ONE informed that the MV Madrid Bridge, suffered container collapse in the North Atlantic Ocean on January 7, 2022 during transit to its next port of call in New York, USA.
Commenting on the incident, ONE noted that the “immediate priorities are to ensure the safety of the crew, the vessel and the cargo on board.”
Investigations are currently ongoing and further information will be provided once available, while due to the incident delays to the vessel’s schedule are expected.
This incident comes to add to a series of container collapses that started late 2020/early 2021, bringing into focus concerns over stack heights and cargo safety on very-large and ultra-large containerships in severe weather.
Prime examples of such accidents include the ONE Apus which lost 1,816 containers in the Pacific in late 2020, and the Maersk Essen which lost 750 containers overboard, also in the Pacific, in January 2021.
In order to address this issue, Swedish Club issued a paper in 2021 focusing on the importance of securing the containers correctly, highlighting the proper use of equipment such as turnbuckles, lashing bars and different types of twistlocks.
According to the paper, it is important that all lashing equipment is in good condition and that any items in poor condition are removed to prevent further use. The Master is responsible for the safe loading of the vessel in accordance with ISM and SOLAS regulations. Before departure, the crew should also verify that the cargo has been secured correctly.
Key considerations
- Sailing through heavy weather is the most common immediate cause for containers being lost overboard. Using weather routeing will improve the situation. Reducing speed and altering course will also help.
- When preparing a vessel for sea it is essential that the cargo is loaded as per the Cargo Securing Manual, which provides guidance on the stowage and securing of containers and nonstandardised cargo.
- In many of the cases that The Swedish Club has dealt with, an excessive GM has been one of the contributing factors. Particular attention must be paid to the vessel’s GM when sailing through heavy weather.
- Misdeclared cargo is a common cause of lost containers and can lead to major losses.
