Education, 39. 3(2004): 289-297. Moshkin, Mikhail. â€Å" EMOTIONS RUN HIGH OVER BOLOGNA†. Current Digest of the Post-Soviet Press, 59. 43(2007): 9-10. Neal, Sturgess. â€Å"Clive Bologna and the MEng: ‘Sleepwalking into unknown and unpredictable territory’†. International Journal of Electrical Engineering Education, 44. 2(2007): 129-266. Patricio, Madalena and Engelsen, Corine. â€Å"Implementation of the Bologna two-cycle system in medical education: Where do we stand in 2007? -Results of an AMEE-MEDINE survey†. Medical Teacher, 30. 6(2008): 597-605. Petit, Pascale and Foriers, Andre. â€Å"The introduction of new teaching methods in pharmacy education—I. Lessons learned from history†. Pharmacy Education, 8. 1(2008): 13-18. Pusztai, Gabriella and Szabo, Peter. â€Å"The Bologna Process as a Trojan Horse. † European Education, 40. 2(2008): 85-103. Rauhvargers, Andrejs. â€Å"Improving the Recognition of Qualifications in the Framework of the Bologna Process†. European Journal of Education, 39. 3(2004): 331-347. Sakari, Ahola. â€Å"From ‘Different but Equal’ to ‘Equal but Different’: Fi

Transition Elements And Coordination Compounds Biology Essay

Transition Elements And Coordination Compounds Biology Essay As we know, Manganese is found in the first row of transition metal with the electron configuration [Ar] 3d5 4s2. Besides that, Manganese has different type of oxidation states when it appears as a compound and the oxidation state is from Mn(-III) until Mn(VII). So, we know that the compounds of manganese range in the oxidation number have a different of 10 electrons. In the experiment 1, we prepare tris(acetylacetonato)manganese(III), Mn(acac)3 by using manganese(II) chloride tetrahydrate and potassium permanganate act as oxidation agent to oxidise manganese(II) chloride to acetylacetonemanganese(III). Manganese(III) acetylacetonate is an one- electron oxidant. Manganese(III) acetylacetonate is high spin. It has also a distorted octahedral structure. This distortion is due to the Jahn-Teller effect. (Absolute Astronomy, 2009). The structure of Manganese(III) acetylacetonate is shown as below:- (Source: Tcieurope.com) The equation is as follow:- MnCl2 + 4H2O Mn(H2O)4Cl2 Mn(H2O)4] Cl + 2HC5H7O2 + NaC2H3O2 Mn(C5H7O2)2 + NaCl + HC2H2O2 4Mn(C5H7O2)2 + KMnO4 + 7HC5H7O2 + HC2H3O2 5Mn(C5H7O2)3 + KC2H3O2 + 4H2O Furthermore, bis(acetylacetonato)oxovanadium(IV) is also known as Vanadyl acetylacetonate, VO(acac)2. As we know, it is a blue green complex. bis(acetylacetonato)oxovanadium(IV) has a vanadyl group, VO2+. The vanadyl group is bonded to 2 acetylacetonate anions and the structure of the compound is as follow:- This complex can be made from vanadium(IV) or vanadium(V). In our experiment, bis(acetylacetonato)oxovanadium(IV) was prepared from vanadium(V) oxide and the equation is as follow:- V2O5 + 2H2SO4 + EtOH 2VOSO4 + 3H2O + CH3CHO VOSO4 + 2HC5H7O2 + Na2CO3 VO(C5H7O2)2 + Na2So4 + H2O + CO2 (Absolute Astronomy, 2009) Besides that, both of the acetylacetonato (acac) groups of bis(acetylacetonato)oxovanadium(IV) are able to be exchanged with organic ligands having coordinating atoms of different potentialities. (Maurya, 2003) Both Manganese(III) acetylacetonate and bis(acetylacetonato)oxovanadium(IV) are bond with acetylacetonate which known as ligand. The precursor for acetylacetonate is acetylacetone with formula CÂ ­5H8O2. However, acetylacetonate is an anion. It can bind to corresponding cation but it very hard to exist as a free ion in solution. In addition, Cobalt is a hard, gray metal. It has a proton number 27. Besided that, there are two types of cobalt ions namely Co2+ and Co3+. First, Co3+ ion is more weaker than the Co2+ ion. However, the complex ion formed with higher oxidation state is more stable. ( Â °zmir Institute of Technology, n.d.). So that, Cobalt(III) complexes are kinetically inert. Co3+ can undergo a process known as ligand exchange reactions slowly which compared to Co2+ complexes. The cobalt(III) complexes are usually in octahedral shape. In the experiment, chloropentaamminecobalt(III) chloride is being synthesized. The structure is as follow:- (Source: Chemicalbook.com) The complex is prepared by the oxidation of ammoniacal solution of cobalt(II) salts by using hydrogen peroxide. The formula is as follow:- Co2+ + NH4+ + 1/2H202 → [Co(NH3)5H20]3+ [Co(NH3)5H20]3+ + 3Cl- → [Co(NH3)5Cl]Cl2 + H20 ( Â °zmir Institute of Technology, n.d.) Materials and Methods : Experiment one 5g of MnCl2.4H20 1.3g of NaC2H3O2.3H2O NaC2H3O2.3H2O Dissolved in 200cm3 of distilled water. 21cm3 of 2HC5H7O2 slowly added 1g of KMnO4 Present of two-phase layer Solution A added in with stirring Dissolved in 50cm3 of distilled water. 13g of NaC2H3O2.3H2O Solution B added in Solution A Solution B Dissolved in 50cm3 of distilled water. Heated with 60oC for 30 minutes Complex washed with acetone Solid complex filtered by suction Resultant solution was cooled with ice-cold water Experiment 2 Experiment 3 Recrystallise Results : For experiment 1, from the equation below, I can get the theoretical mass of the Mn(acac)3 solid complex by : Mn(H2O)4] Cl + 2HC5H7O2 + NaC2H3O2 Mn(C5H7O2)2 + NaCl + HC2H2O2 4Mn(C5H7O2)2 + KMnO4 + 7HC5H7O2 + HC2H3O2 5Mn(C5H7O2)3 + KC2H3O2 + 4H2O From the equation, we know that 1 mol of Mn(H2O)4] Cl = 1 mol of Mn(C5H7O2)2. So, 5 g of Mn(H2O)4] Cl = 0.0308 mol is also = 0.0308 mol of Mn(C5H7O2)2. From the second equation, 4 mol of Mn(C5H7O2)2 = 5 mol of Mn(acac)3 0.0308 mol of Mn(C5H7O2)2 = 0.0385 mol. Of Mn(acac)3 So, theoretical weight of Mn(acac)3 = 0.0385 mol X 252.938 g/mol theoretical weight of Mn(acac)3 = 9.7381 g The following shows the method to get our experimental weight: Weight of Sample tube 14. 8180 g Weight of Sample tube + solid complex , Mn(acac)3 18.7785 g So, the experimental weight of Mn(acac)3complexes were 3.9605 g Percentage yield of Mn(acac)3complexes we get was = 3.9605 g / 9.7381 g X 100 % = 40.67 % Next, Magnetic moment of Mn(acac)3complexes were calculated as follow : m = 0.9278g- 0.8193g = 0.1085g Ro= -33 L = 2.4cm R= 1165 (paramagnetic) CBal = 1 X(g) = [CBal X L X (R-Ro) ] / 109 X m X(g) of Mn(acac)3complexes = 2.65 X 10-5 So, Mn(acac)3complexes are paramagnetic FTIR Interpretation of IR spectrum for complexes will be written in discussion. For experiment 2, from the equation below, I can get the theoretical mass of the [Co(NH3)5Cl]Cl2 solid complex by : Co2+ + NH4+ + 1/2H202 → [Co(NH3)5H20]3+ [Co(NH3)5H20]3+ + 3Cl- → [Co(NH3)5Cl]Cl2 + H20 From the above equation, 1 mol of Co2+ = 1 mol of [Co(NH3)5H2O]3+ 12g of Co2+ = 0.0504 mol So 0.0504 mol of [Co(NH3)5H20]3+= 0.0504 mol of [Co(NH3)5Cl]Cl2 Theoretical weight of [Co(NH3)5Cl]Cl2 solid complexes = 0.0504 mol X 250.433 g/mol = 12.6218 g The following shows the method to get our experimental weight: Weight of Sample tube 14. 9285 g Weight of Sample tube + solid complex , 22.3723 g So, the experimental weight of [Co(NH3)5Cl]Cl2 solid complexes = 7.4438 g Percentage yield of [Co(NH3)5Cl]Cl2complexes = 7.4438 g / 12.6218 g X 100 % = 58.98 % Next, Magnetic moment of [Co(NH3)5Cl]Cl2complexes were calculated as follow : m = 0.9264g- 0.8207g = 0.1057g Ro= -36 L = 2.1cm R= -41 (dimagnetic) CBal = 1 X(g) = [CBal X L X (R-Ro) ] / 109 X m X(g) of [Co(NH3)5Cl]Cl2complexes = -9.9338 X 10-8 So, [Co(NH3)5Cl]Cl2complexes are diamagnetic FTIR For experiment 3, from the equation below, I can get the theoretical mass of the [Vo(acac)2(H2O)] solid complex by : V2O5 + 2H2SO4 + EtOH 2VOSO4 + 3H2O + CH3CHO VOSO4 + 2HC5H7O2 + Na2CO3 VO(C5H7O2)2 + Na2So4 + H2O + CO2 From the above equation, 1 mol of V2O5 = 2 mol of VOSO4 2g 0f V2O5 = 0.011 mol = 0.022 mol of VOSO4 2 mol of VOSO4 = 2 mol of VO(C5H7O2)2 Theoretical weight of VO(C5H7O2)2= 0.022 mol X 264.94 g/mol = 5.8287 g The following shows the method to get our experimental weight: Weight of Sample tube 14.8445 g Weight of Sample tube + solid complex , 18.5818 g So, the experimental weight of VO(C5H7O2)2= 3.7373 g Percentage yield of VO(C5H7O2)2= 3.7373 g / 5.8287 g X 100% = 64.12% Next, Magnetic moment of impure VO(C5H7O2)2 complexes were calculated as follow : m = 0.8880g 0.8244 g = 0.0636g Ro= -34 L = 2.5cm R= 72 (paramagnetic) CBal = 1 X(g) = [CBal X L X (R-Ro) ] / 109 X m X(g) of impure VO(C5H7O2)2complexes = 4.17 X 10-6 So, VO(C5H7O2)2complexes are paramagnetic Magnetic moment of pure VO(C5H7O2)2 complexes were calculated as follow : m = 0.8947g -0.8211 = 0.0736g Ro= -33 L = 2.3cm R= 144 (paramagnetic) CBal = 1 X(g) of pure VO(C5H7O2)2complexes = 5.53 X 10-6 FTIR Interpretation of IR spectrum for complexes will be written in discussion. Impure VO(C5H7O2)2 Pure VO(C5H7O2)2 Discussion : Interpretation of IR spectrum for tris(acetylacetonato)manganese(III): Wavenumber (cm-1) Description of bands 2921.1 2959.7 -relative intensity : weak CH stretching of CH3 1593.9 1508.0 -relative intensity : strong -(C=C) stretching -(C=CH) deformation 1387.2 -relative intensity : strong -(CH3)- symmetric C-H deformation 1253.5 -relative intensity : strong -(C=C) stretching -(C-CH3) stretching 1016.8 -relative intensity : strong -(CH3) out-of plane bending 923.2 -relative intensity : strong -(C-CH3) stretching 777.0 -relative intensity : strong -(C-H)deformation 678.1 -relative intensity : medium/ strong -(C-CH3)stretching,(O=C-CH3) deformation -(Mn-O) stretching indicates metal-ligand bond 460.1 relative intensity : weak (C=C) stretching,(C-CH3) stretching -(Mn-O) stretching that also indicatesmetal-ligand bond Interpretation of IR spectrum for chloropentaamminecobalt(III) chloride: Wavenumber (cm-1) Description of bands 3258.0 -relative intensity : strong NH3stretch 1576.2 -relative intensity : medium -degenerate asymmetric NH3stretching 1307.8 -relative intensity : strong -symmetric NH3angle deformation 844.9 -relative intensity : strong -NH3rocking 487.6 -(Co-Cl) stretching indicates metal-ligand bond Interpretation of IR spectrum for impure bis(acetylacetonato)oxovanadium(IV): Wavenumber (cm-1) Description of bands 1556.8 1521.0 -relative intensity : medium (C=O) stretching -( C=C),(C=CH) stretching 1418.7 -relative intensity : medium -(CH3) deformation 1374.0 1357.6 -relative intensity : strong -(C=O) stretching -(CH3) deformation mode 1286.6 -relative intensity : strong -(C=C=C) stretching 998.2 -relative intensity : strong and sharp -stretching of V=O bond -it also indicates the metal-ligand bond. 1018.6 -relative intensity : strong -(CH3) rocking 936.1 -relative intensity : strong -(C-CH3) stretching -(C=O) stretching 798.6 -relative intensity : medium -(C-H) out-of-plane bending 685.9 657.2 -relative intensity : medium/ weak -(ring) deformation out-of-plane bending for: 609.2 -(ring) deformation Interpretation of IR spectrum for pure bis(acetylacetonato)oxovanadium(IV): Wavenumber (cm-1) Description of bands 1563.0 1520.0 -relative intensity : medium (C=O) stretching -( C=C),(C=CH) stretching 1499.6 -relative intensity : medium -(CH3) deformation 1380.0 1349.0 -relative intensity : strong -(C=O) stretching -(CH3) deformation mode 1288.3 -relative intensity : strong -(C=C=C) stretching 995.0 -relative intensity : strong and sharp -stretching of V=O bond -it also indicates the metal-ligand bond. 1018.2 -relative intensity : strong -(CH3) rocking 935.7 -relative intensity : strong -(C-CH3) stretching -(C=O) stretching 798.8 798.0 -relative intensity : medium -(C-H) out-of-plane bending 686.0 -relative intensity : medium/ weak -(ring) deformation out-of-plane bending for: 609.7 -(ring) deformation FTIR is known as Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy. This FTIR can be used to identify different types of chemical bond which is either organic compound or inorganic compound. So no two different compounds will have same spectrum. However, FTIR may cause destructive to our sample compare to magnetic susceptibility which is non-destructive. Besides that, magnetic susceptibility can be group by paramagnetic, diamagnetic and ferromagnetic. Paramagnetic substance is those attracted by strong magnetic field but those repelled by magnetic field are diamagnetic substances. Besides that, we can also confirm the shape by using magnetic susceptibility. The Cobalt ion to form Chloropentaamminecobalt(III) chloride has 6 electron in d orbital. According to crystal field theory, if the complex is in octahedral shape, the electron can be arranged like below:- Low-spin high-spin eg eg t2g t2g If the complex is in tetrahedral shape, the electron are arranged as below:- t2g eg Magnetic Susceptibility for chloropentaamminecobalt(III) chloride is -9.9338 X 10-8 and it is diamagnetic. Only the low-spin octahedral shape shows diamagnetic properties, so the shape of chloropentaamminecobalt(III) chloride is octahedral. Furthermore, for tris(acetylacetonato)manganese(III), the Mn3+ ion has 4 electron in d orbital, and the arrangement in octahedral shape will as follows:- Low-spin High-spin eg eg t2g t2g For the arrangement in tetrahedral shape, the electrons are arranged as below:- t2g eg Magnetic Susceptibility for tris(acetylacetonato)manganese(III) is 2.65 X 10-5 and it is paramagnetic. So the shape of tris(acetylacetonato)manganese(III) is octahedral. However we cannot determine whether is low-spin or high-spin in this situation because we are not calculating the pairing energy for the complex. In addition, there is only one electron in d orbital for vanadium ion of bis(acetylacetonato)oxovanadium(IV). Magnetic susceptibility for it is 4.17 X 10-6 and it is paramagnetic. The shape is octahedral and the arrangement of electron is as follow:- eg t2g Acetylacetonate is delocalized and formed resonance structure as follow : The structure of Co(NH3)5Cl]Cl2 is as follow : The structure of [VO(ACAC)2] is as follow : Moreover, oxovanadium complexes act as insulin mimetics, nucleolytic and anticancer. To recognize insulin- mimetic complexes, a simple and fast in-vitro assay is developed. Besides that, an accurate assessment of the cells taken up of glucose, in-vitro assay with Ehrlich can be used. The oxovanadium complexes can cleave DNA without the present of hydrogen peroxide. Then, its nucleolytic efficiency is also greater but it is affected by the choice of buffer and pH. The oxovanadium complexes is also an anticancer agent against human ovarian cancer. Actually, I have acquired a lot of new knowledge among these three experiments. First, experiment one and two are easier to carry out compared to experiment three. This is because experiment one and two involved oxidation which Mn2+ was oxidized to Mn3+ ; Co2+ was oxidized to Co3+. Whereas experiment 3 involved reduction which reduced VO5+ to VO4+. At the beginning of each experiments, we heated up the sample in open air. It is easier to oxidize the compound than reduce the compound in the presence of oxygen. So, we need more time to heated the V2O5. During the first time of experiment three, I failed to get a blue color solid powder. This is because I heated the sample in the open air and I failed to control the heater. So, after the filtration process, I got a white solid powder. Therefore, I learnt from the mistake and during the second time I used reflux method. This time I can control the heating process well. The ethanol was not evaporated much. After filtration, I got quite a lot of blue solid powder. So, I knew that, for reduction process, we cannot heat the sample too quickly and heat too long. If we heated too long, most of the product will evaporate. Next, from the FTIR spectrum, I can observe that the spectrum from the first and third experiment are quite similar. This is because, the peak from the spectrum are mostly from the acetylacetonato (acac). However, spectrum from experiment two is quite different from other experiment because mostly the peaks come from Cl compared to other experiments. The percentage yield of the complexes from all the three experiment that I have calculate out was not so high. This is maybe due to the washing of the product with acetone, some of the product was dissolved and washed away. However, there are other factors which cause problem to our results. First, most of the heating plate we used cannot function well. I changed many heating plate during the experiment. Next, we have kept our half way done sample for more than 7 days. The results may not be so accurate anymore. Another factor maybe due to the volume and amount of the sample and other material we measure are not accurate. Our product may contain some impurities. However, some of the precaution was taken during the experiment. In these experiments, some of the chemical was corrosive and poisonous such as concentrated HCl and H2SO4. So, we poured the chemical carefully in the fume board. Next, before using any instrument, we read through the manual to understand the steps to function the magnetic susceptibility balance. We also taken down some important steps to function the FTIR spectrophotometer. I have asked some help from lab assistant on where to get the material for experiment. Conclusion : The percentage yield for tris(acetylacetonato)manganese(III) is 40.67%, chloropentaamminecobalt(III) chloride is 58.98% and (acetylacetonato)oxovanadium(IV) is 64.12%. For tris(acetylacetonato)manganese(III), the peak for two Mn-O bond are at the region approximately 678.1 cm-1 and 458.3 cm-1. For chloropentaamminecobalt(III) chloride, the peak for Co-N bond is at 669.2 cm-1 while Co-Cl bond is at 486.2 cm-1. For bis(acetylacetonato)oxovanadium(IV), the peak for V=O bond is at 997.4 cm-1 region. Magnetic Susceptibility for tris(acetylacetonato)manganese(III) is 2.65 x 10-5 and it is paramagnetic. Besides, Magnetic Susceptibility for chloropentaamminecobalt(III) chloride is -9.93x 10-8 and is diamagnetic. For bis(acetylacetonato)oxovanadium(IV), magnetic susceptibility for impure complex and pure complex are 4.17X 10-6 and 5.53X 10-6 respectively. They are paramagnetic.

Indonesia Crisis As An Example :: essays research papers

Indonesia’s Crisis: The Lesson for China introductionIndonesia, as we have long predicted, is coming apart. This process has a great deal of relevance to China, whose army, like Indonesia’s, was accustomed to making lots of money and now resents the fact that the good times are over. In both countries, making money became the basis for military loyalty to the regime, which in turn needed the army as guarantor. But in China, as in Indonesia, the military is no longer making money, and China has banned its officers from business. Now Beijing is creating international tension to soak up the military’s energy and resentment. But in the end, the guarantor of the regime can bring its death, leaving warlords poised to take power. ANALYSIS We have long argued that the Asian economic meltdown, as its ultimate legacy, would politically reconfigure Asia. We meant this in both the international and domestic sense: Nations would behave differently after the meltdown than they did during the past generation of extraordinary prosperity. The reconfiguration of Sino-American relations is an obvious manifestation of this. But it is the domestic political changes that are the most profound and will have the most impact on international relations. It should be obvious that an economic transformation of the magnitude we have seen cannot help but have equally dramatic political consequences. Asia is obviously a diverse region. It goes without saying that the economic meltdown will affect Japan’s politics dramatically differently than Malaysia’s. However, events during the last week have drawn our attention to one area of commonality: the effect of the economic crisis on the military in China and in Indonesia. These two countries are not usually lumped together; they differ in profound ways. But they share this: they have both used their military forces for three missions – protection against foreign enemies, enforcement of internal security and development of the economy. During the previous generation, the latter role became more and more important for both the Chinese and Indonesian militaries. But Asia’s recent economic crisis, the states and circumstance have forced both militaries to de-emphasize their economic roles. Not only are the militaries not happy about this, but their unhappiness could destabilize their respective regimes. Quite apart from the truly disturbing prospect of an Asia dealing simultaneously with both Chinese and Indonesian instability, there are important lessons to be learned from the way in which each country used the military and the consequences of that use.

Monitor Complience with Legislative Requirements

A. monitor complience with legislative requirements †¢Understanding the principles on how to monitor complience with the legislative requirements monitor complience with legislative requirements Understanding the principles on how to monitor complience with the legislative requirements 1. explain the basic principles of â€Å"general average† 2. state the procedures for release of cargo to the consignee before the general average contribution has been assessed. 3. tate briefly the basic statutory regulations such as; load line convention, international convention and prevention of pollution at sea, STCW convention, ILO convention, SOLAS Convention, ISM code, ISPS code, GENEVA Conventions of 1958 and the United Nation Convention (UNCLOS) on the Law of the Sea, PMMRR, R. A. 8544, etc. how compliance is controlled and consequences of their non-compliance. 4. enumerate the different organizations, offices and authorities engaged in various controlled activities on vessels (cl assification societies, flag and port state, inspections, etc. 5. enumerate at least ten (10) different mandatory certificates, documents and records required of a commercial vessel, and the implications of their absence. 1. ) The law of general average is a legal principle of maritime law according to which all parties in a sea venture proportionally share any losses resulting from a voluntary sacrifice of part of the ship or cargo to save the whole in an emergency. In the exigencies of hazards faced at sea, crew members often have precious little time in which to determine precisely whose cargo they are jettisoning.Thus, to avoid quarrelling that could waste valuable time, there arose the equitable practice whereby all the merchants whose cargo landed safely would be called on to contribute a portion, based upon a share or percentage, to the merchant or merchants whose goods had been tossed overboard to avert imminent peril. While general average traces its origins in ancient mari time law, still it remains part of the admiralty law of most countries. The first codification of general average was the York Antwerp Rules of 1890. American companies accepted it in 1949.General average requires three elements which are clearly stated by Mr. Justice Grier in Barnard v. Adams: â€Å"1st. A common danger: a danger in which vessel, cargo and crew all participate; a danger imminent and apparently ‘inevitable,' except by voluntarily incurring the loss of a portion of the whole to save the remainder. † â€Å"2nd. There must be a voluntary jettison, jactus, or casting away, of some portion of the joint concern for the purpose of avoiding this imminent peril, periculi imminentis evitandi causa, or, in other words, a transfer of the peril from the whole to a particular portion of the whole. â€Å"3rd. This attempt to avoid the imminent common peril must be successful†. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/General_average 2. ) RELEASE OF CARGO WITHOUT PRESENT ATION OF THE CORRECT DOCUMENTATION There has been a noticeable increase in the unlawful or incorrect release of cargo, associated with one of the following release methods: a) Countries that require imported cargo to come immediately under the control of their Customs service, who then take on the responsibility for its release. ) Countries with legislation that permits the release of cargo without the presentation of the original bill of lading. c) Authorisation by the carrier’s agent to release cargo without the permission of the shipper or the issuer of the original bill of lading. There has been considerable coverage regarding the delivery of containerised cargo to locations such as Chile and Paraguay, whereby their Customs service takes immediate control of the cargo and subsequently release it, often without presentation of the original bill of lading.Signum has recently encountered two situations whereby fraudsters have manipulated legislation that allows Customs, with out consultation with the carrier’s agent, to release cargo without presentation of the original bill of lading. 1. The Dominican Republic legislation stipulates that a carrier must deliver all cargo to the Dominican Port Authority/Customs with the carrier’s liability ceasing at the point of entry. Cargo can be released upon presentation of the original bill of lading, accompanied by the commercial invoice.In the absence of an original bill of lading, a bond to the value of the cargo, issued by a bona fide bank or insurance company, is acceptable. The bond indemnifies any party against a loss that may occur as a result of the of the cargo being released. Neither the carrier nor their agent needs to be made aware of such a bond. Signum was asked to enquire into a matter that involved a consignee who secured the release of his cargo by means of an insurance bond and then disappeared, having failed to make payment for the cargo.Initially, the insurance company, who had su pposedly issued the bond to the consignee, maintained that they could not account for itsexistence, suggesting that it had been fraudulently issued. Enquiries revealed that a member of their staff, who was authorised to issue such bonds, had done so on the instructions of her ex-supervisor and a Customs Agent. When these two parties were interviewed, they denied the clerk’s version of events. The Dominican Republic legislation stipulates that provided an authorised person issued the bond, it protects any party who suffered a loss, which applied in this instance.This allowed the shipper to lodge a claim against the insurance company for the loss of the cargo. 2. A similar situation occurred when perishable cargo was released in Suape, Brazil, without presentation of the original bill of lading. The consignee made a fraudulent application to a court under the provisions of the Brazilian Importation Legislation on perishable goods to secure the cargo’s release. He alleged that the shipper had reneged on a contract that allowed him to partly pay for the cargo prior to its receipt and then pay the outstanding amount by instalments.Due to the shipper’s refusal to release the cargo under the terms of the contract and his intention to re-ship it would cause him an irreplaceable loss. The court accepted this submission without seeking the view of the carrier’s agent and ordered the release of the cargo against security lodged with the court in the form of deeds to a property owned by a third party. After obtaining custody of the cargo, the consignee attended the court and produced a fraudulent document, showing that the shipper acknowledged the payment agreement.This caused the court to cancel the security and return the deeds of the property. The court application and payment agreement were shown to be fraudulent and that the consignee had committed similar frauds. The only action that could be taken was to notify Customs and the law enforc ement agency of this person’s activities. A more serious problem that continues to cause concern is where carriers’ agents disregard their legal responsibility in respect of the notified release instructions and authorise a party to receive their cargo without presentation of the correct documentation.This lack of judgement is all too often influenced by their close association with the consignee or their agent, with whom they have no legal obligation. Such releases can cause serious financial implications to the other parties. The general methods used to secure the release of cargo are: 1. The consignee/agent promises to present the original bill of lading at a later date. 2. The production of a consignee/agent’s letter of credit. 3. Bank reference confirming sufficient funds exist in the consignee’s account. 4. The presentation of a forged document.Signum was asked to enquire into the activities of an agency, whereby it appeared that over a period of ti me some 150 containers laden with cargo had been released in non-compliance to their release procedure. This procedure required both the Shipping Manager and another member of staff to authorise the release of containers, upon production of the correct documentation. The Shipping Manager, due to his status and guile, was able, over several months, to authorise the release of these containers without complying with the agencies directive. Only when it became impossible for him to continue to deceive others as to his actions, did he decamp.Prevention is simple. If the original bill of lading is not produced, or there is doubt as to whether it is genuine, then advice should be sought from the issuer of the document. If the matter cannot be resolved satisfactorily and safely, assistance should be obtained from the Club’s local correspondents or the Members’ usual contact at the Club. Signum is always available to investigate serious cases. http://www. ukpandi. com/fileadmi n/uploads/uk-pi/LP%20Documents/Signum_Reports/Signum%20release%20of%20Cargo. pdf 3. ) USCG Load Line Regulations and Policies (46 CFR parts 42–47) 46 USC chapter 51) Overview The principal Coast Guard office responsible for load line regulations and policy is the Naval Architecture Division (CG-ENG-2). In general, most commercial U. S. vessels that are 79 feet (24 m) in length or longer (or more than 150 gross tons if built before 1 Jan 1988 on domestic voyages, or built before 21 Jul 1968 if on foreign voyages) must have a valid load line certificate when venturing outside the U. S. Boundary Line, whether on a domestic or international voyage. Domestic voyages are coastwise, offshore, or high seas voyages that return directly to a U. S. ort (including â€Å"voyages to nowhere†). There are a few limited categories of vessels excluded from load line requirements. For example, small passenger vessels (i. e. , less than 100 gross tons) that only operate on domestic voyage s are excluded. Refer to 46 USC 5102 for vessel applicability specifics. IMPORTANT NOTE CONCERNING U. S. FISHING VESSELS: Previously, all U. S. fishing vessels were statutorily excluded from domestic load line regulations, regardless of size or length (although some fishing vessels that also process their catch beyond certain stages are required to obtain load lines).However, in the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010, Congress revoked that exclusion for new fishing vessels built on/after July 1st, 2012. Subsequently, in the Coast Guard and Marine Transportation Act of 2012 (signed into law on 20 Dec 2012), Congress postponed the load line compliance date to July 1st, 2013. Consequently, fishing vessels built on/after 1 July 2013, that are 79 feet or longer, and that operate outside the Boundary Line, are required to have a load line. Load line assignment includes pre-construction review and approval of plans by the assigning authority.Therefore, after 1 July 2013, fishing vessel designers/builders who intend to re-use construction plans for previously-built fishing vessels are cautioned that the plans might not comply with all load line requirements. If the owner intends to operate the new vessel outside the Boundary Line, then designers/builders are advised to submit the plans to the assigning authority in a timely fashion. Existing fishing vessels (i. e. , built before 1 July 2013) remain exempted from load lines for the time being.However, they will eventually have to meet the requirements of an alternate load line compliance program to ensure their continued seaworthiness beyond a certain age. The safety requirements for this alternate program, and the age at which the fishing vessels will need to comply, will be developed in cooperation with the commercial fishing industry and established by future regulation. (â€Å"Built† for these purposes means the date on which the vessel's keel is laid, or the assembled weight of the vessel is at least 50 metric tons (49. long tons) or one percent of the estimated mass of all structural material, whichever is less. ) How is load line length measured? Where is the Boundary Line? Purpose of Load Line Assignment The purpose of load line assignment is to ensure the seaworthiness of the intact (undamaged) vessel. This is accomplished by: †¢Ensuring a robust hull that can withstand severe sea conditions (i. e. , structural design, construction, and maintenance) †¢Ensuring weathertight & watertight integrity (i. e. , coamings; exposed doors, hatches, hull valves, etc, are in good working condition) Ensuring that the vessel has reserve buoyancy and is not overloaded (by limiting the maximum loaded draft) †¢Ensuring that the vessel has adequate stability for all loading & operating conditions (by approved stability documentation & instructions) †¢Ensuring rapid drainage of water on deck (boarding seas) (by adequate arrangement of freeing ports in bulwarks) †¢Ensuring safety of crew while working on deck (by increased freeboard to reduce boarding seas, guardrails) †¢Ensuring that modifications to vessel do not compromise seaworthiness (modifications must be approved by LL assigning authority) Periodic inspections (afloat and drydocked) to verify that the above are properly maintained (by LL assigning authority) Obtaining a Load Line International load line certificates are issued to vessels that meet the requirements of the IMO International Convention on Load Lines (ICLL); ICLL certificates are required on U. S. vessels that go on voyages to foreign ports or waters. Domestic load line certificates are issued to vessels that meet the requirements of U. S. load line regulations (which are found in 46 CFR Subchapter E).With minor exceptions, the U. S. requirements for an unrestricted domestic load line (suitable for high seas voyages) are the same as the requirements for an international ICLL load line. For this reason, an ICLL certificate is acceptable in lieu of a domestic certificate. Load line certificates (domestic or ICLL) are issued on behalf of the United States by the American Bureau of Shipping or one of several other USCG-approved classification societies. The choice of assigning authority is made by the vessel owner/operator.The Coast Guard itself does not issue load lines other than a â€Å"single voyage exemption certificate. † In order to be issued a load line (whether domestic or international ICLL), the vessel must be constructed to meet the load line requirements. This entails pre-construction review and approval of the vessel's design by the assigning authority. Surveyors then periodically visit the shipyard to verify that it is being constructed according to the approved design. Upon completion of construction, the vessel is inclined so that its stability documents can be approved and issued.The freeboard assignment is calculated, and the load line marks are inscribed on the hull. Upon final ve rification that all of these steps have been properly accomplished, the vessel is issued a load line certificate. A load line certificate is normally issued for a 5-year term, subject to annual â€Å"topside† surveys to verify that hatch covers, doors, vent covers, and other critical closures are in good working condition, and that there have not been any damage or unauthorized modifications that would compromise the vessel's seaworthiness.At the end of the 5-year term, the vessel must be drydocked to inspect the underwater hull, seachests and valves, etc, before a new certificate can be issued. Load Line Enforcement and Violations U. S. vessel owners and operators are subject to fines and penalties if a vessel is overloaded such that the load line marks are submerged, or the vessel is operated in violation of any restrictions on its certificate. Penalties are set forth in 46 USC 5116. Foreign vessels in U. S. waters are required to have a valid international (ICLL) load line certificate.A foreign vessel may be detained in port if the Coast Guard determines that it is overloaded, or unseaworthy due to poor condition. The vessel won't be released to depart until the deficiencies have been corrected: excess cargo is offloaded, repairs have been made and a surveyor from the assigning authority has attended the vessel to confirm its compliance with ICLL regulations. 4. ) BP Shipping safeships On the face of it, BP Shipping is one of the safesttanker operators around, regularly achieving topquartile safety results in the industry and rarelymaking headlines for the wrong reasons.But as the organization’s fleet has grown rapidly to more than 80 vessels today, so the realization has spreadthat truly world-class safety performance is about more than lowering headline safety numbers or beating industry benchmarks. For safety performance to really move to a new level, it has to become self sustaining and therefore sustainable. â€Å"Day in, day out, the sa fety message has to be made and remade so that it becomes engrained at every level everywhere, in every action, in every decision and in every way.The entire organization has to be safety empowered and constantly on the lookout for new hazards,† says Dave Williamson, director of fleet operations for BP Shipping. â€Å"We’re beginning to make the turn towards constant improvement and the sort of restless state of mind that we need, but there is still some way to go. † In the past, most emphasis has been put on numbers and performance based on: ‘days away from work case’ incidents, lost time injuries, near misses, oil spills and other serious incidents. These performance matrices continue to be monitored very closely and show continuous improvement.But now the push is on to move safety performance to another level, motivated in no small measure by a fear that some of the cultural and operational factors that led to the Texas City refinery explosion in 2005 might be present in some parts of BP Shipping’s activities. The key to this has been to get everyone in the organization to think about safety in a new way, one that focuses on experience, leadership, training, processes and relationships rather than numbers. Intrinsic to this more open approach is the importance of driving safety back into the ’line’ – to people with asset management capability.In parallel, new emphasis is being placed on safety leadership on vessels and ashore to engender a stronger sense of inclusiveness and team bonding around safety behaviour. â€Å"Safety is not just about trips or falls. It’s about exactly the same things you also need to achieve great operational performance and the same motivations that give us the continuous drive to have the best people, processes, equipment and leadership. † Williamson concludes: â€Å"At the moment we’re not able to say we’re the best, we still have areas whe re we believe there is significant room for improvement.But ‘the best’ is a relative state and safety is a never ending journey. Mysense is that we’ve made significant changes andadvances in the past couple of years. † Measuring safety All injuries by activity, October 2006 All injuries by location onboard, October 2006 Other 23 % Office work 2% Cargo operations 2% Shipyard 5% Navigating 2% Engine operations 9% Bunkering 7% Maintenance 36% Mooring 7% Drills and exercises 2% Domestic 5% Other 6% Enclosed space 2% Steering gear 2% Store rooms 6% Bridge 2% Engine room 41% Mooring areas 4%Lifeboat Accommodation 11% embarkation 4% Main deck 22 % Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Rush escorts the suspected high seas drift net fishing vessel Da Cheng in the North Pacific Ocean on August 14, 2012. Photo Credit: U. S. Coast Guard Liberian fishery observers toured a shrimp vessel as part of the two-week observer tra ining program supported by NOAA Fisheries to combat IUU fishing. IUU fishing is a global problem that threatens ocean ecosystems and sustainable fisheries.IUU products often come from fisheries lacking the strong and effective conservation and management measures to which U. S. fishermen are subject. IUU fishing most often violates conservation and management measures, such as quotas or bycatch limits, established under international agreements. By adversely impacting fisheries, marine ecosystems, food security and coastal communities around the world, IUU fishing undermines domestic and international conservation and management efforts. Furthermore, IUU fishing risks the sustainability of a multi-billion-dollar U. S. industry.NOAA’s Role in Combating IUU Fishing Because the United States imports more than 80 percent of its seafood, NOAA Fisheries is working to ensure that high demand for imported seafood does not create incentives for illegal fishing activity. Working in par tnership with other U. S. Government agencies, foreign governments and entities, international organizations, non-government organizations, and the private sector is crucial to effectively combating IUU fishing. We work with other fishing nations to strengthen enforcement and data collection programs around the world aimed at curtailing IUU fishing.We have put measures in place to restrict port entry and access to port services to vessels included on the IUU lists of international fisheries organizations with U. S. membership. For recent news on IUU fishing, visit our IUU stories page. In addition, U. S. legislation allows us to take action on our own. The Magnuson-Stevens Reauthorization Act, which amends the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act, requires NOAA to identify countries that have fishing vessels engaged in IUU activities. Once a nation has been identified, we consult with the nation to encourage appropriate corrective action.If the identified nation rece ives a negative certification, we can impose trade restrictions on that nation. The Lacey Act also provides the United States with the authority to impose significant sanctions against individuals and companies engaged in trafficking illegally taken fish and wildlife. Learn more about action NOAA is taking to combat IUU fishing. For more information or questions on IUU fishing, please visit our frequently asked questions page or contact David Pearl (david. [email  protected] gov). 5. ) passenger ship safety certificate – for all passenger ships †¢cargo ship safety radio certificate – for cargo ships, oil tankers, chemical tankers or gas carriers and large commercial yachts over 300gt on international voyages only †¢cargo ship safety equipment certificate – for cargo ships, oil tankers, chemical tankers or gas carriers and large commercial yachts over 500gt on international voyages only †¢cargo ship safety construction certificate – for ca rgo ships, oil tankers, chemical tankers or gas carriers and large commercial yachts over 500gt on international voyages only †¢cargo ship safety certificate – for cargo ships, oil tankers, chemical tankers or gas carriers and large commercial yachts over 300gt †¢load line certificate – for passenger ships in non-UK waters, cargo ships, oil tankers, chemical tankers or gas carriers and large commercial yachts over 24 metres in length (if built on or after 21 July 1968) or of more than 150gt and for passenger ships in UK waters over 80 net tonnes †¢oil pollution prevention certificate – for fishing vessels, passenger ships, cargo ships, chemical tankers or gas carriers and large commercial yachts over 400gt and oil tankers over 150gt †¢minimum safe manning document certificate – for passenger ships, cargo ships, oil tankers, chemical tankers or gas carriers and large commercial yachts over 500gt †¢safety management certificate â₠¬â€œ for all passenger ships and for cargo ships, oil tankers, chemical tankers or gas carriers and large commercial yachts over 500gt †¢ship security certificate – for passenger ships, cargo ships oil tankers, chemical tankers or gas carriers and large commercial yachts on international voyages only †¢sewage pollution certificate – for fishing vessels, passenger ships, cargo ships, oil tankers, chemical tankers or gas carriers and large commercial yachts of 400gt or more, or carrying 15 persons or more on international voyages only †¢air pollution certificate – for fishing vessels, passenger ships, cargo ships, oil tankers, chemical tankers or gas carriers and large commercial achts of 400gt or more †¢anti-fouling declaration – for fishing vessels under 24 metres in length or of less than 400gt †¢anti-fouling certificate – for fishing vessels, passenger ships, cargo ships, oil tankers, chemical tankers or gas carriers and large commercial yachts of 400gt or more †¢certificate of fitness (chemical or gas) certificate – for all chemical tankers or gas carriers †¢dangerous goods certificate – for passenger ships built after 1 September 1984, and for cargo ships after a certain date of build on international voyages only †¢certificate of compliance for a large charter yacht – for all large passenger yachts †¢UK fishing vessel certificate – for fishing vessels between 15 and 24 metres in length †¢international fishing vessel certificate – for fishing vessels over 24 metres in length †¢small commercial vessel certificate – for pilot boats and small commercial vessels under 24 metres in length †¢certificate of registry – mandatory for all fishing vessels, optional for pilot boats and small commercial vessels †¢international tonnage – for fishing vessels under 24 metres in length Monitor Complience with Legislative Requirements A. monitor complience with legislative requirements †¢Understanding the principles on how to monitor complience with the legislative requirements monitor complience with legislative requirements Understanding the principles on how to monitor complience with the legislative requirements 1. explain the basic principles of â€Å"general average† 2. state the procedures for release of cargo to the consignee before the general average contribution has been assessed. 3. tate briefly the basic statutory regulations such as; load line convention, international convention and prevention of pollution at sea, STCW convention, ILO convention, SOLAS Convention, ISM code, ISPS code, GENEVA Conventions of 1958 and the United Nation Convention (UNCLOS) on the Law of the Sea, PMMRR, R. A. 8544, etc. how compliance is controlled and consequences of their non-compliance. 4. enumerate the different organizations, offices and authorities engaged in various controlled activities on vessels (cl assification societies, flag and port state, inspections, etc. 5. enumerate at least ten (10) different mandatory certificates, documents and records required of a commercial vessel, and the implications of their absence. 1. ) The law of general average is a legal principle of maritime law according to which all parties in a sea venture proportionally share any losses resulting from a voluntary sacrifice of part of the ship or cargo to save the whole in an emergency. In the exigencies of hazards faced at sea, crew members often have precious little time in which to determine precisely whose cargo they are jettisoning.Thus, to avoid quarrelling that could waste valuable time, there arose the equitable practice whereby all the merchants whose cargo landed safely would be called on to contribute a portion, based upon a share or percentage, to the merchant or merchants whose goods had been tossed overboard to avert imminent peril. While general average traces its origins in ancient mari time law, still it remains part of the admiralty law of most countries. The first codification of general average was the York Antwerp Rules of 1890. American companies accepted it in 1949.General average requires three elements which are clearly stated by Mr. Justice Grier in Barnard v. Adams: â€Å"1st. A common danger: a danger in which vessel, cargo and crew all participate; a danger imminent and apparently ‘inevitable,' except by voluntarily incurring the loss of a portion of the whole to save the remainder. † â€Å"2nd. There must be a voluntary jettison, jactus, or casting away, of some portion of the joint concern for the purpose of avoiding this imminent peril, periculi imminentis evitandi causa, or, in other words, a transfer of the peril from the whole to a particular portion of the whole. â€Å"3rd. This attempt to avoid the imminent common peril must be successful†. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/General_average 2. ) RELEASE OF CARGO WITHOUT PRESENT ATION OF THE CORRECT DOCUMENTATION There has been a noticeable increase in the unlawful or incorrect release of cargo, associated with one of the following release methods: a) Countries that require imported cargo to come immediately under the control of their Customs service, who then take on the responsibility for its release. ) Countries with legislation that permits the release of cargo without the presentation of the original bill of lading. c) Authorisation by the carrier’s agent to release cargo without the permission of the shipper or the issuer of the original bill of lading. There has been considerable coverage regarding the delivery of containerised cargo to locations such as Chile and Paraguay, whereby their Customs service takes immediate control of the cargo and subsequently release it, often without presentation of the original bill of lading.Signum has recently encountered two situations whereby fraudsters have manipulated legislation that allows Customs, with out consultation with the carrier’s agent, to release cargo without presentation of the original bill of lading. 1. The Dominican Republic legislation stipulates that a carrier must deliver all cargo to the Dominican Port Authority/Customs with the carrier’s liability ceasing at the point of entry. Cargo can be released upon presentation of the original bill of lading, accompanied by the commercial invoice.In the absence of an original bill of lading, a bond to the value of the cargo, issued by a bona fide bank or insurance company, is acceptable. The bond indemnifies any party against a loss that may occur as a result of the of the cargo being released. Neither the carrier nor their agent needs to be made aware of such a bond. Signum was asked to enquire into a matter that involved a consignee who secured the release of his cargo by means of an insurance bond and then disappeared, having failed to make payment for the cargo.Initially, the insurance company, who had su pposedly issued the bond to the consignee, maintained that they could not account for itsexistence, suggesting that it had been fraudulently issued. Enquiries revealed that a member of their staff, who was authorised to issue such bonds, had done so on the instructions of her ex-supervisor and a Customs Agent. When these two parties were interviewed, they denied the clerk’s version of events. The Dominican Republic legislation stipulates that provided an authorised person issued the bond, it protects any party who suffered a loss, which applied in this instance.This allowed the shipper to lodge a claim against the insurance company for the loss of the cargo. 2. A similar situation occurred when perishable cargo was released in Suape, Brazil, without presentation of the original bill of lading. The consignee made a fraudulent application to a court under the provisions of the Brazilian Importation Legislation on perishable goods to secure the cargo’s release. He alleged that the shipper had reneged on a contract that allowed him to partly pay for the cargo prior to its receipt and then pay the outstanding amount by instalments.Due to the shipper’s refusal to release the cargo under the terms of the contract and his intention to re-ship it would cause him an irreplaceable loss. The court accepted this submission without seeking the view of the carrier’s agent and ordered the release of the cargo against security lodged with the court in the form of deeds to a property owned by a third party. After obtaining custody of the cargo, the consignee attended the court and produced a fraudulent document, showing that the shipper acknowledged the payment agreement.This caused the court to cancel the security and return the deeds of the property. The court application and payment agreement were shown to be fraudulent and that the consignee had committed similar frauds. The only action that could be taken was to notify Customs and the law enforc ement agency of this person’s activities. A more serious problem that continues to cause concern is where carriers’ agents disregard their legal responsibility in respect of the notified release instructions and authorise a party to receive their cargo without presentation of the correct documentation.This lack of judgement is all too often influenced by their close association with the consignee or their agent, with whom they have no legal obligation. Such releases can cause serious financial implications to the other parties. The general methods used to secure the release of cargo are: 1. The consignee/agent promises to present the original bill of lading at a later date. 2. The production of a consignee/agent’s letter of credit. 3. Bank reference confirming sufficient funds exist in the consignee’s account. 4. The presentation of a forged document.Signum was asked to enquire into the activities of an agency, whereby it appeared that over a period of ti me some 150 containers laden with cargo had been released in non-compliance to their release procedure. This procedure required both the Shipping Manager and another member of staff to authorise the release of containers, upon production of the correct documentation. The Shipping Manager, due to his status and guile, was able, over several months, to authorise the release of these containers without complying with the agencies directive. Only when it became impossible for him to continue to deceive others as to his actions, did he decamp.Prevention is simple. If the original bill of lading is not produced, or there is doubt as to whether it is genuine, then advice should be sought from the issuer of the document. If the matter cannot be resolved satisfactorily and safely, assistance should be obtained from the Club’s local correspondents or the Members’ usual contact at the Club. Signum is always available to investigate serious cases. http://www. ukpandi. com/fileadmi n/uploads/uk-pi/LP%20Documents/Signum_Reports/Signum%20release%20of%20Cargo. pdf 3. ) USCG Load Line Regulations and Policies (46 CFR parts 42–47) 46 USC chapter 51) Overview The principal Coast Guard office responsible for load line regulations and policy is the Naval Architecture Division (CG-ENG-2). In general, most commercial U. S. vessels that are 79 feet (24 m) in length or longer (or more than 150 gross tons if built before 1 Jan 1988 on domestic voyages, or built before 21 Jul 1968 if on foreign voyages) must have a valid load line certificate when venturing outside the U. S. Boundary Line, whether on a domestic or international voyage. Domestic voyages are coastwise, offshore, or high seas voyages that return directly to a U. S. ort (including â€Å"voyages to nowhere†). There are a few limited categories of vessels excluded from load line requirements. For example, small passenger vessels (i. e. , less than 100 gross tons) that only operate on domestic voyage s are excluded. Refer to 46 USC 5102 for vessel applicability specifics. IMPORTANT NOTE CONCERNING U. S. FISHING VESSELS: Previously, all U. S. fishing vessels were statutorily excluded from domestic load line regulations, regardless of size or length (although some fishing vessels that also process their catch beyond certain stages are required to obtain load lines).However, in the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010, Congress revoked that exclusion for new fishing vessels built on/after July 1st, 2012. Subsequently, in the Coast Guard and Marine Transportation Act of 2012 (signed into law on 20 Dec 2012), Congress postponed the load line compliance date to July 1st, 2013. Consequently, fishing vessels built on/after 1 July 2013, that are 79 feet or longer, and that operate outside the Boundary Line, are required to have a load line. Load line assignment includes pre-construction review and approval of plans by the assigning authority.Therefore, after 1 July 2013, fishing vessel designers/builders who intend to re-use construction plans for previously-built fishing vessels are cautioned that the plans might not comply with all load line requirements. If the owner intends to operate the new vessel outside the Boundary Line, then designers/builders are advised to submit the plans to the assigning authority in a timely fashion. Existing fishing vessels (i. e. , built before 1 July 2013) remain exempted from load lines for the time being.However, they will eventually have to meet the requirements of an alternate load line compliance program to ensure their continued seaworthiness beyond a certain age. The safety requirements for this alternate program, and the age at which the fishing vessels will need to comply, will be developed in cooperation with the commercial fishing industry and established by future regulation. (â€Å"Built† for these purposes means the date on which the vessel's keel is laid, or the assembled weight of the vessel is at least 50 metric tons (49. long tons) or one percent of the estimated mass of all structural material, whichever is less. ) How is load line length measured? Where is the Boundary Line? Purpose of Load Line Assignment The purpose of load line assignment is to ensure the seaworthiness of the intact (undamaged) vessel. This is accomplished by: †¢Ensuring a robust hull that can withstand severe sea conditions (i. e. , structural design, construction, and maintenance) †¢Ensuring weathertight & watertight integrity (i. e. , coamings; exposed doors, hatches, hull valves, etc, are in good working condition) Ensuring that the vessel has reserve buoyancy and is not overloaded (by limiting the maximum loaded draft) †¢Ensuring that the vessel has adequate stability for all loading & operating conditions (by approved stability documentation & instructions) †¢Ensuring rapid drainage of water on deck (boarding seas) (by adequate arrangement of freeing ports in bulwarks) †¢Ensuring safety of crew while working on deck (by increased freeboard to reduce boarding seas, guardrails) †¢Ensuring that modifications to vessel do not compromise seaworthiness (modifications must be approved by LL assigning authority) Periodic inspections (afloat and drydocked) to verify that the above are properly maintained (by LL assigning authority) Obtaining a Load Line International load line certificates are issued to vessels that meet the requirements of the IMO International Convention on Load Lines (ICLL); ICLL certificates are required on U. S. vessels that go on voyages to foreign ports or waters. Domestic load line certificates are issued to vessels that meet the requirements of U. S. load line regulations (which are found in 46 CFR Subchapter E).With minor exceptions, the U. S. requirements for an unrestricted domestic load line (suitable for high seas voyages) are the same as the requirements for an international ICLL load line. For this reason, an ICLL certificate is acceptable in lieu of a domestic certificate. Load line certificates (domestic or ICLL) are issued on behalf of the United States by the American Bureau of Shipping or one of several other USCG-approved classification societies. The choice of assigning authority is made by the vessel owner/operator.The Coast Guard itself does not issue load lines other than a â€Å"single voyage exemption certificate. † In order to be issued a load line (whether domestic or international ICLL), the vessel must be constructed to meet the load line requirements. This entails pre-construction review and approval of the vessel's design by the assigning authority. Surveyors then periodically visit the shipyard to verify that it is being constructed according to the approved design. Upon completion of construction, the vessel is inclined so that its stability documents can be approved and issued.The freeboard assignment is calculated, and the load line marks are inscribed on the hull. Upon final ve rification that all of these steps have been properly accomplished, the vessel is issued a load line certificate. A load line certificate is normally issued for a 5-year term, subject to annual â€Å"topside† surveys to verify that hatch covers, doors, vent covers, and other critical closures are in good working condition, and that there have not been any damage or unauthorized modifications that would compromise the vessel's seaworthiness.At the end of the 5-year term, the vessel must be drydocked to inspect the underwater hull, seachests and valves, etc, before a new certificate can be issued. Load Line Enforcement and Violations U. S. vessel owners and operators are subject to fines and penalties if a vessel is overloaded such that the load line marks are submerged, or the vessel is operated in violation of any restrictions on its certificate. Penalties are set forth in 46 USC 5116. Foreign vessels in U. S. waters are required to have a valid international (ICLL) load line certificate.A foreign vessel may be detained in port if the Coast Guard determines that it is overloaded, or unseaworthy due to poor condition. The vessel won't be released to depart until the deficiencies have been corrected: excess cargo is offloaded, repairs have been made and a surveyor from the assigning authority has attended the vessel to confirm its compliance with ICLL regulations. 4. ) BP Shipping safeships On the face of it, BP Shipping is one of the safesttanker operators around, regularly achieving topquartile safety results in the industry and rarelymaking headlines for the wrong reasons.But as the organization’s fleet has grown rapidly to more than 80 vessels today, so the realization has spreadthat truly world-class safety performance is about more than lowering headline safety numbers or beating industry benchmarks. For safety performance to really move to a new level, it has to become self sustaining and therefore sustainable. â€Å"Day in, day out, the sa fety message has to be made and remade so that it becomes engrained at every level everywhere, in every action, in every decision and in every way.The entire organization has to be safety empowered and constantly on the lookout for new hazards,† says Dave Williamson, director of fleet operations for BP Shipping. â€Å"We’re beginning to make the turn towards constant improvement and the sort of restless state of mind that we need, but there is still some way to go. † In the past, most emphasis has been put on numbers and performance based on: ‘days away from work case’ incidents, lost time injuries, near misses, oil spills and other serious incidents. These performance matrices continue to be monitored very closely and show continuous improvement.But now the push is on to move safety performance to another level, motivated in no small measure by a fear that some of the cultural and operational factors that led to the Texas City refinery explosion in 2005 might be present in some parts of BP Shipping’s activities. The key to this has been to get everyone in the organization to think about safety in a new way, one that focuses on experience, leadership, training, processes and relationships rather than numbers. Intrinsic to this more open approach is the importance of driving safety back into the ’line’ – to people with asset management capability.In parallel, new emphasis is being placed on safety leadership on vessels and ashore to engender a stronger sense of inclusiveness and team bonding around safety behaviour. â€Å"Safety is not just about trips or falls. It’s about exactly the same things you also need to achieve great operational performance and the same motivations that give us the continuous drive to have the best people, processes, equipment and leadership. † Williamson concludes: â€Å"At the moment we’re not able to say we’re the best, we still have areas whe re we believe there is significant room for improvement.But ‘the best’ is a relative state and safety is a never ending journey. Mysense is that we’ve made significant changes andadvances in the past couple of years. † Measuring safety All injuries by activity, October 2006 All injuries by location onboard, October 2006 Other 23 % Office work 2% Cargo operations 2% Shipyard 5% Navigating 2% Engine operations 9% Bunkering 7% Maintenance 36% Mooring 7% Drills and exercises 2% Domestic 5% Other 6% Enclosed space 2% Steering gear 2% Store rooms 6% Bridge 2% Engine room 41% Mooring areas 4%Lifeboat Accommodation 11% embarkation 4% Main deck 22 % Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Rush escorts the suspected high seas drift net fishing vessel Da Cheng in the North Pacific Ocean on August 14, 2012. Photo Credit: U. S. Coast Guard Liberian fishery observers toured a shrimp vessel as part of the two-week observer tra ining program supported by NOAA Fisheries to combat IUU fishing. IUU fishing is a global problem that threatens ocean ecosystems and sustainable fisheries.IUU products often come from fisheries lacking the strong and effective conservation and management measures to which U. S. fishermen are subject. IUU fishing most often violates conservation and management measures, such as quotas or bycatch limits, established under international agreements. By adversely impacting fisheries, marine ecosystems, food security and coastal communities around the world, IUU fishing undermines domestic and international conservation and management efforts. Furthermore, IUU fishing risks the sustainability of a multi-billion-dollar U. S. industry.NOAA’s Role in Combating IUU Fishing Because the United States imports more than 80 percent of its seafood, NOAA Fisheries is working to ensure that high demand for imported seafood does not create incentives for illegal fishing activity. Working in par tnership with other U. S. Government agencies, foreign governments and entities, international organizations, non-government organizations, and the private sector is crucial to effectively combating IUU fishing. We work with other fishing nations to strengthen enforcement and data collection programs around the world aimed at curtailing IUU fishing.We have put measures in place to restrict port entry and access to port services to vessels included on the IUU lists of international fisheries organizations with U. S. membership. For recent news on IUU fishing, visit our IUU stories page. In addition, U. S. legislation allows us to take action on our own. The Magnuson-Stevens Reauthorization Act, which amends the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act, requires NOAA to identify countries that have fishing vessels engaged in IUU activities. Once a nation has been identified, we consult with the nation to encourage appropriate corrective action.If the identified nation rece ives a negative certification, we can impose trade restrictions on that nation. The Lacey Act also provides the United States with the authority to impose significant sanctions against individuals and companies engaged in trafficking illegally taken fish and wildlife. Learn more about action NOAA is taking to combat IUU fishing. For more information or questions on IUU fishing, please visit our frequently asked questions page or contact David Pearl (david. [email  protected] gov). 5. ) passenger ship safety certificate – for all passenger ships †¢cargo ship safety radio certificate – for cargo ships, oil tankers, chemical tankers or gas carriers and large commercial yachts over 300gt on international voyages only †¢cargo ship safety equipment certificate – for cargo ships, oil tankers, chemical tankers or gas carriers and large commercial yachts over 500gt on international voyages only †¢cargo ship safety construction certificate – for ca rgo ships, oil tankers, chemical tankers or gas carriers and large commercial yachts over 500gt on international voyages only †¢cargo ship safety certificate – for cargo ships, oil tankers, chemical tankers or gas carriers and large commercial yachts over 300gt †¢load line certificate – for passenger ships in non-UK waters, cargo ships, oil tankers, chemical tankers or gas carriers and large commercial yachts over 24 metres in length (if built on or after 21 July 1968) or of more than 150gt and for passenger ships in UK waters over 80 net tonnes †¢oil pollution prevention certificate – for fishing vessels, passenger ships, cargo ships, chemical tankers or gas carriers and large commercial yachts over 400gt and oil tankers over 150gt †¢minimum safe manning document certificate – for passenger ships, cargo ships, oil tankers, chemical tankers or gas carriers and large commercial yachts over 500gt †¢safety management certificate â₠¬â€œ for all passenger ships and for cargo ships, oil tankers, chemical tankers or gas carriers and large commercial yachts over 500gt †¢ship security certificate – for passenger ships, cargo ships oil tankers, chemical tankers or gas carriers and large commercial yachts on international voyages only †¢sewage pollution certificate – for fishing vessels, passenger ships, cargo ships, oil tankers, chemical tankers or gas carriers and large commercial yachts of 400gt or more, or carrying 15 persons or more on international voyages only †¢air pollution certificate – for fishing vessels, passenger ships, cargo ships, oil tankers, chemical tankers or gas carriers and large commercial achts of 400gt or more †¢anti-fouling declaration – for fishing vessels under 24 metres in length or of less than 400gt †¢anti-fouling certificate – for fishing vessels, passenger ships, cargo ships, oil tankers, chemical tankers or gas carriers and large commercial yachts of 400gt or more †¢certificate of fitness (chemical or gas) certificate – for all chemical tankers or gas carriers †¢dangerous goods certificate – for passenger ships built after 1 September 1984, and for cargo ships after a certain date of build on international voyages only †¢certificate of compliance for a large charter yacht – for all large passenger yachts †¢UK fishing vessel certificate – for fishing vessels between 15 and 24 metres in length †¢international fishing vessel certificate – for fishing vessels over 24 metres in length †¢small commercial vessel certificate – for pilot boats and small commercial vessels under 24 metres in length †¢certificate of registry – mandatory for all fishing vessels, optional for pilot boats and small commercial vessels †¢international tonnage – for fishing vessels under 24 metres in length