Brazil - Port Health Requirements in Rio de Janeiro and São Francisco do Sul

Club correspondents Brazil P&I, Santos have advised that Brazilian legislation regarding ship’s air-conditioning systems and the control of specimens of synanthropic fauna harmful to health are being enforced by the Brazilian national health surveillance agency ANVISA in the ports of Rio de Janeiro and São Francisco do Sul.

Resolution 72, dated 29 December 2009, states as follows:

Section V - Air-conditioning Systems

Art. 60.

The components of the vessel’s air-conditioning system must be kept in a good condition of maintenance, operation, control and cleanliness.

§ 1   The compartment containing the mixing chamber for return air and renewal air shall be for the exclusive use of the air-conditioning system, and the presence in this compartment of any other materials, products and tools is prohibited.

§ 2   After completion of procedures for the cleaning and disinfection of the air-conditioning system, solid dirt must be packed in bags of resistant material with adequate porosity. 

§ 3   The external air inlets should be protected from possible sources of pollution by providing them with filters, such that pollution is removed from the ingested external air prior to the completion of the mixture of external and return air.

Art. 61.

Spreadsheets detailing the maintenance, operation, cleaning and disinfection of the air-conditioning equipment, as well as air quality reports, must be submitted to the appropriate health authority when requested.

The quality of the air within an air-conditioned environment, controlled by an air-conditioning system with a refrigeration capacity equal to or greater than 5 TRs (60,000 BTUs), must be evaluated every six months and meet the physical, chemical and biological parameters defined in RE Number 9, as amended, by 16 January 2003.

Section X - Control of Specimens of Synanthropic Fauna Harmful to Health

Art. 79.

A vessel in transit or in a port under sanitary service control within territorial waters shall be maintained free of breeding places for insect larvae, adult insects and other animals that can receive or transmit diseases that may affect public health, and poisonous animals the presence of which entails risk to individual or collective health, as well as factors that are conducive to the maintenance and breeding of these animals.

Art. 80.

Twice a year a vessel must be subject to disinsectisation and de-ratting, with evidentiary records or certificates available to show that this has been done.

§ 1   The foregoing records or certificates must be signed by the company’s technical manager responsible for infestation control and contain the following information:

• Methodology used including the application techniques employed
• Dosage by compartment
• Details of the active substances used, including insecticides and rodenticides, and their concentrations

§ 2   The packaging of products used for the control of synanthropic fauna that are harmful to health are to be disposed of in a safe manner, in accordance with the current specific standard, avoiding contamination of humans, animals and the environment.

§ 3   The use of insecticides or rodenticides that contain substances or are in a form that is not authorised by the competent bodies is prohibited, as is the use of authorised insecticides or rodenticides above the permitted limits.

Art. 81.

The vessel must maintain an efficient and effective means of preventing rodent infestation at all times.

If the foregoing documentation cannot be produced, ANVISA may notify the master that it must be obtained before sailing. If such records are indeed available on board, ANVISA may reject them on the grounds that they are not of an acceptable standard. In both cases it may be necessary to engage a local company approved by ANVISA in order to confirm compliance. In the event that appropriate certification is not provided to ANVISA prior to departure, the vessel may be fined and outward clearance may be delayed.

At present Art. 61 and Art. 80 are being enforced in Rio de Janeiro, and Art. 80 in São Francisco do Sul. However, the possibility of these requirements being enforced in other Brazilian ports in the future cannot be ruled out.

Members requiring further guidance should contact the Loss Prevention department.