Loss prevention circular issued by the Gard P&I club
The Gard P&I Club has issued loss prevention Circular providing information in order operator to prevent soya bean cargo claims.
Most soya bean cargoes are safely carried in bulk, with minimal deteriorationin quality. However, from time to time such cargoes are damaged during thecourse of a voyage, resulting in degrading or other loss in quality.
Soyabeans are considered a valuable commodity and it is not unusual to seesubstantial cargo claims being made against the carrier – even whereinherent vice is recognised as the most probable cause of the damage.1Thepurpose of this circular is therefore to raise awareness of the main riskfactors involved in the carriage of soya beans and to stress the importanceof securing evidence of the carriage conditions to defend expensive claims.
The Gard recommends operators involved in the carriage of soya beans in bulk to consider the following advice:
| At the load port |
- Make sure cargo holds are clean and dry and verify the watertightness of all cargo holdopenings, e.g., sounding pipes, hatch covers and associated access points.
- As far as practicably possible, secure all available information about the cargo’scondition and history, e.g., date of harvesting, storage conditions and quality certificates.
- Perform odour and visual checks of each individual parcel loaded to detect abnormalconditions, e.g., germination, presence of insects, lumping/caking, changes in colour andrequest that shippers replace any obviously moulded or low quality cargo with sound.
- Be particularly careful during checks if the declared cargo MC is close to or exceeds13%, especially if loading in warm climates.
- Consider measuring the cargo temperature in order to assess the biological stability ofthe cargo at its declared MC, e.g., by measuring and recording the temperature acrossthe surface of the stow and at a depth of 1m after completion of loading.
- If in doubt as to whether the cargo is fit for shipment, consider obtaining assistance froman experienced surveyor or cargo expert.
- Ensure that the charterparty does not prescribe ventilation requirements which may bedifficult or even impossible to comply with. Where the vessel is fitted with naturalventilation only, it could be useful to obtain written acknowledgment from the shipper.
|
| During the voyage |
- Make sure that the engine room personnel understand the character of the cargo carriedand operate the fuel oil heating system within normal operational limits.
- Ventilate the cargo day and night, unless the outside air has an unsuitable dew point oradverse weather/sea conditions are imminent.
- Duly record the ventilation control measures implemented for each hold. Air and seatemperature readings should be recorded together with the time of commencing, ceasingor resuming ventilation, and reasons for doing so. Also record visual inspections of hold,e.g., any sweat observed.
- Take and record bilge soundings as these too can be evidence of moisture within a hold.
|
| At the discharge port |
- Notify Gard immediately if there is any suggestion by the receivers that all or asubstantial part of the cargo in a hold is damaged by fungi and/or heat. The immediateappointment of a cargo expert to observe the pattern of damage in the hold and to takesamples for analysis could be crucial in order to defend the carrier in case of a claim.
|
Find more information by reading the Gard P&I Club Circular No.3-13
