The complete chief officer 38 cargo safety

No smoking on the deck of a tanker is obvious, but it applies to other ship types Whatever the ship, certain precautions are universal: • • Smoking I am sure you know that all smoking on the decks in port, regardless of the cargo is banned If you should find any shore labour ignoring this ruling, you should immediately advise the foreman and request the offender's removal from the ship Remember this is your ship not theirs If he fails to this, issue a note of protest drink or drugs If you suspect that any shore labour is under the influence of these then you must contact the foreman immediately and have them removed If they are operating any equipment have the cargo operations stopped until their removal 199 Even shore staff must wear PPE • • • • • • PPE The appropriate PPE is required for all, whether crew or shore labour only properly authorised personnel are permitted near the cargo operational areas mooring lines must be properly tended as the ship rises and falls with the tide and with the change in draught due to the cargo operations the cargo area should be well lit and the decks free from oil and grease all the lighting should be operating properly the OOW and the duty watch must be identifiable and their whereabouts known to each other and to the shore supervisor 38.2 Tankers While all cargo operations require care and attention, tankers require a far higher degree of alertness during cargo operations owing to the speed of loading, the dangers of pollution by either oil or gas and the dangers to personnel that accidents can bring A basic list of the most important points is as follows: • The vessel's cargo control room must be manned at all times when cargo pumps are running during any cargo operation • during connection of the manifold to the shore hard arm or hoses, no other cargo operations can take place, particularly those involving the operating of cargo pumps • during cargo operations, good tanker practice must be maintained, such as keeping double valve segregation, where fitted, and shutting all valves that don't need to be open • when lining up cargo systems a system of double-checking must be implemented • safety features, such as cargo tank 98% high level alarms and interlocks, can only be overridden in exceptional circumstances and then great care must be taken to constantly monitor the situation 200 If a ship's crew have any reservations with regard to the operational procedures adopted by a terminal or berth, such as lack of information, no direct communications with the terminal or poor supervision or coordination, the crew should make such reservations known to the terminal or berth operator and to the ship owner or operator Operations must be suspended until safety concerns have been addressed 38.3 Bulk With bulk cargoes, while personnel safety concerns are still paramount, the primary issue is damage to the vessel that can occur while loading and discharging and the correct monitoring of the ballasting programme while loading: • • • The cargo temperatures and chemical content must be as declared the holds should be properly prepared with burlapping of the bilges if required all the temperature gauges and stress monitors and water level alarms, if fitted, must be in order the ballast programme and hold sequence must be rigidly adhered to during the loading all personnel must use the outboard side of the deck and keep away from under the loaders and discharge grabs when operating the hatches, all personnel must be clear and a watch kept for any hydraulic leaks • • • 38.4 General Cargo With general cargo, there are problems to personnel, the ship and the cargo: • • • • • • • • • • If using ship's gear, keep a careful watch on the crane or derrick wires for any sign of wear or breakage ensure that the stowage plan is kept to, with good separation between the consignments check any essential changes to the plan are marked and the stability is adjusted for the changes ensure that the cargo is dunnaged and lashed securely keep the proximity between the various cargoes compatible with their composition ensure that cargoes affected by heat are not stowed against the engine room bulkhead insist that all personnel operate on the outboard side of the ship make sure that barges are secured properly alongside before loading ensure that all shore labour leaves the hatches after the shift prior to closing any hold, check that all lighting is switched off and the fuses pulled 201 38.5 Deck Cargo Deck cargo comes in all shapes and sizes, each type requiring its own specific lashing and stowage, and there are specialist publications about them A few generalisations can be made: • • • If loading any heavy items that can be classified as heavy lift, for stowage either in the hold or on deck, ensure that you have calculated the heel and stability of the vessel when the weight is taken if using your own ship's gear When using ship's gear for the loading it is quite normal in some ports for the loading to be done by the ship's officers and crew If using more than one winch, each person driving a winch must be able to see you clearly or have communication with you during this procedure ensure that the place on deck where the cargo is to be positioned has been properly prepared If under lashings are required, these must be laid out beforehand and the appropriate dunnage laid to allow the lashings freedom of movement when the cargo is in place when containers carrying liquid are loaded, they must not be allowed to rub against each other Also ensure that chemicals are well separated according to their specifications 202 • if deck cargo is already in a framework, such as boats, remember to ensure that the frame is secured to the deck not the cargo In other words, not take any lashing directly over the cargo The reason for this is, should the working of the ship in seas cause the deck to flex and strain any lashing you might have added, damage to the cargo can result Any cargo frame should be lashed to the deck Don't forget that spot welding can be done to secure such framing in place Spot welding can be used to secure framing Once, when loading heavy military equipment in New York, the frames supplied with the cargo were very flimsy The Chief Officer noted this and called a halt to the loading while they were investigated further We then sat together and designed our own requirements for carrying this cargo, which resulted in another three days alongside The company and the shippers were not happy with what we had done until the cargo arrived in perfect order and the stowage design became standard for future shipments The moral of this story is that if you are not happy with the deck stowage arrangements, or any stowage arrangements for that matter, raise your objections and if necessary call the Master and explain what you consider the problem to be 203 You must ensure cargo is safely stowed, no matter who the customer is Regardless of who is responsible for the lashing and securing, you have a responsibility for the safety of the ship and, if you feel that the stowage or lashing of the cargo could cause damage or endanger the ship, this is the time to say so If the Master wishes to proceed with the cargo as it is, then at least a note of protest about your objections should be issued 204