Tag: UK Club

Filter By:

Filter

UK P&I Club issues guidance when travelling through West Africa

Practical tips on how to avoid incidents with West African pirates The UK P&I Club issued a practical guidance in relation to piracy in West Africa.Stuart Edmonston, Head of Loss Prevention, says: We have seen a sizable shift in pirate activity, from Somali to West Africa, and are witnessing an increase in incidents particularly offshore Nigeria.The UK Club provides practical tips on how to avoid incidents with West African pirates:The ship should be operating at a heightened state of security throughout, including additional watch-keeping, roving patrols and fire hoses rigged at the railings; outside doors of the accommodation closed and locked from the inside and temporary barriers erected around the outside stairwells risk of attack is particularly high when the ship is at anchor or is drifting off a port e.g. close to pilot station or when carrying out Ship-to-Ship (STS) transfer operations.For the purposes of identifying suitable measures of prevention, mitigation and recovery in case of piracy, it is imperative that a ship and voyage-specific risk assessment is performed well in advance as recommended in Section 3 of the Best Management Practices Volume 4 (BMP4).Limit the use of lighting at night and reduce the power or turn off the ...

Read more

Casualties in enclosed spaces continue to blight the shipping industry

Warns UK P&I Club Accidents relating to entry into enclosed spaces have resulted in a large number of deaths of both ship and shore personnel so far this year. David Nichol, UK P&I Club risk assessor, reviews enclosed space incidents and his suggestions for safer working practices."The dangers associated with enclosed spaces are well known in the shipping industry yet each year we continue to see a number of casualties which could be prevented. Regulatory authorities and other industry bodies have produced a large amount of information and advice over the years, yet the death toll remains at an alarming level. Amongst numerous other reported examples, an incident occurred last year on board the cargo ship SUNTIS, when three crew members lost their lives after entering a cargo hold loaded with sawn timber, a cargo known to cause oxygen depletion."Part of the reason for the high number of casualties may lie in confusion as to what spaces are or may become dangerous, and how they are identified. It may help if the industry introduced a uniform approach to explicitly labelling all enclosed spaces that have been identified in the Safety Management System. There is currently no industry standard for warning ...

Read more

Concerns remain over the use of low-sulphur fuel

  Stuart Edmonston, Loss Prevention Director, UK P&I Club comments on the increased demand for using low-sulphur fuels in shipping and says that concerns remain.  Global move towards using cleaner fuel, with countries forming new or reforming old regulations Jurisdictions are increasingly demanding the use of low-sulphur fuel in ships that berth in their ports Heavy penalties can be imposed on shipowners and Masters for the use of incorrect fuel There are increasing demands on shipowners to comply with mandates regarding the use of low-sulphur fuels in ships. The move towards using cleaner fuels supports a global drive to reducing carbon emissions, with many countries forming new or reforming old regulations. Shipowners need to be aware of the differing rules and costs across jurisdictions as they face significant fines for non-compliance. Hong Kong and Australia are the latest to introduce their own bespoke requirements. Low sulphur fuel (0.1% or less) will be mandatory for all cruise ships berthing in Sydney Harbour after 1 October 2015 and in all New South Wales (NSW) ports after 1 July 2016. Owners can be fined up to $44,000 and the Master up to $22,000. In Hong Kong, all ocean-going vessels (above 500 GT) are ...

Read more

UK P&I Club advises vessels trading to Iran

Update on the Iran Sanctions - Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action The UK P&I Club informs about the latest updates on Iran Sanctions and advises operators with an interest in trading to Iran to proceed with extreme caution and continue to seek independent advice before commiting to trade contracts.The diplomatic agreement of 14 July 2015 between the E3/EU+3 and the Islamic Republic of Iran opens the way for the restoration of trade activates with Iran by lifting the trade, energy, insurance and banking embargoes that have been incrementally imposed by the European Union and U.S since 2009.Full details of the way in which implementation of the agreement will be managed in the EU and U.S. is yet to emerge and is unlikely to do so in the immediate future, but it is clearly intended that all UN Security Council sanctions as well as multilateral and national sanctions related to Iran's nuclear programme will be lifted, subject to the terms of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).At this early stage in the process it is difficult for the Club to anticipate the timescale by which the current legislation in the EU and U.S. will be repealed or rolled back.It is, ...

Read more

UK Club warns of the dangers working on deck in heavy weather

Suggestions for safer working on board in heavy weather conditions Working on deck in heavy weather conditions is dangerous, and should only be considered if essential to the safety of the ship and crew. Linda Wright, claims executive for UK P&I Club, reviews heavy weather incidents and suggestions for safer working in heavy weather."Masters and owners have an obligation to provide a safe workplace. Heavy seas and raging winds try to defeat any attempt to be "safe."However, if a loose anchor is pounding the hull, or unsecured nylon lines on deck threaten to wash overboard and potentially tangle in the ship's propeller, the Master must make a decision as to whether the potential danger to the ship outweighs the high risk of sending crewmembers on deck."If the decision is that work on deck is necessary, procedures must be completed for a full risk assessment. Reference to the Member's ISM guideline and the Code of Safe Working Practices for Merchant Seaman should be considered. Although this code originates in the UK, the practical advice should be reviewed by any Master or crewmember, so unexpected dangers can be planned for."Additional precautions should include:Master must approve the order for workBridge officer on watch ...

Read more

Aft Emergency Towing Arrangement for Tankers

Protective sleeve for the messenger line reduces risk The UK P&I Club issued an article regarding the aft emergency towing system fitted to tankers as follows:The aft emergency towing system fitted to tankers will typically consist of a wire towing pennant on a poop deck storage drum and a storage box containing the messenger and pick up gear. Frequently, the system is designed with the messenger line led from the storage box, through the fairlead and permanently attached to the wire pennant connection on deck to ensure that the equipment can be easily and quickly deployed in an emergency.However, this means that the messenger, which may be of synthetic fibre or wire rope construction, will be exposed to the weather elements. A wire rope will quickly corrode with exposure to sea water and synthetic fibre ropes will perish if not protected from direct sunlight and funnel soot. These effects may significantly reduce the breaking load of the messenger line, possibly resulting in failure of the system in an emergency situation.A protective sleeve fitted on to the exposed section of the messenger line will greatly reduce this risk. This sleeve may be of canvas or taken from a section of fire ...

Read more
Page 31 of 50 1 30 31 32 50