The Vehicle Carrier Safety Forum has published its first industry good practice guidelines entitled ‘Common Guidance on the loading and presentation of vehicles’. The guidance, and supporting checklist, are intended to reduce the risks associated with the shipment of unaccompanied vehicles, including electric and hybrid vehicles, and to promote the safety of terminal and vessel personnel and the protection of property including the vessel itself.
The Vehicle Carrier Safety Forum is a consortium of vessel operators, insurers and other industry experts, whose role is to promote safety on vessels designed to carry vehicles. The guidance is supported by industry bodies The International Group of P&I Clubs, The International Chamber of Shipping and the TT Club.
The guidelines are intended to be used in conjunction with specific procedures from individual vehicle manufacturers, shippers, terminals or carriers in respect of information such as vehicle separation on board the vessel or emergency response.
Geir Jørgensen, Chair of the IG P&I Ships‘ Technical Committee, is a strong supporter of the guidelines, “It’s great to see a new safety initiative, the Vehicle Carrier Safety Forum, coming together to produce its first guidance based on shared best practice. The fact that a push for change is coming from vessel operators themselves shows a very welcome, proactive approach to safe operations.”
It is particularly important at a time when the risk profile is changing due to the increasing numbers of electric and larger-battery hybrid vehicles being shipped. For example, the increased weight of electric vehicles needs to be considered when a stowage plan is being produced. Vessel operators are also concerned around the changing requirement for fire response where a fire involves lithium-ion batteries, and fire protection starts with identification, loading and stowage of vehicles.”
Mike Yarwood, Managing Director Loss Prevention at the TT Club comments; “Our port operator members welcomed the chance to work with the Vehicle Carrier Safety Forum in an open and constructive fashion to produce guidelines which we consider a good foundation for individual terminals, working with shippers and carriers, to agree safe procedures.”
The following common guidelines and supporting checklist are intended to ensure that the risks associated with the shipment of vehicles, including electric and hybrid vehicles are managed and to promote the safety of terminal and vessel personnel and the protection of property including the vessel itself.
The guidelines and checklist define the information that should be provided and the checks to be carried out at:
– the time of the booking,
– when the vehicles arrive at the terminal,
– during loading and stowing, and
– throughout the voyage.
These guidelines are intended to be used in conjunction with specific procedures from individual vehicle manufacturers, shippers, terminals or carriers in respect of information such as vehicle separation on board the vessel or emergency response. These are applicable to the transport of unaccompanied vehicles on board vessels engaged on international voyages. For the purposes of these guidelines a vehicle is considered to be a wheeled or tracked unit capable of being driven or towed.
Download the guidance: Vehicle Carrier Safety Forum guidance
