Page 14 - INTERCARGO - Annual Review 2019/2020
P. 14
ANNUAL REVIEW
Safe carriage of cargoes
& investigation of incidents
The safe carriage of cargoes The carriage requirements are laid out in the Internation-
al Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes (IMSBC) Code. The latest
is the cornerstone of the bulk revision of the IMSBC Code incorporates amendment 04-
carrier trade and also of the wider 17, which entered into force on 01 January 2019. The next
revision will include amendment 05-19, mandatory from 01
shipping industry. It is vital that all January 2021 but used on a voluntary basis from 01 Janu-
stakeholders are diligent in their ary 2020. This contains a number of important updates with
two of the most significant being the new ‘Group A Cargo
duties and this is especially true Bauxite Fines’ and the introduction of the recently identified
of cargo owners who are obliged moisture failure mechanism, ‘dynamic separation’. Discus-
sions at IMO on the next amendments to the Code, 06-21,
under international Conventions have been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and it
to correctly declare cargoes. is hoped that these, plus agreeing a new definition of Group
A cargoes will resume soon.
This vital link in the supply chain
Moisture related cargo failure mechanisms such as lique-
allows the various parties and faction and dynamic separation continue to be a concern
most importantly the ship owners/ for INTERCARGO and its members. Liquefaction was sus-
pected in the loss of the Nur Allya, laden with nickel ore, in
operators to make the correct August 2019; and more recently in August 2020, the bulk
decisions on how and whether to carrier Zhong Chang He Sheng, also laden with nickel ore,
reported liquefaction of its cargo and issued a distress sig-
carry a cargo. nal due to a risk of capsizing. These cases clearly show the
challenges being faced by ships and their crews.
It is widely acknowledged that lessons learned from ma-
rine casualties and incidents are essential to improve safe-
ty and to reduce marine accidents. However, to get to this
point it is necessary to ensure that accidents are investigat-
ed and the reports from such investigations made availa-
ble to the public and the shipping industry. It is worth noting
that national administrations, under the International Con-
vention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), are obliged to
investigate such accidents, yet by the end of January 2020,
only 24 of a total 39 bulk carrier losses have had investiga-
tion reports made publicly available on the IMO’s accident
reporting database. It is obvious that more work in this ar-
ea needs to be done.
INTERCARGO is hopeful that in the not too distant future the
various parties will fulfil their obligations, such as declaring
cargoes correctly and carrying out accident investigations
in a prompt manner, thus enabling essential safety improve-
ments to be made.
For more information on this topic please visit:
intercargo.org/topics/cargoes-liquefaction
