(Past editions can be viewed on http://www.asiaconference.biz)
Quotes of the month
"The best view of a ship is through the back window of a taxi"
Anonymous Seaman
Call for Papers
The 2004 Asian Marine Surveying and Loss Prevention Forum will be held in Bangkok, Thailand, on 25 and 26 November.
Those interested in attending should contact Ms Astor Tsang at Asia Conferences: marine@asiaconference.biz
Those interested in giving a paper at the conference should contact Mike Wall at mikewall@so-net.com.hk.
CONTENTS (for full stories, select a headline)
- At the bow - Registration is free! New members.
- Spindrift - Surveyor Access. Hit and run. Sounding pipe risk. Call for care on hatchcovers. Hold deaths. Ticket Sentence.
- Contributions - - Stevedore deaths on log carrier.
- Comment - Gangways. When to keep your mouth shut!
- Scuttlebutt - None this month.
- Insurance News - None this month.
- Wig & Gown - None this month.
- Education and Training - Marine Society.
- Epistles - None this month.
- People - Position wanted.
- Books - Solutions. Harrisons of Liverpool. Containerisation International Yearbook 2004. Pain at work.
- Useful web sites for marine surveyors.
- Conference reports - - "Ship Survey and Maintenance in the New Economy" SNAMES Technical Forum held in conjunction with ASIA PACIFIC MARITIME 2004, Singapore Expo, 25 March 2004.
- IMO Conventions - Updates.
- Future events - Some upcoming events which might be of interest to marine surveyors.
- From the Poop Deck - Knowing when to keep your mouth shut! (2)
FLASHLIGHT is a free monthly emailed newsletter for Marine Surveyors. It is circulated to anybody who wishes to receive a copy, eg, Marine Surveyors, P&I Clubs, their correspondents, Underwriters, Professional Institutes, Admiralty Lawyers, etc. Please pass it on to any of your contacts who you feel might be interested in receiving it. If you do not wish to be included in the circulation list, please contact the Editor at the email address below. Letters, opinions and articles relating to our profession are welcomed for the newsletter.
New Members this month:
Philip George ISS Shipping, Abu Dhabi
Captain Robert K Rayner FNI, Managing Director, IDESS Maritime Centre ( Subic) Inc.
Dr M Abdul Rahim, NKK, Singapore.
Dr Arun KR Dev, Marine Technology Development Pte Ltd, Singapore.
S R Chandru, Singapore MPA.
Adrian Lau, IIR Exhibitions Pte Ltd, Singapore.
Charles Foo, Keppel Offshore & Marine, Singapore.
Toshiro Koiwa, NKK, Tokyo.
Wong Peng Soon, Edwin. Ace Shipping Consultancy, Singapore.
John Southerden, British Marine Equipment Association
B N Prasad, Eurasia International ( China) Ltd Partnership, Hong Kong.
Phil Medway, Thortex Asia, Singapore.
Bill S McCuskey, International Registries, Hong Kong.
Desmond Leong, Total Automation Ltd, Singapore.
Robert W Gunning, GM, MTM Ship Mgt Pte Ltd.
L K Sheri, Global M aritime and Port Services, Singapore.
Ng Chuan Yong & Cynthai Ng, Reed Exhibitions, Singapore.
Nicholas Koh Kian Chaing, Victory Knights Management & Consultancy Services Pte Ltd, Singapore.
Paul B Luen. Martek, Rotherham, UK.
Ng Wun Fei, Neptune Orient Lines, Singapore.
Surveyor access
TRADITIONAL responses to conflicting demands between cargo and vessel interests after major casualties lead to unnecessary and expensive litigation, according to Brussels-based average adjuster Janusz Fedorowicz of Fedorowicz & Partners SA.
Fedorowicz told a recent seminar in London organised by the Association of Average Adjusters that heavy losses and costs were avoidable through better communication. He noted a trend in many instances of early intervention by cargo interests, including charterers, and said that the resulting communications difficulties could lead to entrenched positions, which become difficult to overcome.
"Cargo interests may be prevented from obtaining vital information as to the state of cargo," said
Fedorowicz . "Expensive litigation can ensue without the parties giving themselves a real opportunity to find an amicable solution. Little appears to be done to explore other avenues of disposing of difficult cases. It is easy for the parties to say 'No' to access in disputes - but it takes skill and judgement to say 'Yes.'"
AAA chairman David Taylor said possible solutions might include a protocol to agree terms of access for surveyors, a standard indemnity clause for surveyors going on board dangerous ships, and clearer instructions to surveyors to concentrate on providing factual information, staying away from offering opinions, at least initially.
But Holman, Fenwick and Willan partner Hugh Brown questioned whether a protocol was needed. In the majority of cases, he said, the access of surveyors to a casualty was agreed between the parties, although this often took time and could involve legal expense. "Nonetheless," he added, "when the situation cannot be resolved, a protocol is one possibility. But I am sceptical whether this would work, simply because every casualty has to be dealt with on its own facts."
The need for a protocol was questioned by John Murkett of Britannia P&I, on the basis that, in the majority of cases, access was agreed. David Taylor, meanwhile, concluded, "The general view is that a direct dialogue between hull and cargo underwriters on the one hand and P&I clubs on the other could only lead to a better understanding of this and other common problems in major casualties."
(Courtesy of Maritime Advocate on Line: maritimeadvocateonline@lb.bcentral.com)
Hit and Run
French maritime and legal authorities have declared their determination to track down a ship suspected of a 'hit and run' incident in which five fishing vessel crew were killed. The trawler Bugaled Breizh sank some 20 nm off the Cornish coast after being struck by what the authorities believe to have been a large containership.
(Ed: It has always been said that those on the bridge are merely bus drivers, but with the talk of marine highways and 'hit and run' this is becoming more of a reality. Does this mean that when they find the container ship, the guilty officer will say the fishing boat reversed into him!)
Sounding pipe risk
Ship surveyors have warned of a potentially disastrous practice of double bottom tank sounding pipes being left open. During ship inspection and condition surveys they have found that the deadman weight has been removed, reversed or lashed open. Springs have been removed from spring loaded types and sounding rods, tapes or funnels have been found left inside open sounding pipes. The UK P&I Club has warned that such practices can put ships into danger of sinking as a result of flooding of the engine room due to over-filling of tanks or the breaching of the hull in the area of the tanks. Fires may also be caused by oil spills from the pipes contacting hot exhaust pipes.
Call for care on Hatchcovers
Recent fatal accidents on ships in the North Sea and Hong Kong have highlighted the dangers associated with, and the need for care in, hatchcover operations, says the London P&I Club. In one case, a Chief Officer was crushed between a bulkhead and a suspended hatchcover that was being removed to allow hold cleaning to take place. In another case, a stevedore fell not a cargo hold after his ankle was trapped in the loose end of a tag line attached to a hatchcover being lifted by a dumb lighter derrick.
Hold deaths
Following the recent report on four stevedores dying in the hold of a log carrier (see below), it is reported that two Russian seafarers died and a third was hospitalised whilst working in the hold of a ship carrying wood chips in the Finnish port of Halla.
Ticket Sentence
A woman has been jailed by a court in Florida for 14 months after being found guilty of conspiracy to falsify seafarers' documents. Maria Diaz was port of a gang that sought to smuggle illegal immigrants into the USA using fraudulent seafarer certification.
(With thanks to the NUMAST Shipping Telegraph)
A recent report from The Nautical Institute International Marine Accident Reporting Scheme (MARS) described an incident in which four stevedores died.
After entering a hold, one of them slipped on a cargo of logs which had been stripped of their bark. When the other stevedores went in to try and rescue him, they too were trapped in the deep spaces between the logs. All four were later brought out unconscious and were pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. The inherent nature of the cargo, which lead to oxygen depletion in the enclosed space, combined with the slippery surfaces of the logs, created the hazard which led to this tragic incident.
Logs are just one of several cargoes which are known to have oxygen depleting properties. This oxygen depletion can be caused by factors such as selfheating of the cargo, oxidation of metals and ores or decomposition of vegetable oils, animal fats, grain and other organic materials or their residues.
The materials listed below are known to be capable of causing oxygen depletion:
Grain, grain products and residues from grain processing (such as bran, crushed grain, crushed malt or meal), hops, malt husks and spent malt;
- Oilseeds as well as products and residues from oilseeds (such as seed expellers, seed cake, oil cake and meal);
- Copra;
- Wood in such forms as packaged timber, round wood logs, pulpwood, props (pit props and other prop wood), woodchips, wood shavings, wood pulp pellets and sawdust;
Jute, hemp, flax, sisal, kapok, cotton and other vegetable fibres, empty bags, cotton waste, animal fibres, animal and vegetable fabric, wool waste and rags;
- Fishmeal and fish scrap;
Guano;
Sulphidic ores and ore concentrates;
- Charcoal, coal and coal products;
Direct reduced iron (DRI);
Dry ice;
- Metal wastes and chips, iron swarf steel and other turnings, borings, drillings, shavings, filings and cuttings, and Scrap metal.
Failure to observe simple procedures can lead to people being unexpectedly overcome when entering enclosed spaces. While ship's staff will no doubt be aware of such dangers and will observe sufficient precautions, it is also obligatory on the part of the ship to ensure that cargo
holds are well ventilated and that the stevedoring company is warned of inherent dangers with the cargo carried on board before commencement of work.
Ed: Taken from the MAIB reports:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_shipping. You may have difficulty opening the MAIB page, just do a search and the accident reports will be displayed.
Gangways
Those of us who must board ships from time to time usually do it by means of the gangway. There are, of course, those who do it directly on to the deck from helicopters and those who use the pilot ladder as part of their job. However, the gangway is the main access to the vessel and, despite this, it is often found in appalling condition. There may be no ropes between the few stanchions provided or no steps or safety net. In most cases, the bottom platform is incorrectly rigged so that it is at a dangerous angle with no stanchions or guard ropes provided around it. Whilst this might not be important when boarding from a quay, pier of wharf, it is critical when boarding from a launch which is pitching up and down.
We note that on most vessels there are posted instructions as to how to rig a pilot ladder for boarding, but nothing relating to how to rig a gangway. Is it not about time to introduce such measures? In the meantime, why not have a campaign of reporting defective gangways to PSC (depending, of course, on who you are representing on board the vessel!)?
When to keep your mouth shut! (or knowing your protocols)
Those of us who have been in the marine surveying profession for many years generally understand necessary protocols when attending a casualty where there may be many other parties present. However, it is noticeable how many younger and inexperienced surveyors have not received any training or instructions from their superiors or principals on just where they stand with reference to the other parties involved. Such inexperience can cost their clients the case and/or much aggravation. We recently had a minor collision case where the other vessel's surveyor came on board our vessel to carry out a without prejudice survey. We agreed to his attendance, but instructed our Master and crew not to speak with him. After our survey, we accompanied him to the Master's cabin on his vessel. Having sat down and introduced ourselves, he then asked the Master (in our presence) "Could you tell me what happened?"
Hopefully such training will be included in the 'Diploma in Marine Surveying' Course offered by Informa and IIMS.
None this month.
None this month.
None this month.
"Personally, I'm always ready to learn, although I do not always like being taught." Sir Winston Churchill
Who does? The Marine Society have many years of experience in making learning both accessible and palatable for seafarers.
None this month.
Seeking a Surveying Position:
Master FGN/Class1 + GMDSS. 34 years @ sea. Ten years deepsea with Clan Line (Gen.Cargo, Reefers, Bulkers.) 24 yrs offshore, 18 in command, (Anchor handling tugs,Tugs & towing, D.P., 4pt. mooring, Maintenance v/ls, Survey v/ls, Supply v/ls.) Superintendency of Drydocking & reconstruction, formulation of manuals, knowledge of ISO 9002, Shell ( Brunei) HSE. Safety officer duties, computer literate. Further details & references available.
Name and address supplied.
Solutions
Whilst the normal editions of Fairplay tend to concentrate on the commercial and political aspects of shipping, the publication has the 'Solutions' supplement added on a quarterly basis. This magazine deals with a wide range of shipping technical aspects and is an excellent aid in keeping the marine surveyor of new developments. The occasional edition also has a cursory tale about a specific casualty and how it could have been prevented. If we are to learn by experience, this is good training material!
If you are interested in contributing, contact Malcolm Latarche at: malcolm.latarche@fairplay.co.uk
Harrisons of Liverpool - A chronicle of Ships and Men 1830-2002 (ISBN 1 901703 487). Published jointly by the World Ship Society and Ships in Focus Publications, the book is a 400 page A4 hardback, available from Ships in Focus, 18 Franklands, Longton, Preston PR4 5PD, UK at GBP34 + GBP5 postage in UK and Europe, postage GBP8 elsewhere.
Containerisation International Yearbook 2004, published by Informa UK Ltd, 69-77 Paul Street, London EC2A 4LQ, UK, price GBP290. Email: cisubscriptions@informa.com
Contact details included for over 5,000 companies, including over 2,400 websites, 928 manufacturers of equipment and container/swapbodies with details of over 7,400 ships in service, with many other industry listings and references.
Pain at work - An Labour Research Department guide to musculoskeletal disorders, cost GBP4.50, published by The Labour Research Department, 78 Blackfriars Road, London SE1 8HF, UK. More info at www.lrd.org.uk
This excellent 54 page booklet examines the problems and costs for individuals and industry due to back pain, repetritive strain injuries and other disorders affecting muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves and other soft tissues and joints affecting more than 1 million workers in the UK. It describes the legal requirements for employers to prevent work related injuries and details risk assessment procedures to minimise the dangers in areas such as manual handling andd display screens. It also covers egronomic principles in the work environment.
If your (marine surveying) company has a web site, let us know and we will try to mention it. Below are some web pages we believe might be useful to marine surveyors.
www.idess.com
IDESS Maritime Centre ( Subic) Inc.
www.numast.org
Web site for the National Union of Marine Aviation and Shipping Transport
Officers who publish the monthly NUMAST Telegraph.
www.aimsurveyors.com.au
Web site for the Australian Institute of Marine Surveyors.
www.friendsreunited.co.uk
Here you can register some personal information, together with your school/college
and the year you left to go on to greater things. You can also enter your
nickname in school, which class you were in, your mates' names and what
you've done since leaving. You may be one day surprised to receive a message
out of the blue from an old school chum.
www.marine-society.org
The Marine Society is a worthy marine charity offering many services to
mariners.
www.imo.org
International Maritime Organisation web page. Keep up to date with new
conventions.
www.lrfairplay.com
Scroll down the home page until you see the heading 'Free Access' appear
on the left hand side. Clicking on the words 'shipping sites' takes you
to a search function. You can then search either by company name or by
category (there is a 'consultants and surveyors' category, for example)
or by country. Or by a combination - so you could search for consultants/surveyors
in Australia beginning with the letter 'D', for example.
That pulls up a list; if you then click on the word 'free' in the right hand column you are linked through to the relevant website.
If your readers know of any companies with sites that we do not list (or that we have an out-of-date address for) we would like to have details to update the database.
http://www.acms-usa.com/
The Association of Certified Marine Surveyors
www.equasis.org
Database containing safety-related information on the worlds merchant
fleet from both public and private sources. Gives ship's particulars,
Class Soc, P&I Club and PSC inspection record. Very useful for surveyors
looking for vessel particulars before carrying out a survey.
The Federation
of European Maritime Associations of Surveyors and Consultants
International Institute
of Marine Surveyors
General access
to the directory of the world network of Lloyd's Agents.
Merchant
Navy records on UK MN vessels and information merchant seamen, logs, agreements
and crew lists, MN apprentices and deaths at sea
Marine
Support On Line
Society of Accredited
Marine Surveyors
National Association
of Marine Surveyors
Safety at Sea International
Society of Consulting Marine
Engineers and Ship Surveyors
Society of Naval Architects
and Marine Engineers.
"Ship Survey and Maintenance in the New Economy" SNAMES Technical Forum held in conjunction with ASIA PACIFIC MARITIME 2004, Singapore Expo, 25 March 2004.
The ASIA PACIFIC MARITIME 2004 was held from 24 to 26 March 2004, being a large exhibition of maritime products and services. The event was similar in size to that of Seatrade London in September last year, but appeared to be better attended. There were national stands for all of the major seagoing nations. The layout and presentation was impressive, the atmosphere friendly but businesslike. However, one thing which was not appreciated was having somebody give us the hard sell from the stage during our lunch break, a time when networking is the priority.
The SNAMES conference was opened by Mr Rahul Bhatnagar, who has organised this annual event for a number of years. The opening address was given by Mr Charles Foo, Managing Director (Special Projects) Keppel Offshore & Marine, Singapore.
Papers included:
'Design Loads for Advanced Strength Assessment of Tankers and Bulk Carriers' by Dr Toshiyuki Shigemi, Dr tingyao Zhu and Dr M abdul Rahim of NKK.
'Simulated Aided Training and Assessment in Reducing Human Error for Increased On Board Safety' by Mr Amit Ray, Principal Lecturer, Singapore Maritime Academy, Singapore Polytechnic.
'Managing the Unmanageeable- Principles of Maritime Learning and Management Solution' by Mr Jacob Goh, CEO, TNA Solutions, Singapore.
'Recent Developments and Standards for Ultrasound Hatchcover Testing' by Mike Wall, Managing Director, Kiwi Marine Consultants Ltd, Hong Kong.
'Risk Assessment - A Mariner's View' by Mr Mark Borkett, West of England P&I Club, Hong Kong.
'Application of Database Driven CAD/CAM/CIM in Large Offshore Structures' by Dr Oskar Lee Kwok Lum, ARL ASIA Pte Lted, Singapore.
'Human Capital: Shaping the Technology Cuttingt Edge and Sustenance in The World's Top 3 Shipbuilding Countries' by Mr Nicholas Koh, Managing Director, Victory Knoghts Management and Consultancy, Singapore.
IMO regularly updates its web page with new and amended conventions: http://www.imo.org/
Here you can browse through the various publications that are available and buy those which interest you. To navigate the publications you can either select one of the categories or use the advanced search.
If you have a marine related conference coming up, why not let us know so that we can mention it below?
19 & 20 April 2004. The National Association of Marine Surveyors, Inc. Spring National Conference, New York, NY. Theme is “Looking into the Future.”
Contact: Ghulam M. Suhrawardi, NAMS New York Regional Director at: gms@natmar.com
26-30 April 2004, Fifteenth International Congress of Maritime Arbitrators, London See: www.icmaxv.org
3-5 May 2005 Cruise & Ferry 2005, Earls Court Two, London. Lloyd's List Events
18-20 May 2004, Logistics Hong Kong 2004, Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre Lloyd's List Events
Some maritime conference web sites for you to keep up to date:
http://www.cconnection.org/
http://www.reedexpo.com/
http://www.grc.uri.edu/
http://www.wholelife.com/
http://www.ship-technology.com/exhibitions/
http://www.apmaritime.com/
http://www.lloydslistevents.com/
http://www.marineexpo.com/
http://www.seaworkexhibition.com
http://www.toc-events.com/
Knowing when to keep your mouth shut! (2)
A husband and wife are getting ready for bed. The wife is standing in front of a full-length mirror taking a hard look at herself.
"You know, dear," she says, "I look in the mirror, and I see an old woman. My face is all wrinkled, my boobs are barely above my waist, and my butt is hanging out a mile. I've got fat legs, and my arms are all flabby." She turns to her husband and says, "Tell me something positive to make me feel better about myself."
He thinks about it for a bit and then says in a soft, thoughtful voice, Well, there's nothing wrong with your eyesight."
A memorial service will be held Saturday at ........
Disclaimer: Articles and reports reflect the views of the individuals who prepared them, and, unless indicated expressly in the text, do not necessarily represent the views of the editor. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the information in this publication is accurate, the editor makes no representation or warranty, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness or correctness of such information. The editor accepts no responsibility whatsoever for any loss, damage or other liability arising from any use of this publication or the information which it contains. The contents of the publication are the responsibility of the editor alone.
News, views, enquiries, suggestions, articles and letters for inclusion
in
future editions of FLASHLIGHT may be sent to:
Mike Wall
Tel: +852 2259 3150
Fax: +852 2259 3151
Email: mikewall@so-net.com.hk
Do not print this page unless absolutely necessary.