Refers to: Ship-owners, Operators, Masters and Managers of PHRS certified vessels  Effective Date: Immediate    Dear All,   This Newsletter aims to inform all concerned parties about the serious hazards associated with Hydrogen Sulphide (H₂S) as an awareness initiative, following a Safety Alert issued by the Bahamas Maritime Authority after two very serious marine casualties involving hydrogen sulphide recorded in 2025.   PHRS strongly urges Masters, officers, crew members on board ships, and PHRS surveyors attending vessels to strictly comply with enclosed space entry procedures. This includes, but is not limited to, spaces such as cargo holds, bilges, ballast and other tanks,…

Refers to: Ship-owners, Operators, Masters and Managers of PHRS certified vessels Effective Date: N/A   Dear All,   This Newsletter aims to provide guidance on implementing the requirements for ships operating in polar waters due to the additional demands for safety and protection of the marine environment imposed by the Polar Code.   BACKGROUND   With increasing ship operations and shipping traffic in the polar waters, and following several incidents in recent years, there has been a focus towards increasing the safety of vessel design and operations.   The Polar Code has been on the IMO’s agenda since the 1990s,…

Refers to: Ship-owners, Operators, Masters and Managers of PHRS certified vessels Effective Date: Immediate   Dear All,   This Newsletter aims to inform all concerned parties about Liberian Registry’s Marine Advisory 01/2026 on the need to provide information about the Administration’s procedure for implementing Company and Shipboard audits of the Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP) in Marine Notice ISM-001 and MEPC Resolution 347(78).   Background   Resolution MEPC 328(76) adopted the 2021 Revised MARPOL Annex VI, which entered into force on 1 November 2022. Regulation 26.3.1 requires ships to which this regulation applies to keep onboard a SEEMP (Part…

Refers to: Ship-owners, Operators, Masters and Managers of PHRS certified vessels Effective Date: January 2026   The Panama Maritime Authority, via Merchant Marine Circular 217 has restructured its requirements for Ship-to-Ship (STS) transfer operations and flag notations concerning Panamanian Oil Tankers of 150 GRT and above. More specifically:   The STS operation Plan shall be developed taking into account the safety and pollution prevention provisions of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) conventions and the information contained in the best practice guidelines for STS operations identified by  IMO’s “Manual on Oil Pollution, Section I, Prevention” as amended,  ICS OCIMF Ship to…

Refers to: Ship-owners, Operators, Masters and Managers of PHRS certified vessels Effective Date:  Immediate   Dear All,   This Newsletter aims to inform all concerned parties about Liberian Registry’s Marine Notice 03/2026, highlighting the continued importance of engine room fire prevention and safety compliance onboard Liberian-flagged vessels.   This Advisory summarizes:   Required compliance elements Common areas of non-compliance Lessons learned through anonymous examples Mandatory actions to ensure conformity with Liberian and IMO standards   Flag Administration requires:   Review and Amend Safety Procedures Enhance Crew Training Improve Supervisory Oversight Fleet-Wide Awareness Actions to Prevent Recurrence   All vessels are advised…