CARGO SECURING MANUAL – NOT SECURING ENOUGH !! REQUIRE AN INDUSTRY UPGRADE.
The Bulk Carrier market trade patterns lately have required for dry bulk vessels to be capable of carrying almost any type of cargo in World Wide Trade. The operators or charterers expect more trading flexibility leading to better utilization of these vessels, even the bigger tonnages (Panamax and Kamsarmax).
Recently an ultramax required to load Bulk cargo inside the holds and carry break bulk cargo on deck and hatch covers across a Trans-Atlantic Voyage. A kamsarmax vessel was required to load steel slabs, coils and billets from Brazil to Europe. An ultramax bulk carrier are required to load wind blade shipments and components from china to south America which is usually a ballast leg to bring back copper concentrates to China.
Increasingly more owners are accepting similar trade request from charterers to ensure good relationship is maintained across their customers. Owners accept these voyages usually basis that the charterers ensure the cargo is stowed and secured to master satisfaction. Charterers who usually perform such shipments prepare the stowage plans, plan the securing arrangements, and ensure attendance by representative port captain for safe and efficient execution of the plans. Usually the port captain is more experienced than the master and crew in such operations leading to very little concerns raised if at all at load port by the master.
The standard NYPE CP Form requirements protect the owners against any risks and liabilities of these deck cargoes.
In amidst the vessel crew face a greater risk in terms of carriage of these goods from port to port. Owners face a risk on cargo damage due to negligent stowage practices especially multiple Break Bulk cargo loaded in the cargo holds.
Considerations must be made for the accelerations acting on a ship in a seaway result from a combination of longitudinal, vertical and predominantly transverse motions. The forces created by these accelerations give rise to the majority of securing problems. The hazards arising from these forces should be dealt with by taking measures both to ensure proper stowage and securing of cargoes on board and to reduce the amplitude and frequency of ship motions.
Bulk carriers are not designed or equipped like a typical Multi-Purpose Project Cargo vessels (MPP) nor are the crew skilled to supervise and execute the stowage and securing of these goods. Break bulk trade has evolved beyond the old general cargo derrick handled tween deck parcel operations, it’s a highly specialised and technically planned trade which is both skilled and equipped to meet requirement of cargo specific challenges in terms of stowage and securing onboard the ships.
In this regard, the IMO Assembly had adopted the Code of Safe Practice for Cargo Stowage and Securing (CSS Code) in November 1991 by resolution A.714(17). The purpose of the CSS Code is to provide an international standard to promote the safe stowage and securing of cargoes. The CSS Code provides these guidelines in a generic manner having 7 Chapters / 14 annex / 5 Appendix.
The Appendix 2 of the CSS CODE provides guidelines for preparation of Cargo Securing Manual (CSM) for ships. The Appendix is also in the IMO MSC/Circ.745.
Owners or Technical Managers are required to prepare a ship specific cargo securing manual (CSM) for the vessel which is then approved by vessel classification society or recognised organisation as per flag state requirement.
Cargo Securing Manual (CSM) on bulk carriers which require to trade in break bulk or multiple steel shipments are too often found to be unrealistic and are not aligned to the industry requirements of the trade expected.
Quite often the CSM provides the excerpts from the CSS CODE as is including specification of fixed Securing devices and installation of portable securing devices which are usually not found on these vessels. Fixed Securing devices mentioned in the CSM include D Rings / Cone Stackers / Turn Buckles / Twist Lock and Bridge Fittings which vessel is unlikely to have onboard these vessels. The CSM further gives guidance on inspection and maintenance requirement for these fixed and portable securing devices. CSM also includes generic guidance from the CSS code on evaluating the forces acting on the cargo units.
The CSM usually includes the 12 Annex from the CSS Code in replication and followed up appendix sections which includes inventory of the fixed and portable securing equipment’s onboard. The final appendix also includes the inspection and maintenance records for the fixed and portable securing equipment’s onboard which are never carried out onboard.
For all practical purposes the most utilised section of the present CSM is the vessel description where in there are detailed dimensions and specification (Load density, tonnage per hold, area etc) of the tank top, hatch covers and Holds. The information is usually sought by the charterers to plan the stowage of the Steel and break-bulk cargo.
There is a need for a comprehensive upgradation and revisions of THE CARGO SECURING MANUAL (CSM) on bulk carriers which provides guidance on stowage and securing of multiple steel and break-bulk cargo.
The CSM understandably cannot encompass all the likely cargo to be carried in worldwide trade but can be improved in terms of standardised shipments like steel coils, billets, steel slabs, steel plates, steel wire rod coils etc which are likely goods to be carried by these vessels.
Required improvements in the present cargo securing manual onboard bulk carriers
? For Steel coil the basic 25 Ton * 2 Tier * 6 Dunnage HRC Steel Coil loading arrangement tables are both impractical and unrealistic to the actual trade demands for these vessels. Owners must ensure expansive class guidelines for loading of multiple coil tonnage and multiple tiers permissible for steel coil cargo is included in the CSM to assist the vessel crew.
? Guidance to crew on procedures to be followed for stowage and securing in line with industry standards on multiple steel shipments like billets, steel slabs, steel plates, wire rod coils in cargo holds.
? Guidance to crew in identifying strong points and support sections where in lashing eyes may be welded on the tank tops and hatch covers if required for the break bulk trade or heavy lift cargo.
? Information on hazards associated with California Block Stowage and general P&I club advisory information to protect on safe stowage and loss prevention for these cargoes.
? Guidance to crew to identify and avoid localised stress on vessel structures during stowage and carriage heavy break bulk shipments. Guidelines to identify latent or non-obvious damage to vessel structure associated with carriage of heavy lift break bulk shipments.
? Guidance to crew on navigational considerations, precautions on sailing with weather deck break bulk cargo, particularly on measures to avoid cargo damage and action in case damage to cargo or securing of the cargo.
? Guidance to master on assessment of planning, stowage, securing of break bulk shipments on weather deck and cargo holds.
? Guidance on size, type and requirements of dunnage for varying loads and should give the master guidance on compliance with the ISPM 15 which provides requirement on fumigation, certification, marking, handling, disposal of wood packaging materials (Dunnage).
Owner or Technical managers should have a more pragmatic approach in making the CSM to ensure the procedures and guidelines available to the crew are current and relevant to the trade expected. Having established procedures and guidelines in line with the current trade requirements will ensure safe operations onboard for the crew and protection against liability and claims for the owners.
Owners require to ensure the Charter Party clauses for break bulk cargo is there in place which will protect owners for the risks associated therein including but not limited to cargo shifting in the holds, tally and delivery of goods, dunnage collection and disposal upon completion of voyage by charterers and hot work requirement for the trade.