Health & Safety

The Standard P&I Club has issued an advisory note on the carriage of wood pulp.Wood pulp is a wood fibre which has been reduced chemically or mechanically to pulp. It is used in the manufacture of paper. The product has a high moisture content and can be susceptible to damage if not carried correctly. The carriage of wood pulp requires the vessel to comply with stringent requirements. These demand that all holds are in top condition; clean, dry, no loose paint and no rust.

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Ship recycling practices in Alang, India, are gradually improving according to the European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA). It says the European Commission should acknowledge this positive development under the EU Ship Recycling Regulation. Adopting an overly restrictive approach will discourage first movers and further delay the entry into force of the IMO Hong Kong Convention.

These are the main messages that European Community Shipowners’ Associations took home from a fact-finding visit held last week in Alang, India. The visit was organised in cooperation with the Indian government, Continue reading “European Community Shipowners’ Associations says Alang recycling processes have improved”

The Shipowners P&I Club has issued a safety bulletin concerning the maintenance of pilot ladders. They say that pilot ladders remain the most efficient way for pilots to board vessels and even though this is a simple process improper pilot boarding arrangements continue to give rise to claims. These can include serious injuries to pilots occasionally resulting in death.

Pilots are typically required to board ships at sea, sometimes with high freeboards in order to assist with the manoeuvring of the vessel. Pilot boarding arrangements generally consist of a rope ladder which is constructed to the overseeing authorities’ statutory requirements. In case of excessive freeboards, combination ladders (a combination of the ship’s gangway and the pilot ladder) are used.

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DNV GL has issued Technical and Regulatory News including all related information you need when preparing a deck cargo for bulk carriers.

Structural strength
The deck and hatch covers on modern bulk carriers usually have a structural capacity of around 2.0 to 2.5 t/m2 of uniformly distributed load (UDL), without any reinforcements. This load corresponds to the green sea pressure used in the approval of the vessel. With a few minor reinforcements, it may be possible to increase the UDL, especially for the deck area.

Stability documentation
Compliance with applicable stability and longitudinal strength criteria in deck cargo loading conditions shall be shown in updated/amended stability manuals.

In general, intact GM limit curves shall be recalculated taking into account an additional wind profile area from deck cargo.

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The issue of safe carriage of laterite nickel ore has attracted the attention of international societies. The latest judgement by a Chinese court shows that the IMSBC Code shall be applicable to the safe carriage of the laterite nickel ore.

The master shall be cautious and prudent in deciding whether the cargo is suitable for safe carriage. Where heavy moisture of cargo is visible to the naked eyes, the proportion of small particles (<7mm) is large and the moisture content of small particles is above the TML (Transportable Moisture Limit), even if large particles (>7mm) may have a comparatively lower moisture content, the master may, in his professional judgment, deem the cargo unsuitable for safe carriage and is further entitled to make decisions such as to cease the voyage, sun-dry the cargo and to carry out inspection etc. for the common safety of vessel, cargo and the crew, and the carrier shall not be held liable for his breach of obligation under shipping contract.

Continue reading “Safe carriage of laterite nickel ore cargo under the microscope”