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Gard P&I Club warns on Argentina fines re used lube oil

Argentine Customs continue to pay particular attention to ship’s declarations of lubrication (lube) oil and failing to declare “used lube oil” may be considered an infringement of the Argentine Customs Code. Gard P&I Club 's Alert of March 2014 stated that fines were being issued as a result of vessels’ lube oil in the sump tank not being correctly declared in the required customs forms. The Club has recently received information indicating that failing to declare quantities of “used lube oil” stored onboard could also be considered an infringement of the Argentine Customs Code and result in fines. According to information received from Pandi Liquidadores S.R.L., Buenos Aires, which included advice received from local Argentine legal experts on customs matters: 1) the legal basis for declaring the stores is to avoid import of goods without the payment of dues; and 2) Argentine law does not explicitly require declaration of used goods, including “used lube oil”. On this basis, and taking into account that “used lube oil” has no commercial value and has to be disposed of in an environmentally safe manner, their interpretation of Argentine law is that vessels are not obliged to declare “used lube oil”. Nevertheless, vessels calling at Argentine ...

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Bunkering operations in the Port of Singapore

Gard P&I Club updates on sampling procedures, cappuccino bunkers, bunker quantity The Gard P&I Club has posted on its website the following article regarding bunkering operations in Singapore. Singapore is one of the top bunkering ports in the world 42.4 million metric tonnes of bunkers arereportedto have been sold in 2014. Although the bunker industry is highly regulated, Gard P&I Club's Insight highlights some of the most common issues and concerns arising out of bunker sales in Singapore.The Maritime Port Authority of Singapore (the MPA) is keen to ensure that quality bunker services are provided in the port. Every bunkering operation carried out by bunker tankers to ships must comply with the MPAs standard code of practice for bunkering (thebunker code), which helps avoid disputes.Sampling procedures in Singapore what should chief engineers look out for? Chief engineers should check and ensure that the bunker code sampling procedures are carried out.Key steps include:Inspect sampling equipment and ensure that it is cleanEnsure sampling starts simultaneously with the bunkering operationCheck a continuous drip sample is taken throughout the operationAfter bunkering, confirm the seals of the sampling container and the needle valve are not tampered withCheck sample labels include all relevant information before signingCheck ...

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Reduced level of maintenance during tough economic times

Gard P&I Club loss prevention advice The Gard P&I Club has issued loss prevention circular to address the current trend of reduced level of maintenance due to the tough economic times.The effectiveness of the maintenance undertaken on board will vary depending on the ship operator's work practices and available resources, and during periods with limited funds and manpower it may be challenging to keep the maintenance performance at a satisfactory level at all times It is, however, important to prioritise procedures, measures and corrective actions aimed at promoting the reliability of equipment and technical systems which are critical to the operation of the ship. Technical failures may have serious consequences for the safety of the crew, the environment and the ship, but it is also a matter of keeping the vessel trading without time losses caused by such failures or by detention following inspection by port state authorities. Careful maintenance of the ship will go a long way to avoid any unnecessary problems during a PSC inspection.Although the actual repair cost of a technical failure is not always high, experience shows that the accumulated repair and off-hire costs, and the corresponding owner's deductibles under the hull and loss of hire ...

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The dangers of working at heights below deck

Gard P&I Club loss prevention advice The Gard P&I Club has issued loss prevention circular identifying the dangers of working at heights below deck.A recent fatality as a result of a fall inside a ship's cargo tank illustrates the need for better risk assessment before work begins and more safeguards to prevent a fall occurring.A young seafarer died recently from injuries sustained in a fall during work inside a ship's cargo tank. He was entering the tank and had just descended the first ladder when he stepped into an open maintenance access in the stringer plate and fell almost 20 meters onto the tank top.A thorough investigation was carried out and concluded that the accident could have been prevented if the open maintenance access had been identified as a hazard and properly secured before the work began.The investigation also highlighted other contributory factors common for this type of accidents, such as poor planning and supervision. A permit to work (PWT) had been issued for the specific tank and the open maintenance access was mentioned during the crew's morning safety meeting, but no order was given to secure the opening.No proper 'Tool-box Talk' was carried out by the assigned work team ...

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