Tag: UK Club

Improper stowage in many of the containers was found The UK P&I Club issues bulletin regarding Calcium Carbide container incident (USA) as follows:A Member of the UK P&I Club reported that a container being shipped on the UP Rail had its doors blown off due to detonation of two drums of Calcium Carbide shipped within the container. The incident took place approximately 70 miles from El Paso, Texas. Below are the IMDG codes for the commodity;Shipping Name: CALCIUM CARBIDEIMO Class: 4.3UN Number: 1402Packing Group: 2Marine Pollutant: DAccording to rail officials, the explosion was likely caused by a spark from the steel drums vibrating during transit.Federal Rail Administration and shipping line surveyors inspected other Calcium Carbide shipments moving under the same bill of lading and found improper stowage in many of the containers.The stowage problems noted below are likely to have contributed to the incident.Several vertical securing bands on drum pallets were found to be loose. A 6"-7" horizontal void space between the wood bracings and drums was found in each container, nothing was preventing the longitudinal movement of the drums or pallets. Lumber for blocking and bracing should be a minimum size of 2"x6". In addition a solid plywood bulkhead ...

aware of poorly maintained or poorly operated Quick Closing and Self Closing Valves The UK P&I Club issues bulletin regarding Quick Closing and Self Closing Valves as follows:The Club's Risk Assessors are increasingly aware of poorly maintained or poorly operated Quick Closing and Self Closing Valves.This is a dangerous occurrence that may have catastrophic consequences in the event of an incident.Technical Bulletin 36 highlights these shortcomings, their potential consequences and recommends preferred operation.For more details, click here.Source: The UK P&I Club

UK P&I Club has consolidated a series of three articles on ECDIS The UK P&I Club has consolidated a series of three articles on ECDIS operations into a 16-page booklet entitled 'ECDIS - Navigational and claims issues'.It is available in hard copy from the Club, or as a pdf file from the club's website.While the booklet is not really intended for navigators, it should, the Club believed, be of great value to anyone in shipping who needs to be aware of what ECDIS is and the implications of any ECDIS-associated errors and oversights.While welcoming the new mandatory requirement to have ECDIS as the principal means of navigation on board merchant vessels, the club warned shipowners and managers about potential problems associated with its implementation.Karl Lumbers, a director of Thomas Miller P&I, managers of the UK P&I Club, said: "ECDIS is not an easy ride. There are still thousands of seafarers who will need to be trained and safety management systems will need to be revised."It will in many cases restrict the flexibility owners/managers currently enjoy to switch officers between the different ships in their fleets and we have seen already that Port State Control inspectors will be looking closely at ...

Sulphur Emissions Control Area has helped with the reduction of harmful emissions The UK P&I Club issues bulletin regarding fuel switching safety as follows:With reference to the United States Coast Guard (USCG) Marine Safety Alert 11-01 the Club wishes to reiterate advice given in the previous Bulletin 645 to increase awareness to potential claims that may arise from fuel switching issues. The Sulphur Emissions Control Area (SECA) off the European North West coast has been in effect for many years and has helped with the reduction of harmful emissions in that area. Following on from that success a joint United States, Canadian and French effort to develop a similar Emission Control Area (ECA) extending 200 miles off the coast of the North American continent is underway. It is probable that similar ECAs may appear elsewhere around the world in the future.A vessel entering and exiting such an area will be required by law to switch between heavy or intermediate bunker fuels and a more refined distillate fuel. This process carries with it certain risks which can lead to claimsIt is possible that complications may occur to the vessel's main power plant during this switch over period resulting in the vessel ...

a ECDIS is seen as major step forward in safe ship operation and protection of the environment The mandatory introduction of Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems is seen as a major step forward in safe ship operation and protection of the environmentThe UK P&I Club issues brochure regarding ECDIS- Navigational and claims issues. The attached brochure attempts to provide a user friendly guide to the mystery surrounding electronic chart display and information systems (ECDIS). It is in three sections.The first section provides the reader with a general introduction to ECDIS and the legislation that governs its operation. The second section focuses on theoperational aspects of ECDIS considering the requirements of generic and type specific training in further detail.The final section considers the legal effect of failure to meet the statutory ECDIS requirements and the effect on claims where levels of operation or knowledge of ECDIS are considered to be a factor or fundamental link in the chain of causation leading to an incident.For more information, click here.Source: The UK P&I Club

Officials in Argentinean ports are strengthening their resolve in the execution of their duties The UK P&I Club issues bulletin regarding Argentine customs practices as follows:It has come to the attention to the Club that some customs officials in Argentinean ports are strengthening their resolve in the execution of their duties.Regrettably this is not the first time the Club has had to advise members regarding the stern and precise practices of Argentine customs officials. The Club issued similar advice in bulletins 178 & 358 pertaining to fines arising from the apparent miss declarations of ships stores, bunkers, spares and the like.The situation seems to arise from the first incidence of inspection at the vessels first entry at an Argentinean port. Customs require a "stores list" which has to be submitted to the customs officials at the time of clearing the vessel. It is important that in addition to the usual lists submitted during customs inspections that the vessel should also include details of bunkers, lube oils, paints, chemicals, spare parts, stores, of food and supplies etc in their entirety.When a vessel is boarded at a later stage by Customs Officers to inspect what has been declared in the "store list" ...

Correct guidance for actions should be done for the preservation of a dead body The UK P&I Club issues bulletin regarding death at sea. (This bulletin is a re-issue of Bulletin 609 - 11/08)In a previous incident, where the master of a vessel obtained professional medical advice on the storage of a deceased crewmember while at sea, the master was provided with incorrect guidance which could have resulted in the body's condition becoming damaged.It is a common misconception that the best course of action, to preserve a dead body, is to freeze it. However, when a body is frozen the tissues dehydrate and the body develops freezer burn, and the skin turns black. This can have a negative impact on the interpretation of injuries, as well as on attempts at visual recognition by family members. Efforts to minimise distress to family members, who will clearly be going through a very difficult and emotional time, is welcome.Rapid freezing of bodies can cause post-mortem injury, including cranial fracture. Handling bodies when they are frozen can also cause fracture, which will negatively influence the investigation and make the medico-legal interpretation of the examination results difficult.Also, if frozen, it takes about three days for ...

From 15 August 2011 for a transitional period It has been reported that two new taxes on maritime traffic became applicable from 15 August 2011 for a transitional period. Both taxes will be collected by the Agence Nationale des Affaires Maritime (National Agency of Maritime Affairs or ANAM).The first tax is a fixed sum of FCFA 2,295,850.00 (Euros 3,500.00) which will be charged for each vessel trading in Senegalese ports. The tax will not be levied against vessels calling for repairs or technical operations.The vessel's agents will be required to pay 50% of the tax before vessel's arrival and the remaining 50% within 30 days after she sails.The second tax will relate to both imported and exported cargoes and will be calculated on the basis of one standard rate of FCFA 200.00 per ton (Euros 0.3049). It will not apply to staple products such as rice, food oils, sugar, cereals, garlic, potatoes, onions and milk or to exported fruit and vegetables.Payment of this tax will be required before the cargo is delivered or collected.If you have any further queries it is best to direct them to your local agent in Senegal.Source: The UK P&I Club

The crash of an Asiana Airlines cargo plane has spurred interest The UK P&I Club issues bulletin re Carriage of lithium ion batteries as follows:The crash last month of an Asiana Airlines cargo plane has spurred interest by transport officials in the US to continue to push for an upgrading of lithium ion batteries from Class 9 to Class 4.2.The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the US was keen to pursue a path in order to upgrade the DG classification of lithium-ion batteries after the crash of a similar plane last September in Dubai. However opposition from a broad coalition of industry opponents coupled with the slow moving process of changing such a regulation has hampered efforts so far.If the FAA is successful in its bid to reclassify these goods revisions to the relevant entries in the IMDG code would have to be made. This would obviously have an effect on transporting these goods by sea and would be a benefit to the safety of vessels a carrying these goods.However this process is likely to be slow. In the meantime the Club would like to reinforce its position as previously stated in Bulletin 540 which the Club issued in August ...

Cargo imports are certified to be in conformity with Iraqi standards The UK P&I Club provides information for new customs regulations regarding Iraqi ports as follows:There has been some confusion surrounding a new customs regulation that has been imposed upon Iraqi ports recently. The regulation requires that cargo imports are certified to be in conformity with Iraqi standards.Most imported goods now require certification to confirm that they are in conformity with Iraqi Standards issued by the Central Organisation for Standardisation and Quality Control. These certificates can be issued by BV or SGS. The regulation was originally scheduled to come into force in May 2011, but implementation was eventually reportedly delayed until January 2012.However, in July the customs at Umm Qasr announced that the regulation would be implemented with immediate effect and that there will be no exceptions. It should be noted that this has little effect on major government imports such as the basic food ration distribution, power projects, or oil sector development.This regulation does affect the container trade which has been increasingly used by smaller traders importing a wide range of goods. It has been reported that a large number of containers have been delayed inside the port awaiting ...