P&I Clubs

Britannia P&I Club warns against the risks of cargo fumigation and presents steps people onboard can take in order to mitigate those risks.

Fumigation is an effective approach to eradicate living organisms, such as insects or rodents, and is used to mitigate the transmission of invasive species or phytosanitary risks when transporting an agricultural cargo from one port to another.

Cargo fumigation risks

Both methyl bromide and aluminum phosphide, chemicals used for fumigation, Continue reading “Cargo fumigation: An overview for the maritime sector”

This overview of cargo claims has been provided by The Swedish Club. The Swedish Club has released a detailed analysis of grains and soya beans cargo claims review having reviewed 200 bulk carrier claims. To be included in the statistics the claims had to have generated a cost of at least $5,000 and have been made between 2018 and 2022.

The average frequency for the five-year period is 0.056, which means that 5.6% of all bulk carriers have made a grain claim. Since 2019 the Club has seen a steady increase in the frequency of claims. Continue reading “Grains and soya beans cargo claims review”

Mark Russell, Vice President, Head of Cargo Claims, Gard P&I Club, presents cases involving cargoes that may liquefy but are not listed in the International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes (IMSBC) Code as Group A cargoes and therefore are not declared as such.

Group A consists of cargoes which may liquefy if shipped with a moisture content in excess of their Transportable Moisture Limit (TML). In two of the instances the cargoes liquefied endangering the lives of the crew. Fortunately, there were no fatalities, although in one case the vessel sank posing risks to the environment. Continue reading “Beware cargoes which may liquefy not listed in the IMSBC Code”

The London P&I Club has continued to see cargo damage claims arising from the carriage of dry chemicals in Flexible Intermediate Bulk Containers (FIBCs), more commonly known as “jumbo bags”, which have been stowed in the same holds as breakbulk cargoes. FIBCs have a body of a flexible woven material (typically polypropylene) and is intended for shipping solid materials in powder, flake or granular form.

These claims are almost always on voyages in which handy sized bulk carriers load breakbulk cargoes in China. The stowage plan often appears to have been developed with only the discharge port rotation in mind. Continue reading “London Club sees cargo damage claims from the carriage of dry chemicals in FIBCs”

A new video has been released by West P&I, detailing the correct procedure for performing a rocking test on pedestal-mounted rotating cranes.

Pedestal-mounted rotating cranes are fitted with slewing bearings to allow 360-degree rotation. The slew bearing is subject to high loads and frequently harsh conditions, which can give rise to rapid catastrophic failure and unwanted consequences, including severe injury or fatalities. Regular tilt clearance measurements (frequently known as The Rocking Test) are essential to identify a failing slewing bearing. Continue reading “How to conduct a rocking test on pedestal-mounted rotating cranes”

The Shipowners Club would like to highlight the potential hazards associated with oily engine room bilges and the checks and steps that a ship’s crew should undertake to assist mitigate the associated possible issues. It is common for bilge water to accumulate during the routine operation of machinery in the engine room spaces. However, engine room bilges contaminated with oil can pose hazards if not managed properly and could indicate a wider problem on board. A recent analysis of the Club’s Condition Survey Programme showed a rise in vessels reported as having occurrences of contaminated engine room bilges. Continue reading “Risks associated with dirty engine room bilges”