In their recently released Annual Review, INTERCARGO dealt with cargo failure and liquefaction issues which has become a major concern in the shipping industry. This report published on their website highlights the key concerns of regarding this and how can we deal with it.
Here’s an excerpt from the report.
Cargo Casualties in Recent Times
Cargo failure and liquefaction continue to be a major concern for dry bulk shipping. Nine (9) casualties with the associated loss of 101 seafarers’ lives between 2009 and 2018 are believed to be the result of cargo-related failures.
Although there was no reported loss of life or vessel attributed to liquefaction in 2018 and in 2019 by the time of writing this report, INTERCARGO has urged all stakeholders to remain vigilant as cargo liquefaction continues to pose a major threat to the life of seafarers.
Wet Season and Other Cautions
- While ship operators need to be especially cautious when loading cargoes (prone to liquefaction) during the wet season, as seasonally experienced in certain parts of South
East Asia, it is paramount that shippers and local authorities fulfil their obligations as required by the IMSBC Code. - INTERCARGO urges the exercise of extreme caution when loading Nickel Ore and other challenging cargoes and stresses the importance of adhering to the provisions in the International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes Code (IMSBC) to maximise safety in the transportation of dry bulk cargoes.
Amendments To Shipper’s Responsibility Law
INTERCARGO welcomed its latest amendment IMSBC 04-17, which entered into force on 1st January 2019 and included important updates related to cargoes that may liquefy.
Pertinent updates include:
- changes to section 4.5 of the Code, which stipulates the shippers’ responsibility to ensure that the testing and sampling for Transportable Moisture Limit (TML) and moisture content is carried out at the correct intervals;
- changes to the individual coal schedule which strengthen and clarify the designation of coal as Group A and B cargo;
- the inclusion of a new test procedure for determining the TML of coal.
Recent Bulk Carrier Losses
INTERCARGO’s Bulk Carrier Casualty Annual Report provides an analysis of reported bulk carrier losses during the most recent ten-year period. In the period 2009 to 2018, 188 lives were lost and 48 bulk carriers over 10,000 dwt were identified as total losses. Although
there was no reported loss of a bulk carrier since 2018 and the ten-year trends in annual average numbers of lives and dry cargo ships lost show definite signs of safety improvement, there is no room for complacency.
Lessons learnt from past incidents play an essential role in determining the scope of additional safety improvements.
- 23 investigation reports on the last ten years’ 48 losses were still not submitted to IMO by their Flag States, as per information on the IMO GISIS database at the end of January 2019.
- The recent publication of the Stellar Daisy Casualty Investigation Report by the Marshall Islands Maritime Administrator (on 19 April 2019) had been eagerly anticipated by the industry and INTERCARGO had repeatedly urged for its timely submission to IMO, as over 2 years had passed since the tragic sinking of M.V. STELLAR DAISY in the South Atlantic on 31 March 2017 with the loss of 22 lives (and only 2 survivors).
Importance of Flag States Casualty Investigation
INTERCARGO welcomed the publication of the above report, reiterating the importance of the Flag States’ timely submission of casualty investigation reports to IMO, as a means for identifying the cause of incidents and enabling preventive actions to be taken.
INTERCARGO is carefully studying the report to contribute to this direction and urges all relevant administrations that have not done so to investigate incidents and publish the reports in a timely manner.
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Source: Intercargo
