EBIS, the European Barge Inspection Scheme, started operations on 1st July 1998. The Scheme has been developed by oil and chemical companies as part of their commitment to improving the safety of tanker barging operations. Barging is an important means of distributing oil and chemical products within Europe and well run barges play an important part in reducing the risk of accidents or pollution. The main aim of EBIS is to exchange objective safety and quality data on tank barges, of which an EBIS Member company may consider the use or the reception at its terminal.

Increasing emphasis on Health, Safety and Environment issues led oil and chemical companies to examine ways to reduce the risks associated with their barging operations and minimise the risk of substandard vessels being chartered or arriving at their marine terminals. Companies employing barges were increasingly introducing a variety of barge inspection and assessment arrangements.

Recognising the advantages of adopting a co-ordinated scheme for Europe similar to those already operating for seagoing oil and chemical tankers, several oil and chemical companies worked together to develop a common system for the benefit of the industry. This co-operation became the European Barge Inspection Scheme - EBIS.

BASF, Bayer, Bollore Energie, BP, Chevron Texaco, Conoc Philips, Degussa, Dow, Exxon Holborn, HPI, Invista, Marquard & Bahls, OMV, Rohdia, SABIC, Shell, Statoil/Navion and Total.

EBIS identified three areas for co-operation:

• a common questionnaire to be used for barge inspections
• trained and accredited inspectors
• a central database of inspection reports accessible to EBIS Members

The questionnaire is a set of objective questions to be asked during the inspection of a barge. It is available in four languages, Dutch, English, French and German and can be viewed and downloaded from this website. The inspector who carries out the inspection must have the required qualifications. This means he has successfully attended an EBIS training course and examination, which resulted in an EBIS accreditation. The answers to the questionnaire together with the inspectors' and bargemasters' comments are entered in a central database, administered by PHAROX in Spijkenisse (NL).

The bargeowner receives a copy of the report and has the right to make comments on it. These comments are attached to the report. After 7 days each EBIS Member can access the report and analyse it, to decide whether or not the barge is suitable for that individual Member Company's use.

Approval of a barge is a matter for the individual Member Company alone.

EBIS' aim is to have all barges inspected annually.

Each EBIS member agrees to undertake an agreed number of EBIS inspections using an EBIS accredited inspector. When the inspector introduces the report in the EBIS database, the information will become available for all EBIS members.

The owner/operator is contacted by an EBIS inspector requesting to inspect a particular barge. The inspector will advise which EBIS member has ordered the inspection.

The inspector will carry out the inspection using the EBIS questionnaire which is available in four languages (Dutch, German, French and English). The inspector will record the answers to the questions , note his observations where appropriate and ,if available, the responses of the barge master. On completion of the report in duplicate it will be signed by both the inspector and the master and a copy is left on board (or sent directly to the owner if requested).

More information (in english) can be found on the EBIS web site at www.ebis.nl.