August 29th, 2019 by Admin
NEW ILAMA CHAIR AND VICE-CHAIR READY TO DEVELOP ASSOCIATION’S ABILITY TO TACKLE GLOBAL SAFETY CHALLENGES
The International Lifesaving Appliance Manufacturers’ Association (ILAMA) has appointed Harry Klaverstijn and Dave Parslow as its new chair and vice-chair respectively. They were elected to the Association’s Board of Directors at its Annual General Meeting in London in July and together bring over 70 years of experience and expertise in the marine and offshore safety industries to their roles. They have already begun work on some of the key issues affecting ILAMA members, most notably the development of new SOLAS requirements on ventilation in totally enclosed lifeboats.
Harry Klaverstijn (left) and Dave Parslow (right)
Ventilation in lifeboats has been exposed as a potential safety problem for seafarers who might be confined in them for prolonged periods in extreme climatic conditions or in situations where they need to be protected against a toxic atmosphere outside the boat. By working closely with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and ILAMA members in that sector of the industry, Harry Klaverstijn and Dave Parslow are aiming for their team to develop effective solutions that will enhance maritime safety while also being practical for lifeboat manufacturers to implement.
Harry Klaverstijn has represented global safety equipment manufacturer, Palfinger Marine in ILAMA since 1998 and has been closely involved with the Association since then. Between 2000 and 2015 he served as chairman of ILAMA’s Technical Committee which develops the content of technical papers for the IMO while also representing ILAMA members at many IMO and Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) meetings.
As the former chairman of the Technical Committee Harry has co-ordinated many ILAMA standpoints on high-level topics on the IMO agenda. These have included providing active support in the development of SOLAS rules and regulations for many topics such as the servicing of life-saving appliances and on-load release hook systems. Recently, Harry helped develop the Polar Code regulations on life-saving appliances for ships sailing in polar waters as well as goal-based standards for alternative designs.
Vice-chair David Parslow represents Survitec Zodiac at ILAMA and has acquired many years of experience in the design and manufacture of Rigid Inflatable Boats, liferafts, rescue boats and escape systems. He has attended ILAMA meetings for nearly 30 years and has participated in both the management and technical committees while also representing, ILAMA on both Maritime Safety and Ship Systems and Equipment sub-Committee meetings at IMO. Working alongside Harry Klaverstijn, Dave Parslow also participated in the development of the Polar Code. Through ILAMA he is an observer at the European Marine Equipment Directive (MarED) and also represents ILAMA on the EU Passenger Vessel Safety Committee and is a participant in both ISO TC8 and TC188 working groups.
ILAMA exists to promote excellence in manufacturing, training and maintenance of life-saving appliances and to enhance safety at sea globally. It represents the collective voice of its international membership to put forward draft papers for new equipment requirements, improving existing legislation and to ensure that views, discussions and concerns about SOLAS regulations are heard by the IMO and other regulatory bodies. ILAMA holds, as a Non-Government Organisation (NGO), observer and consultative status at IMO. The Association also holds a category A liaison with the International Standardisation Organisation (ISO) and has Observer Status to attend and participate in both the EMSA MED Experts Group and MARED. ILAMA members also sit on various internationally recognised committees to assist in generating and improving international standards for life-saving appliances for seafarers.
International Life-saving Appliance Manufacturers’ Association