The Edith Maersk, the largest vessel ever to enter the River Thames, arrived at DP World London Gateway on Sunday 19 October.
The 396 metre long, 56 metre wide ship has a draught of 16 metres and can carry up to 15,500 teu.
The ship, which is just weeks shy of celebrating its first anniversary, left the terminal on Sunday night bound for Singapore.
Continue reading “Edith Maersk docks at DP World London Gateway”
There is an important free resource available to the whole of the shipping industry that makes a major contribution to safety and that surveyors can help to improve. This is the Mariners Alerting and Reporting Scheme (MARS) operated by The Nautical Institute. MARS is a free resource and The Nautical Institute hopes that surveyors will help to make its existence known to the maritime world. The Nautical Institute wants as many mariners and, indeed, as many in shipping as possible, to benefit from lessoned learned from accidents and near misses. Surveyors can spread the word to let mariners and companies know the resource is there.
The background to MARS is known to all; across the major transportation modes and in many other fields, human error looms as the leading cause of both accidents and incidents. In recent years, the definition of human error has been expanded to include concepts such as unsafe supervision and organisational influences (e.g. resource management and operational processes). In the maritime industry approximately 90 percent of accidents can be traced to human error despite the promotion of regulations, training and quality management systems.
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This article relates to the entry of a confined space on board the cargo ship SUNTIS in Goole Docks, Humberside on 26 May 2014 resulting in three fatalities. The initial findings of the MAIB are available.
At approximately 0645 (UTC+1) on 26 May 2014, three crew members on board the cargo ship, Suntis, were found unconscious in the main cargo hold forward access compartment, which was sited in the vessel’s forecastle (f’ocsle). The crew members were recovered from the compartment but, despite intensive resuscitation efforts by their rescuers, they did not survive.
UK Chamber CEO, Guy Platten, has delivered a keynote speech to the British Ports Association annual conference in Belfast.
Mr Platten focused on the broad challenges facing the industry, but explained that a system must be found to mediate disputes between shipping companies and port operators over the cost of doing business.
He said: “Shipowners, just like commercial ports, are in business to make money – and expect to negotiate with their suppliers in order to secure a good service at a competitive price. Some UK ports are effective monopolies – and I reveal no confidences when I say that there are concerns that this results in them treating shipowners as captive customers.
Continue reading “Shipowners ‘need protection’ from excessive port charges”
Non compliance with the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) 2006 regulation, which came into force on 7 August, could result in North Sea supply ships being detained says shipping and maritime law expert Katie Williams of Pinsent Masons.
Katie Williams said that although most UK operators were already compliant, vessels operating or passing through UK waters under other national flags could now be at risk of enforcement action. “The Maritime Labour Convention consolidates what has been in place in the UK for some years, but a major change is that for the first time it has an enforcement mechanism with real ‘teeth’,” she said.
“Many shipping companies and charterers have invested significant time and effort in trying to ensure that they will comply with the new regime, however the Maritime and Coastguard Agency as the UK’s enforcement body will be looking to set down a marker that they intend to rigorously apply the new laws. It would be a nightmare scenario for a boat which is chartered at thousands of pounds a day to be detained in port, but it is feasible that in extreme circumstances this could happen,” she said.
Continue reading “Non MLC 2006 compliant supply ships could be detained”
Stevedore It is an occupation which involves the cargo operations i.e. loading and unloading of cargoes on ships. It also includes the other various dockside functions. The people engaged in this occupation are known as stevedores in UK & Europe. However, in the United States and other areas are referred to as longshoremen. At present, in countries such as Dubai, Singapore etc. where stevedoring is a commonplace and where all the cargo passes through domestic and international ports is usually handled is known as Freight Station or Freight Terminal. In this scenario, the stevedores do need heavy machinery, such as tractor, trailers, cranes and forklifters, etc. If on the other hand the some other related work is performed manually where use of machinery is not required such as labour or clerical work. The businesses which specialize in loading and unloading vessels are referred to as stevedoring companies.
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