Tag: West of England Club

SOLAS - Amendments to the International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes (IMSBC) Code

Safety Alert by the West of England P&I Club The West of England P&I Club has issued a Safety Alert regarding Cargo Damange due to Water Ingress from Ballast Tanks and Bilge Lines.Incidents resulting in damage to dry cargo following water ingress into the holds from ballast tanks and bilge lines continue to arise. Such claims are usually costly, and separating damaged goods from the rest of the cargo can often cause delay. Moreover, when cargo has been damaged by salt water, the salved value may be minimal and disposal may be necessary, adding to the magnitude of the claimWater Ingress from Ballast TanksWater from ballast tanks may enter adjacent cargo holds via a number of different routes:Damage to the hold structureThis may be caused by cargo operations, for example, due to grab damage to tank top plating or hold pipework on vessels carrying dry bulk cargo. Similarly, container vessel tank tops may be damaged by containers which are landed heavily or if lashing material becomes trapped between tank top and the container base.Severe corrosion of ballast tank steelworkThis may involve plating where localised corrosion is so severe that holes have appeared, or ballast tank air and sounding pipes in ...

Enclosed Space Entry

Guidance on the identification and management of the cappuccino effect when receiving fuel oil

Guidance covering the properties, stowage and care of natural fibre rope pilot ladders

Loss Prevention Bulletin, Asian Gypsy Moth

Togo - Port Information and New Anti-Piracy Measures

The West of England P&I club- Safety Alert The West of England P&I Club has experienced a number of cases recently where dry bulk products stowed inside barges made fast to the ship have been damaged by ballast water. Incidents of this type may lead to significant cargo claims and are almost always avoidable.On two occasions the vessels concerned were discharging into barges and ballasting simultaneously. During the ballasting operation the double bottom tanks were flooded and water overflowed on to the main deck.The water then drained away via the overboard scuppers and into the open holds of barges moored alongside. In another case, topside wing tank drop valves were opened without the operator recognising that the overboard discharge was situated above an uncovered barge.Although shouting from the barge personnel resulted in the valves being closed again shortly afterwards, the damage had already been done.For more information, click here.Source: The West Of England P&I Club

The West of England P&I club- Safety Alert In the past it was not uncommon for seafarers to weight monkey's fists fitted to the end of heaving lines with pieces of scrap metal or sand, or to attach a heavy item such as a shackle, so that the line would travel a greater distance when thrown. This practice is no longer acceptable as it increases the risk of serious injury if a linesman, shore worker or a crewmember aboard a tug or mooring boat is struck by such an object during mooring operations, or if the weighted end hits a member of the vessel's mooring party when the heaving line is thrown back.The United Kingdom Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) publication "Code of Safe Working Practices for Merchant Seamen", Section 25.3.2, states that "Vessel's heaving lines should be constructed with a "monkey's fist" at one end. To prevent personal injury, the "fist" should be made only with rope and should not contain added weighting material".If a weighted heaving line is used, the monkey's fist or additional weight risks being cut off by the linesmen or the tug crew before the heaving line is returned to the vessel. Moreover, some ports ...

Vessels are advised to ensure that the crew is particularly alert to this risk In the past month the West of England P&I Club has experienced a number of cases involving stowaways boarding vessels in Durban, South Africa. Members with vessels on passage to Durban or other ports in South Africa are advised to ensure that the crew is particularly alert to this risk.In one recent incident, stowaways managed to bypass a locked gate in an underdeck passage on a container vessel by climbing through a cable run in the adjacent transverse frame, even though the gap between the cables and steel frame measured only 17 cms. In another case, a stowaway hid inside a crane pedestal.According to Club correspondents P&I Associates in Durban, the majority of stowaways are Tanzanian nationals who have entered South Africa illegally. However, nationals from Mozambique, Kenya and other countries in Central and West Africa may also be encountered.Unless already required by the Ship Security Plan, P&I Associates recommend that vessels take further action as follows:Keep a deck watch forward and aft as many of the stowaways in the recent past have advised they climbed up a mooring line at night to board the vessel. ...