Gard Club takes a look at what makes risk assessments less meaningful. As it says, rather than ensuring that crew members performing the job are fully informed and aware of the risks to their health, safety and welfare, we may concern ourselves more about other things such as completing the paper document properly.
The Gard P&I Club has issued a case study as part of its loss prevention initiatives to provide lessons learned for onboard safety meetings. This time, the case illustrates what went wrong during an incident that took place in the Suez Canal with the aim to raise the discussion and perform an onboard risk assessment of the incident and the factors which led to it, based on vessel’s procedures.
Gard warns about the dangers of walking up or down stairs at ships. As it says, seafarers should always apply the old adage of ‘one hand for yourself and one for the ship’ and keep one hand free to grasp the handrail.
The Gard P&I Club informed it has handled numerous cargo claims over the last years, where condensation was found to be the contributory cause of cargo damage. When dealing with such claims, the Club advises, the voyage records of the hold ventilations play a central role in mitigating the claim.
As Gard informs, in a significant number of collisions, the club has found that the majority of mariners do not reduce speed to avoid a collision. However, it notes that in case there is a potential for collision, reducing speed can have many benefits.
The Turkish Straits, consisting of the Istanbul and Çanakkale Straits and the Marmara Sea, linking the Black Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, are considered one of the most strategically significant waterways of the world. However, because of the busy traffic with a considerable number of tankers carrying dangerous cargo in the Turkish Straits there are always considerable concerns for the safety of the public and the environment.
As Gard Club informs, open manholes and displaced gratings can lead to significant dangers to crewmembers on offshore installations, as two recent incidents showcase, reported by the US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement.
As Gard informs, the mandatory notification requirement for the carriage of nickel ore loaded in Philippines and Indonesia still applies. This loss prevention initiative was launched in 2012 and allows for early interaction with ship operators and an opportunity to reduce the risks arising by this cargo.
The Gard P&I Club issued a summary of available information from each of the countries known to regulate and inspect arriving vessels for Asian Gypsy Moth (AGS), highlighting each country’s definition of risk areas and specified risk periods, as well as their entry requirements and mandatory inspection periods.
Several marine incidents in China have been reported involving merchant vessels colliding with aquaculture farms, mostly off the coast of Lanshan and Rizhao areas where mussel and oyster cultivation form the bulk of aquaculture industry. Huatai Insurance Agency handled overall 71 fishery farm entry claims in China through 2017.
