CARE TO BE

TAKEN DURING
THE CARRIAGE
OF CARGO
BULK CARRIER
 CARE TO BE TAKEN DURING THE
CARRIAGE OF CARGO: BULK
CARRIER
•The aim of ships officers and crewmembers on board should be to prevent damage or deterioration whilst the
cargo is under their care and to deliver it, as far as possible, in as good condition and order as it was when
received aboard. If unacquainted with a certain type of cargo you should ascertain as to its nature and any
necessary precautions.

Therefore, the Master and officers of all vessels require a good working knowledge of the various kinds of cargo
they are likely to carry: their peculiar characteristics, liability to damage, decay, or deterioration, their
measurement, and the usual methods of packing, loading and discharging, stowage, dunging, etc., as the Master is
responsible for the safe loading of his vessel and the proper stowage of the cargo.

The ship as carrier is obliged to care for the cargo in an expert manner to ensure it is discharged in the same state
in which it was loaded. There are many factors that need to be considered.
•Thermal capacity of large stows

Under no circumstances are any of the high, low and zero moisture content categories of cargoes under consideration to be
ventilated when the external air temperature is similar to or higher than the loaded temperature of the cargo. Large stows of these
cargoes generally have enormous thermal capacity.
•Fumigation Monitoring

If the cargo has undergone fumigation, which is required to continue through the passage, checks should be made to ensure that
the seals remain in position and that the fumigants do not leak due to movement of the vessel in a seaway. Any adverse changes
should immediately be recorded in the logbook and precautionary measures taken to avoid any further damage and aggravation of
the situation.
•Self-heating and spontaneous combustion

Many bulk cargoes have a tendency to heat due to the oxidation process taking place during the voyage, which may lead to fire or
explosion if the temperature rises to a level where spontaneous ignition can take place. Cargoes liable to spontaneous combustion
include some types of coal, concentrates of lead, oil seed cakes (transported in bulk), fishmeal and scrap metal.

Even where the type of coal is not considered a danger for self- heating, this can still occur if stacks have accumulated over a long
period ashore.
Temperature Monitoring

Many bulk cargoes are liable to spontaneous combustion or ship or cargo sweat. The only possible way to obtain an
early warning of the start of spontaneous combustion is by monitoring the temperature of the cargo holds. Many
ships are fitted with `temperature ports', ie pipes that are fitted beside the cargo hold access ladders into which
thermometers can be lowered to obtain the hold temperature. The best practice is to leave the thermometers within
the ports and withdraw them when a reading is desired. However, if the ship is not fitted with temperature ports, the
sounding pipes could also be used to obtain temperatures. Whichever method is used for measuring temperature:

i) The thermometers should be reset before introducing them into the pipes
ii) the thermometers should be left in the pipes for some time (2-3 minutes at least)
iii) the temperature should be measured at least 2-3 height levels within the hold
iv) the temperature should not be measured solely at the surface of cargo as it is likely to be quite different from that
at the bottom of the cargo hold.