Tag: IMSBC Code

Following  the investigation report of the 2012 built supramax bulk carrier M/V CHESHIRE which was issued by the  Isle of Man Ship Registry, INTERCARGO urges IMO to reconsider how Ammonium Nitrate Based Fertilizer should be designated in the IMSBC Code. Currently, the Ammonium Nitrate Based Fertilizer is listed as a group C cargo, however, the accident showed that this cargo, or at least some of the ammonium nitrate based fertilizers shipped as this cargo, should treated  differently under the IMSBC Code.

Nickel ore liquefaction remains a key point of concern for shipowners and charterers, argues Janice Dao Yeung Yeung, Senior Claims Executive, Lawyer, Skuld P&I Club, who provided a detailed analysis of the regulatory obligations surrounding the nickel ore cargo from the Philippines and Indonesia for masters, charterers, owners, shippers, as well as insurers.

Liberia Maritime Authority issued a Marine Advisory to provide guidance for safe transport of bauxite, including the accurate declaration on cargoes. It also presents the potential risks regarding the carriage of certain Group A bauxite in bulk due to its potential to undergo dynamic separation.

INTERCARGO issued a reminder on the wet season in Indonesia, which runs from October to April. Those trading in the area are advised to be especially cautious when accepting cargoes from Indonesia and the surrounding region during the wet season and especially at times of heavy rainfall.

On the aftermath of the sinking of the bulk carrier 'EMERALD STAR', INTERCARGO notes that lessons need to be learned promptly after maritime casualties and stresses the importance of timely submission of the casualty investigation report to IMO, as a means of identifying the causes of the incident and enabling corrective actions.

The bulk carrier M/V Emerald Star that sank in the Philippine Sea last week, with the loss of 10 crew members, is believed to have been carrying a cargo of nickel ore at the time, although it is too early to say whether the cargo played any role in the ship’s sinking, the UK Club announced.

The Japan P&I Club informs that a bulk carrier laden with nickel ore cargo from Indonesia to China, sank off the Philippines. As evidenced by this latest tragedy, the great reduction in the quantity of nickel ore shipped from Indonesia by the regulations has not lessened the risk of liquefaction of the relevant cargo, the Club notes and urges operators to take more precautious measures.

The Marshall Islands Ship Registry issued a safety advisory to remind of the amendments to the IMSBC Code, adopted in June 2017, and to encourage  their early adoption from 1st January 2018.

During latest IMO's Sub-Committee on Carriage of Cargoes and Containers (CC4), IMO raised awareness on the hazards of bauxite cargo and updated a previous circular, noting that some bauxite cargoes (specifically those with a larger proportion of smaller particles) present a risk caused by moisture and should be treated as Group A cargoes.

Bauxite may become unstable when carried in bulk on a ship, potentially causing the vessel to capsize, according to a new warning issued by IMO. Certain forms of bauxite with a large proportion of smaller particles could be subject to a newly-identified phenomenon of “dynamic separation” when there is excess moisture in the cargo.