What is ISO 16165 about?
ISO 16165 specifies terms and definitions relating to oil spills and their control. ISO 16165 provides standardized terminology relating to oil spill response, defined as the broad range of activities related to spill cleanup, including surveillance and assessment, containment, recovery, dispersant use, in situ burning, shoreline cleanup and disposal.
Many of the terms and definitions listed in ISO 16165 have been widely used for many years, while others are the result of recent experience. The gradual evolution of our understanding of oil spill behaviour and response measures means that oil spill terminology will continue to develop.
Who is ISO 16165 for?
ISO 16165 on marine environment protection is applicable to:
- Petrochemical industry
- Maritime industries
- Maritime regulatory authorities
- Marine environment protection authorities
Why should you use ISO 16165?
An oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment due to human activity. This usually occurs in the marine ecosystem, due to human activity, and is a form of pollution.
Communication is important in the implementation of an effective oil spill response and this communication will be most effective if there is a common understanding of the terms used. ISO 16165 provides you with the standardized terminology to oil spill response, for better execution of safety and contamination removal procedures.
Professionals working on an oil spill must be familiar with standard terminologies and processes in order to avoid misinterpretation or ambiguity in oil spill removal methods, and all professionals must use the same guidelines. ISO 16165 assists you with all major oil spill removal procedures such as monitoring and assessment, containment, recovery, dispersant use, in situ burning, beach clean-up, and disposal.
Following ISO 16165 guidelines helps to have standardized vocabulary across the board so that there are no communication gaps during oil spillage incidents.
What’s changed since the last update?
BS ISO 16165:2020 supersedes BS ISO 16165:2013, which is withdrawn. BS ISO 16165:2020 includes some technical changes with respect to BS ISO 16165:2013. These include:
- The ASTM references have been updated and minor typographical corrections
- Removal of “mud” from term and definition 3.10.2.5 to reflect ISO 146881:2017
- Modifications in line with the latest edition of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (2018 ed)
- The title is changed from "terminology" to "vocabulary"
- New Clause 2, Normative references, is inserted
