10BDanger Message Reporting

Danger messages shall be reported by the master of every vessel in any waters . The details of reporting systems may be found in the Radio Aids to Navigation publications of the appropriate administrations or in the Canadian Radio Aids to Marine Navigation. The master of every ship shall communicate the information required under section 112 of the Canada Shipping Act, 2001 2001  and SOLAS CH: V Regulations 31 and 32. by all means at the master’s disposal to ships in the vicinity and to the shore station for the area if the ship encounters:

a)dangerous ice, a dangerous derelict or any other direct danger to navigation;
b)a tropical storm or a storm that the master has reasonable grounds to believe might develop into a tropical storm;
c)c) Loss or observation of freight container(s) at sea
d)winds of force 10 or higher on the Beaufort Scale for which no storm warning has been received by the ship; or

e)sub-freezing air temperatures associated with gale force winds, causing severe ice accretion on superstructures.

For the purposes of this section, tropical storm means a hurricane, typhoon, cyclone or other storm of a similar in nature, and the master of a ship is deemed to have encountered a tropical storm if the master has reason to believe there is such a storm in the vicinity.

All radio communications shall be preceded by the safety signal, using the procedure prescribed by the International Radio Regulations.

The following information is required in danger messages:

a)if the ship encounters dangerous ice, a dangerous derelict or any other direct danger to navigation,

i)the kind of the ice, derelict or other danger encountered,
ii)the position of the ice, derelict or other danger when last observed, and
iii)the time and date, in coordinated universal time (UTC), when the danger was last observed;

b)if the ship encounters a tropical storm or a storm that the master has reasonable grounds to believe might develop into a tropical storm,

i)a statement that a tropical storm has been encountered or a storm that the master has reasonable grounds to believe might develop into a tropical storm has been encountered, as the case may be,
ii)the time and date, in coordinated universal time (UTC), and the position of the ship when the storm was last observed, and
iii)if feasible,

A)the barometric pressure, with the reading corrected if practicable, the unit of measure (such as millibars, millimetres or inches) and whether the reading is corrected or not,
B)the barometric tendency that indicates the change in barometric pressure during the past three hours,
C)the true wind direction,
D)the wind force on the Beaufort Scale,
E)the state of the sea, such as smooth, moderate, rough or high,
F)the size of swell, such as slight, moderate or heavy, the true direction from which it comes and, if practicable, the period or length of swell, such as short, average or long, and
G)the true course and speed of the ship;

c)Loss or observation of freight container(s) at sea

a)The master of every ship involved in the loss of freight container(s) or the observation of containers at sea, shall communicate the particulars of such an incident or obstruction by appropriate means without delay and to the fullest extent possible to ships in the vicinity, flag State, and to the nearest coastal State through the appropriate MCTS center for dissemination of the Danger message as per Radio Aids to Marine Navigation publication if the ship is in or near Canadian waters
b)In the event of the ship referred to in paragraph (a) being abandoned, or in the event of a report from such a ship being incomplete or unobtainable, the company, as defined in regulation IX/1.2, shall, to the fullest extent possible, assume the obligations placed upon the master by this regulation.

Information required in danger messages:

1)Loss of freight Container(s) from ship

1.General Information

-Type of report: Loss of freight container(s) from a ship
-Time (Universal Coordinated Time) and date
-Ship's identity (IMO Number/Name/Call Sign/MMSI Number)
-From: Master of the ship or contact details of their representative reporting on Master's behalf
-To: Nearest Coastal State where the incident occurred and flag State

-The message number:

In chronological order if other freight container loss messages are sent following the first one.

At the earliest, safe, and practicable opportunity, a thorough inspection shall be conducted. The number or estimated number of lost freight container(s) shall be verified. A message containing this verified number shall be marked as "final" and sent to the same recipients.

2. Position Reporting*

Position in latitude and longitude, or true bearing and distance in nautical miles from a clearly identified landmark (where possible)

-Position of the ship when freight container(s) were lost; or
-If the position of the ship when the freight container(s) were lost, is not known, the estimated position of the ship when the freight container(s) were lost; or

-If an estimated position of the ship when the freight container(s) were lost, is not known or cannot be determined, the position of the ship upon discovery of the loss.

Where available, a system of mechanical, electronic, and/or visual aids can be used, allowing near real-time reporting of the drop point of the freight container(s).

3.Total number or estimated number of freight container(s) lost, as appropriate:

4.Type of goods in freight container(s):

-Dangerous goods: Yes/No

-UN Number (if known)

5.Description of freight container(s) lost as far as available and practicable:

i.Dimension of freight container(s) (e.g., 20 foot);

ii.Type(s) of freight container(s) (e.g., reefer); and

iii.Number or estimated number of empty freight container(s)

6.Additional information, if available and practicable, for example, but not limited to:

-Cargo description according to the dangerous goods manifest (if applicable)
-Description of any cargo spill
-Wind direction and speed
-Sea current direction and speed
-Estimated drift direction and speed of lost freight container(s)

-Sea state and wave height

2) Observation of freight container(s) drifting at sea

1.General Information

-Type of report: Observation of freight container(s) drifting at sea
-Time (Universal Coordinated Time) and date
-Ship's identity (IMO Number/Name/Call Sign/MMSI Number)
-From: Master of the ship

-To: Nearest Coastal State to the position of observation

2.Position Reporting

Time (Universal Coordinated Time), date and position of the observed freight container(s) in latitude and longitude, or true bearing and distance in nautical miles from a clearly identified landmark (where possible)

3.Total number of freight container(s) observed.

4.Additional information, if available and practicable, for example, but not limited to:

-Dimension of freight container(s) (e.g. 20 foot)
-Type(s) of freight container(s) (e.g. reefer)
-Description of any cargo spill
-Wind direction and speed
-Sea current direction and speed
-Estimated drift direction and speed of observed freight container(s)

-Sea state and wave height

d)if the ship encounters winds of a force of 10 or more on the Beaufort Scale for which no storm warning has been received by the ship,

i)a statement that winds of a force of 10 or more on the Beaufort Scale have been encountered, and
ii)the information set out in subparagraph (b)(ii) and as much of the information set out in clauses (b)(iii)(A) to (D) and (G) as practicable; and

e)if the ship encounters sub-freezing air temperatures associated with gale force winds, causing severe ice accretion on superstructures,

i)the time and date, in coordinated universal time (UTC), and position of the ship when the observation was made,
ii)the air temperature,
iii)the sea temperature, if practicable, and
iv)the wind force and direction.

Examples of the information required to be communicated in danger messages are set out in the schedule below.

Danger Messages

Authority: Transport Canada