Shipping

Preventing coal cargo from self-heating

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The atmosphere in each cargo hold should be monitored, at least on a daily basis, for CO, hydrogen sulphide (H2 S), oxygen (O2) and flammable gas (LEL-methane).
The atmosphere in each cargo hold should be monitored, at least on a daily basis, for CO, hydrogen sulphide (H2 S), oxygen (O2) and flammable gas (LEL-methane).

London P&I Club has analysed the problems associated with the transportation of coal in bulk, such as self-heating and flammable gas (i.e. methane) release. Self-heating can lead to fires and the production of carbon monoxide (CO), whilst methane release can lead to an explosive atmosphere being generated in the hold.

Self-heating normally occurs in localised hot spots within a bulk cargo, and temperature measurements are unlikely to identify problems. However, when coal self-heats it produces CO, so measuring the concentration of CO is the most effective method to identify a self-heating cargo.

The atmosphere in each cargo hold should be monitored, at least on a daily basis, for CO, hydrogen sulphide (H2 S), oxygen (O2) and flammable gas (LEL-methane). If the holds are being ventilated, then ventilation should be stopped at least Continue reading “Preventing coal cargo from self-heating”

How to conduct a safe bunkering operation

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A number of safe bunkering measures are required for each bunkering operation. These can be divided into four stages and checks
A number of safe bunkering measures are required for each bunkering operation. These can be divided into four stages and checks

The UK P&I Club has published helpful guidance to ensure safe bunkering operations. The Club said that bunkering operations are routine and critical, high risk operations which require to be carefully planned and performed.

Causes of bunker spills
Although the most of the bunker transfers are carried out without incident, very occasionally, things can and do go wrong. The UK Club notes that only a minority of cases do bunker spills occur because of failure of the hoses or pipelines, while the majority of spills result from a tank overflowing.

But these are not the only causes. Common causes of bunker spills can be summarised as follows:

– Improper set up of pipeline system valves: Potentially causing either overpressure, or flow of bunkers to an unintended location;
– Insufficient monitoring of tank levels during bunkering: All tanks, not only those Continue reading “How to conduct a safe bunkering operation”

Safety digest with twenty four case studies published by MAIB

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The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), based in Southampton, UK, has published its latest safety digest that features 24 case studies of accidents and incidents it has investigated.

The information is published to inform the shipping and fishing industries, the pleasure craft community and the public of the general circumstances of marine accidents and to draw out the lessons to be learned. The sole purpose of the Safety Digest is to prevent similar accidents happening again. The content must necessarily be regarded as tentative and subject to alteration or correction if additional evidence becomes available. The articles do not assign fault or blame nor do they determine liability. The lessons often extend beyond the events of the incidents themselves to ensure the maximum value can be achieved.

In his introduction to the Safety Digest, Andrew Moll, MAIB (Interim) Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents says,
“Anyone who knows me will already be aware that I like simplicity. There is seldom anything simple about a marine accident, but to my mind there are usually three recurring components: an underlying weakness or vulnerability in the system (which includes the people); a trigger event or additional stressor Continue reading “Safety digest with twenty four case studies published by MAIB”

Maersk sets new guidelines on dangerous cargo stowage following Honam tragedy

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The Risk Based Dangerous Goods Stowage principles have been developed to minimise risk to crew, cargo, environment and vessel in case a fire develops. The different container vessel designs were reviewed from a risk mitigation perspective and ultimately six different risk zones defined.
The Risk Based Dangerous Goods Stowage principles have been developed to minimise risk to crew, cargo, environment and vessel in case a fire develops. The different container vessel designs were reviewed from a risk mitigation perspective and ultimately six different risk zones defined.

In the aftermath of the major fire that killed five crew members onboard the ‘Maersk Honam’ in March 2018, Danish container ship giant Maersk has conducted a thorough review of their current safety practices and policies with reference to the stowage of dangerous cargo. Consequently, Maersk has now announced the implementation of new guidelines to improve safety across its container vessel fleet.

On 6 March 2018, the container ship ‘Maersk Honam’ suffered a serious fire in its cargo hold where dangerous goods were carried, but up to this time, there is no evidence to suggest that dangerous goods caused the fire, the company noted. In addition, all cargo was accepted as per the requirements of the IMDG Code and stowed onboard the vessel accordingly.

Following the tragic incident, Maersk took measures and implemented additional preliminary guidelines for stowage of dangerous goods. The company evaluated over 3,000 UN numbers of hazardous materials in order to further understand and improve dangerous cargo stowage onboard container vessels and developed a new set of principles called ‘Risk Based Dangerous Goods Stowage’.

Together with ABS, Maersk called for a workshop with other industry stakeholders to conduct a Continue reading “Maersk sets new guidelines on dangerous cargo stowage following Honam tragedy”

Transport Malta investigation report into fatality by toxic gases in bow thruster compartment

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Photo credit: MSIU
Photo credit: MSIU

Transport Malta’s MSIU issued an investigation report on the fatality of a crew member onboard the Maltese-registered chemical tanker ‘Scot Berlin’ in August 2017. The immediate cause of the accident was the entry into a space which had a significant presence of toxic gases suspended in the air.

The vessel arrived at Marsaxlokk Oil Tanking Terminal loaded with two parcels of cargo. Following the completion of cargo operation, the crew members started the ballasting of the vessel since her next trip to Spain was a ballast voyage. Ballasting in the forepeak tank started under the supervision of the second mate.

Continue reading “Transport Malta investigation report into fatality by toxic gases in bow thruster compartment”

Red Ensign Group members get boost to their expertise in casualty investigation

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Raman Bala, Director of Shipping, British Virgin Islands (pictured) attending the MAIB training
Raman Bala, Director of Shipping, British Virgin Islands (pictured) attending the MAIB training

Red Ensign Group members have been attending an intensive course aimed at working with them to ensure their safety investigations of marine casualties and incidents are carried out in line with international requirements.

While the REG delegates are already experienced in such investigations, the course run by the UK-based Marine Accident Investigation Branch combines the requirements of the International Maritime Organization’s Casualty Investigation Code with its own experience and best practice.

David Wheal, principal inspector of marine accidents at the MAIB is one of the team that created the course. He said: ‘This is not designed Continue reading “Red Ensign Group members get boost to their expertise in casualty investigation”

International Chamber of Shipping publishes free 32 page guide about new sulphur rule compliance from January 2020

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To assist shipping companies to prepare for implementation of the UN IMO global sulphur cap for ships’ fuel oil, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has produced – free of charge – some comprehensive guidance on implementation planning, to help ensure compliance across the shipping industry with this regulatory game changer.

The free ICS guidance has been prepared for the vast majority of ships that will comply after 1 January 2020 using fuel oils with a sulphur content of 0.50% m/m or less.

ICS Secretary General, Guy Platten, explained:
Continue reading “International Chamber of Shipping publishes free 32 page guide about new sulphur rule compliance from January 2020”

TT Club issues advice on dealing with container fires

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To tackle a fire in a hold, TT Club notes a CO2 system will be installed if the ship is carrying dangerous goods.
To tackle a fire in a hold, TT Club notes a CO2 system will be installed if the ship is carrying dangerous goods.

According to TT Club, container fires are a far more regular occurrence than most people would realise. Statistics show there is a major container cargo fire at sea roughly every 60 days. So, tackling fires and subsequent investigations are complex and vitally important activities.

With increasing container ships size increases the risk of a fire incident increases too. Despite some regulatory and technical advances, the fact is that the ability to respond to a cargo-related fire at sea has not progressed as needed in recent times.

To tackle a fire in a hold, TT Club notes a CO2 system will be installed if the ship is carrying dangerous goods. The gas released from a CO2 system can displace the oxygen in the hold and smother the fire. However, for CO2 to be effective, the hold must be closed to retain the gas and prevent oxygen ingress.

If an incident has taken place in a container stowed on deck, water will be the only option available . Nevertheless, it is unlikely to extinguish a fire inside a container in the short term.

In addition, crew members should seek Continue reading “TT Club issues advice on dealing with container fires”

The dangers of carrying nickel ore cargo and the associated risks are highlighted by The West of England P&I Club

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Photo credit: Shipspotting
Photo credit: Shipspotting

The West of England P&I Club has warned operators and others involved of the dangers of carrying nickel ore. Carrying nickel ore can be dangerous, because of the risk of liquefaction of the cargo on passage when the moisture content is higher than the cargo’s Flow Moisture Point (FMP).

After a number of ships being lost, with liquefaction of their nickel ore cargoes suspected of being the cause, the West of England Club published a Notice some years ago addressing the Dangers of Carrying Nickel ore. This Notice is still in forced and was re-issued as No.13 2017/2018 – Dangers of Carrying Nickel Ore from Indonesia and the Philippines – Mandatory Notification Requirements (re-issued).

The Club reminds operators of the risk of liquefaction with this cargo, as showcased by the loss of the ‘Emerald Star’, which claimed the lives of 11 seafarers in October 2017.

In addition, the Club has been informed of Continue reading “The dangers of carrying nickel ore cargo and the associated risks are highlighted by The West of England P&I Club”

India set to construct National Maritime Heritage complex at Lothal

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India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi who asked the shipping ministry to build a maritime heritage complex in Gujarat
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi who asked the shipping ministry to build a maritime heritage complex in Gujarat

The Indian Ministry of Shipping, through its flagship programme Sagarmala, is closely working with Government of Gujarat state and other stakeholders to showcase India’s rich maritime heritage through development of a World Class Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) at Lothal in the state of Gujarat.

Preliminary work on design elements of the proposed heritage complex has been completed and consultations from experts are now under process.

In order to further plan and take the project forward, a one day consultation workshop was held at Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Continue reading “India set to construct National Maritime Heritage complex at Lothal”

Shipping fears engine failures as industry switches to low sulphur fuel

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By Ellen Milligan (Bloomberg). Add oil tankers breaking down at sea to the list of things shipping companies are worrying about as they brace for a once-in-a-generation overhaul to the kind of fuel the industry must consume.

From Jan. 1, 2020, the vast majority of the world’s merchant fleet will have to use fuel containing no more than 0.5 percent sulfur, down from 3.5 percent in most parts of the world today. The change is expected to upend both shipping and refining industries, with analysts forecasting higher oil prices, slower-sailing ships, and some observers even warning of risks to world trade.

Now more and more of the world’s largest shipping companies and trade groups, already mindful of spiralling costs, are saying there’s a Continue reading “Shipping fears engine failures as industry switches to low sulphur fuel”

AMSA stresses the importance of marine incident reports

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Photo credit: Reuters
Photo credit: Reuters

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has experienced a steady increase in incident reports from 1,721 in 2013 to 3,017 reports in 2017. This is a 75% increase over a five-year period. For the period from 1 January to 30 June 2018, AMSA received 1,611 incident reports.

Key points to note

– During 2013-2017, the number of ship arrivals to Australian ports has increased by 21%.
From the 1611 incident reports in January-June 2018, the vast majority of occurrences (78%) concerned some form of technical issue.
– Among the technical issues, the most predominant occurrences relate to power, propulsion, and steering. This includes, for example, issues with a vessel’s main and auxiliary engines, and the steering gear and rudder.

AMSA uses incident data in combination with other sources of information, such as inspection and survey reports, research findings, accident investigations, and our day-to-day interaction with vessel crews, owners, and operators. This helps us gain a better understanding of Continue reading “AMSA stresses the importance of marine incident reports”

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