SOPEP
1 Answer the questions:
1. What can you use these items for?
2. Where do you think these are stored?
Vocabulary
2 Label the pictures
sawdust | rag | broom | drum | oil boom coil | shovel
________________________ __________________________ _______________________
________________________ __________________________ _______________________
3 Tick appropriate set of pictures
1. a) oil boom coil, drum, shovel
b) absorbent pad, sawdust, rag
c) broom, shovel, drum
2. a) drum, sawdust, shovel
b) rag, sawdust, oil boom coil
c) broom, sawdust, oil boom coil
3. a) rag, drum, broom
b) broom, sawdust, shovel
c) broom, drum, shovel
4 Answer the questions:
1. What do these items have in common?
2. In what emergency situation are they used?
Reading
5 Match the abbreviations with definitions
1 MARPOL A Marine Environmental Protection Committee
2 SOPEP B Marine Polution
3 MEPC C Ship Oil Pollution Emergency Plan
1 2 3
6 Read the text. Cadet A completes Column 1, Cadet B completes Column 2, and Cadet C
completes Column 3
SOPEP stands for Ship Oil Pollution Emergency Plan and as per the MARPOL 73/78
requirement under Annex I, all ships with 400 GT and above must carry an oil prevention plan as
per the norms and guidelines laid down under MEPC (Marine Environmental Protection
Committee) act.
The Gross tonnage requirement for an oil tanker, according to SOPEP, reduces to 150 GT as oil
itself is a kind of cargo which doubles the risk of oil pollution.
Master of the ship is the overall in charge of the SOPEP, along with the chief officer as
subordinate in charge for implementation of SOPEP on board.
The essential SOPEP requirements for a ship are:
1. The SOPEP must be written following regulation 37 of Annex I of MARPOL.
2. The approved plan gives the Master and officers on board information and operational
instructions on what to do in case oil pollution incident.
3. The plan must contain all the important contacts to address in case of oil pollution
SOPEP locker of the ship contains different pollution prevention tools, chemicals, and
equipment which can be used for onboard oil pollution to restrict the oil from going out at sea
and also for oil spill pollution to prevent spreading of it. It includes: OS dispersant, sawdust,
rags, absorbent pads, oil kit bags, oil boom coils, scoops, shovel, brooms & brushes, buckets,
drums, rubber suits / boots / gloves, pump with hoses
General duties of ship’s crew under SOPEP:
Chief Engineer: He/she will be the in charge of the bunkering operation and will instruct the
subordinates to prepare SOPEP KIT prior to any oil related operation (Sludge transfer, lube oil
bunkering, fuel oil bunkering etc.) Chief engineer should keep the Master informed and updated
on the situation, and the results from action taken to limit oil outflow.
Deck Duty Officer: To Assist the chief officer in deck watch. Alert and inform Chief Officer/
Chief Engineer on any potential oil spill situation.
Duty Engineer: To assist Chief Engineer for any oil transfer operation which includes
preparation of SOPEP material and readiness of firefighting equipment.
Duty Rating(s): To assist and alert the duty officer and engineer for detection of potential oil
leakage and to immediately assist by all possible means to restrict and clean an ongoing spill.
He/she should bring the additional SOPEP material to the location for preventing oil from
reaching the ship’s railing.
SOPEP stands for Ship Oil Pollution Emergency Plan
Column 1 Column 2 Column 3
SOPEP requirements SOPEP locker content ER crew duties under SOPEP
7 Interview groupmates to complete the rest of the table.
8 Answer the questions
1. What kind of activity does SOPEP regulate?
2. What international organizations and documents require SOPEP?
3. What is the gross tonnage of vessels which must have SOPEP?
4. Why the GT of tankers differ from general requirements?
5. What must be stored in the SOPEP locker?
6. Who has the access to the SOPEP locker?
7. What operations require SOPEP equipment to be ready for usage?
8. What type of emergency can occur during these operations?
9 Make 2 truths and 1 lie about SOPEP. Present to the group.
Speaking
10 You are the 3d engineer. Familiarize a new cadet with the concept of SOPEP, its
requirements and application.
