The UK P&I Club has commented on the risks associated with rice cargoes transportation and advises on the precautions that can be taken to minimise losses.
479 million tonnes of rice were produced in the 2013/14 season, with 38 million tonnes transported across borders, exported mainly by Thailand, Vietnam and Pakistan. As global demand for staple foods has risen and the shipping industry has faced increasing pressure on freight rates, a large percentage of rice cargoes shipments are transported in bagged form aboard traditional bulk carriers, with smaller parcels carried more and more often as containerised cargo.
If there is one standout cause for failures of main and auxiliary engines, it is through inadequate monitoring and maintenance of the condition of lubricating oil – literally the life-blood of any engine. The American P&I Club has issued a new case study taking into account best practices in the prevention of shipboard machinery failures.
The case study incident:
The medium speed main engine of a bulk carrier suffered a turbocharger failure whilst on transatlantic passage to New York. The engine had then labored for several days with a non-functional turbocharger creating very poor combustion and black exhaust smoke. Whilst in port and undergoing turbocharger repairs the attending surveyor recommended that lubricating oil samples be taken from the main engine for analysis. It wasn’t done, and several days later during another loaded passage, the main bearings and then the crankshaft failed leading to towage, large general average costs and extensive disputes over seaworthiness.
Petcoke (petroleum coke) is a byproduct of the oil refinery coking process that produces low-cost fuel, often with a high sulphur content. Petcoke may also be known as green delayed coke, sponge coke, needle coke, delayed coke or raw coke-fuel grade. Petcoke is over 90 percent carbon and emits 5 to 10% more carbon dioxide (CO2) than coal on a per-unit of-energy basis when it is burned. As petcoke has a higher energy content, petcoke emits between 30 and 80 percent more CO2 than coal per unit of weight.
Reduced generator capacity onboard ships is the subject of North P&I Club’s latest newsletter
North P&I Club is advising its members to be aware of the potentially severe consequences of poorly maintained or overloaded on-board generators being unable to meet the electrical demands of ships at sea. The warning about reduced generator capacity comes in the latest issue of the club’s loss prevention newsletter Signals.
According to deputy loss prevention director Colin Gillespie, ‘Generators have a critical function to play on all ships. They provide electrical power for ever-more complex navigation, communication and safety systems as well as essential on-board services and vital equipment such as cranes, winches and bow thrusters. If the generators cannot cope due to poor condition or excess demand, it can lead to total loss of electrical power and put the safety of the ship, crew and cargo at risk.’
Recently the Skuld P&I club noted a crew fatality incident caused by entering an enclosed zinc concentrate cargo hold. A chief officer of a bulk carrier was found lying unconscious in the cargo hold after he entered the hold alone without ventilation and tragically lost his life. It was later established that the cause of death was asphyxiation. Measurements performed the day after the accident showed that the level of oxygen in the air at the stairwell was 2.6%.
North P&I Club has released a new loss prevention guide on bulk cargoes
The 175 million GT, ‘A’ rated North P&I Club has published a major new guide for the international shipping industry on how to reduce losses when carrying bulk cargoes by sea. The 280-page Bulk Cargoes: A Guide to Good Practice adds to North’s comprehensive portfolio of guidance provided about different cargo types and is the first to be made available in both print and e-book formats.
Bulk Cargoes explains the basic rules to be remembered on every occasion during loading, carriage and unloading of bulk cargoes. It describes where various regulations, recommendations and general guidance can be found, and discusses procedures, preparations and good seamanship practice for appropriate and safe carriage of cargoes in bulk. It also describes the problems and recommended procedures associated with particular types of bulk cargo and sets out the points to be remembered during passage planning and the voyage itself.
Shipping coal can be a hazardous and dangerous process
There are various hazards associated with the trade of shipping coal. UK P&I Club’s Loss Prevention Team highlights the risks involved, and advises on the relevant actions to take in order to reduce accidents.
Self-heating incidents involving coal cargoes loaded at Indonesian ports have become increasingly frequent in recent years. The problem appears to be primarily related to the nature of the coals, and may be exacerbated by the way they are handled prior to and during loading.
According to The Swedish Club, half of the costs of hull and machinery claims handled by the Club have arisen due to navigational claims such as collisions, contacts or groundings – a figure that has remained steady over recent years despite improved technology and the widespread implementation of Safety Management Systems. In short, The Swedish Club says poor procedures means no let up in navigational claims.
The Swedish Club, in its latest Loss Prevention publication, Navigational Claims, has revealed a number of interesting findings relating to claims made for hull and machinery damage between 2004–2013.
The ILO MLC2006 Smartphone App, that was developed by The UK P&I Club and Lloyd’s Register, is freely available to download. The app is aimed at assisting those who need to be compliant with the Maritime Labour Convention 2006, which is now in full force. The app is available for iPhone, iPad and Android smartphones.
The pocket checklist app serves as an interactive tool that enables ships’ crews and their managers to view the requirements of the ILO MLC2006 and check off required activities as they are completed.
The Nautical Institute appealed to the maritime industry to help it get a copy of its free publication The Navigator onboard every SOLAS vessel to encourage the professionalism of watchkeepers.
The international professional membership organisation is reacting to concerns from the industry that casualties and near misses from navigational errors are increasing, and that navigational competence needs to be continually updated.
“Finding ways to increase the competence and professionalism of officers of the watch is one of the main concerns of our members,” Chief Executive Mr Philip Wake told a gathering of senior industry figures. “One of the ways we are working towards this goal is through our free publication The Navigator, which appears three times a year, highlighting some of the most important issues for them.”
He added: “In the year and a half since we began production, the publication has become a real success, with students, cadets and young officers telling us how much they appreciate it. But the challenge, as always, is getting the message to those people – and onboard those vessels – that will benefit the most.
“Now, thanks to the generosity of IFAN, the International Foundation for Aids to Navigation, we are in a position to put a copy on the bridge of every SOLAS vessel – potentially up to 100,000 magazines. In that way, we hope that watchkeepers will sign up to the digital version.”
