Tag: Gard Club

In order to reduce the number of claims from the carriage of scrap metal the Cargo Incident Notification System published a set of guidelines to ensure that this type of cargo is properly packaged, declared and carried. Metal scrap is recyclable materials left over from product manufacturing and consumption, such as parts of vehicles, building supplies, and surplus materials.

In certain circumstances in a salvage situation, Members (and their Hull insurers) may choose to vary the standard LOF and/or SCOPIC terms by entering into so-called “side agreements” or “side letters” with a salvor. Altering the terms of a standard LOF and SCOPIC in this way may cause a change in contractual liabilities and risk allocation.

In a response to ongoing outbreaks of yellow fever in Nigeria and Brazil, China has strengthened its quarantine inspection requirements to prevent the virus being carried to China by seagoing vessels. Yellow fever is a mosquito-borne disease with the potential to cause severe health implications.

Gard released an update, regarding the port situation in Yemen as it stands on 22 January 2018, informing on what ports are open and which are closed. The capacity of the open ports may, however, be limited, and there may be a lack of fuel supplies and other basic services.

The Gard P&I Club issued an alert drawing attention on Asian Gypsy Moth, the destructive forest pest spread via ocean-going vessels in international trade, highlighting that Australia has heightened vessel surveillance for AGM and in New Zealand is introducing new AGM requirements from 1 February 2018.

Namely, Gard will provide Hull and Machinery and P&I insurance to what will become the one of the world’s first autonomous container ships with zero emissions: the YARA Birkeland. The ship will be equipped with an automatic mooring system, while berthing and unberthing will be done without human intervention.

Classification society DNV GL launched a new joint development project with marine insurers The Swedish Club, Norwegian Hull Club, Gard and Skuld, to test the potential influence of Environmentally Acceptable Lubricants on failures in stern tube bearings.

The Honduras Maritime Authority advised that all vessels must nominate an oil spill response organisation which has been approved by the Authority to secure the availability of private personnel and equipment necessary to remove a worst-case discharge, and to mitigate or prevent a threat of such a discharge.

The Gard P&I Club explains that collaboration between marine insurers and classification societies support the marine shipping industry in approaching the problems of potential risk of ships operating in the Arctic, among other issues. In an article posted on its website, the Club presents how the different bodies join forces to enhance safe ship operations in the Arctic. 

The Chittagong Port Authority’s (CPA) outer anchorage is very congested with vessels arriving at the anchorage for lighterage operations before entering the river. The Gard of England P&I Club has been notified of several recent collisions and groundings in the port approaches and anchorages of Chittagong, Bangladesh and highlights lessons learned from recent incidents.