Топики 4 курс English

Causes of damage to cargo.

Considerable damage to cargo may result if due care is not paid to its handling. Lack of care at port of loading may result in damage. Sometimes the effect of damage is not immediately apparent, it may begin to show during the voyage.

The following are the examples of damage owing to bad handling:

1)Inefficient and improper slinging.

Heavy cases should not be slung with light cases. Canvas slings should be used for bagged goods rather than for rope slings. For very small packages wire net slings are preferable. In all cases of slinging due attention should

be given to the weight of the cargo in the sling. Excessive loads may result in damage to packages, lifting gear, sides of the slings.

2) The use of cargo hooks.

This practice is a frequent source of damage. The hooks must not be used with any bales of cotton, bagged cargo and drums of liquids.

3) Crushing. Damage to cargo from crushing is mainly due to lack of care in stowing, exactly including incorrect use of wooden dunnage, unsuitable space allocation of cargo, insufficient attention paid to the type of cargo being loaded. It is not recommended to stow heavy bulky packages over and with fragile packages – this may cause them to collapse, but light packages should be stowed on top of each other.

4)Cargo gear.

Much damage to cargo results from slings contacting with hatch-coamings, bulwarks and obstructions within a hold. Acceleration and retardation of winch speed cause breakage of packages (due to careless winch work).The following are some of the more important precautions which must be observed with all types of derrick rigging and cargo gear: All gear including derricks and attachments must be regularly lubricated All wires and ropes must be in good condition. They should be free from frays or brakes, not deformed.

Cargo Officer’s duties.

The Cargo Officer is directly charge with supervising every stage of the cargo operations and he must prepare a number of documents which are made out both before and during loading.

He must do the following:

1.to make out the NOTICE OF SHIP’S READINESS TO LOAD signed by the Master;

2.to make out the CARGO PLAN which must be approved by the Master;

3.to must instruct foremen and stevedores as to the proper stowage of goods in the ship’s cargo compartments and spaces;

4.to take measures for preventing any damage either to the cargo or to the vessel due to negligent handling;

5.to arrange careful tally of the goods taken on board;

6.to make out a MATE’S RECEIPT for each shipment of cargo on which, in case of short-shipment or damaged condition of goods or defects in their packing, he should add appropriate remarks or clauses to protect the vessel against claims for loss or damage.

age.

Procedure of discharging.

Correct delivery of the cargo carried on board the ship to the Consignees is one of main responsibilities of the Master and his Cargo Officer. In compliance with the Charter Party the Master must duly inform the Agent in the port of discharge of his vessel’s ETA, kind of cargo on board and sometimes the Stowage Plan. Having received the above information the Agent is to make preliminary arrangements for discharging the delivered cargo. He notifies the Port Authorities and the Consignees of the vessel’s arrival, secures a berth, obtains labour and cargo-handling facilities. Before discharging the Master must make out the NOTICE OF SHIP’S READINESS TO DISCHARGE and tender on it the Agent.

Discharging is performed under the supervision of a stevedore and it is performed by dockers usually headed by foreman. When the ship is ready to unload the Cargo Officer gives a Cargo Plan and Bill of Lading to the stevedore. According to these documents the Cargo Officer begins unloading the ship.

The crewmen get ready winches and cranes, derricks, shackles, blocks and other equipment. All these appliances should be preliminary inspected for possible signs of wear (признаки износа).

Lorries deliver cargoes to the warehouses. Sometimes the cargoes may be unloaded directly from the ship’s holds into lighters. If there are some heavy lifts in the holds they may be unloaded by heavy lift cranes, heavy derricks, gantries or even by floating cranes.

The ORIGINAL BILL OF LADING is a document against which goods are most often delivered. The CLEAN BILL OF LADING is a document which is used if the Receiver takes all cargo to his complete satisfaction.

The Master may deliver cargo only after the freight and all other charges have been paid. In case of short-delivery or any claims on the part of the Receiver, the Agent is to arrange immediate check-up on the cargo to protect the vessel’s interests.

Procedure of loading.

Reception and stowage of cargo on board the ship is one of the main responsibilities of the Master and his Cargo Officer. The latter is directly charge of every stage of cargo operations and he must prepare a number of cargo documents before and during the loading. Before loading the Shipper must receive the NOTICE OF SHIP’S READINESS TO LOAD through the Agent made out by the Cargo Officer and signed by the Master. The special cargo surveyors are invited before and after loading to inspect the holds and stow and to certify that all statutory requirements have been met.

The cargo is taken on board in accordance with the CARGO PLAN which is made out by the Cargo Officer or the Agent, and should always be approved by the Master prior to loading. The ship’s safety in voyage, that is her stability and seaworthiness must be taken into consideration in planning the stowage of goods in the ship’s spaces. There is other consideration as to safety of cargo, that is prevention various kinds of cargoes from damage during transportation.

The Cargo Officer supervises the whole of the process of loading. He must instruct foremen and stevedores as to proper stowage of goods in the ship’s compartments and spaces. For each shipment of cargo actually received on board he makes out a MATE’S RECEIPT on which, in case of short-shipment or damaged condition of goods or defects in their packing, he should add appropriate remarks and clauses to protect the vessel against claims for loss or damage.

After completion of loading, the Master signs the receipt for the goods taken on board. Such receipt is called BILL OF LADING. The STOWAGE PLAN and MANIFEST OF CARGO are then made out and air-mailed to the port of discharge to facilitate discharging operations (to obtain necessary labour and cargo-handling equipment such as cranes, lift-trucks, barges, railway cars).

Types of cargoes and their packing.

Merchant ships are designed to carry cargo. This cargo may be divided into two types: bulk cargo and general cargo. Bulk cargo consists of a single commodity. This commodity is usually carried loose. General cargo consists of a variety of goods. These goods are packed separately. The stowage of bulk cargo presents few problems. The stowage of general cargo presents many problems, because general cargo has own type of packing and characteristics.

Bulk cargo may be divided into liquid or dry bulk cargo. Liquid bulk cargo is carried in tankers. Most tankers are designed to carry crude oil or its refined products, such as fuel oils. The oil is carried in tanks. These are connected by a system of pipes to a central manifold. The cargo is pumped on board at the port of loading by shore pumps. At the port of discharge the ship pumps oil ashore. Dry bulk cargo is carried in bulk carriers. Dry bulk cargo includes grain, iron-ore, coal and sugar. It is loaded automatically by buckets on a conveyor belt system or through large tubes. It is unloaded by huge grabs on cranes or by giant suction tubes.

General cargo can be divided into containerized, non-containerized and refrigerated cargo. Non-containerized cargo presents most stowage problems, because each commodity has its own type of packaging and characteristics. Goods may be in bags, bales, cases or steel drums.

Principals of fire-fighting.

Combustion is a chemical reaction or series of reactions in which heat and light are produced. Combustion can only occur if three factors-fuel, oxygen and heat come together in the right proportions. This basic fact is illustrated by the fire triangle. Flash point is the lowest temperature at which sufficient vapours ignite if an ignition source is introduced. Fire point is the lowest temperature at which the introduction of an ignition source would result in a flash followed by fire. Self-igniton temperature is the temperature at which a substance ignites without the introduction of an external ignition source.

Classification of fires:

Class A: fires involve combustion of solid materials such as wood, paper, cloth and some plastics with the formation of glowing embers. Such fires are extinguished by water.

Class B: fires involve combustion of liquids such as paints, oils and spirits which may give off flammable vapours. Such fires are extinguished by powder.

Class C: fires involve combustion of liquefied gases. Such fires give off highly toxic products of combustion and they are extinguished by foam, powder and CO2.

Class D: fires involve combustion of metals. Such fires must be extinguished by halon and special powder.

If a fire alarm is given: the crew will assemble at the fire stations; the fire parties assemble and carry out their task to contain the fire; the ship’s course and speed are altered if necessary; pumps are prepared to dispose water; the master decides the most appropriate method to tackle the fire and this is effected by the fire officer.

The fireman’s outfit includes protective suit, protective boots and gloves, hard hat, self contained compressed air breathing apparatus, rescue line and harness, VHF radio and safety torch.

Principles of survival.

Survival is the ability to stay alive when life is threatened after a shipping casualty. The primary difficulties & limiting factors facing survivors are drowning & exposure. These difficulties can be minimized by the correct type of equipment, the correct knowledge of survivors in the use of the equipment & the will to survive by all survivors. The first actions & attention must be concentrated on protection from exposure . Support of the body out of the water , protection from cold, wind & rain are essential. In temperate & cold climates heat loss from the body to the surrounding environment must be prevented by wearing plenty of clothing . It is not recommended to sail away from the area of casualty . Survivors should keep survival craft secured & grouped together in order to provide a bigger location target and use the portable emergency transmitter to send out distress signal

All survival craft must be provided with rations of water and food. And instructions for their use must be in the survival craft. The basic supply of water should be supplemented with rainwater & condensation where possible . But seawater & urine should never be drunk. Every seamen must know what to do in the case of an emergency in advance. The time of emergency is not the time to learn ! It is recommended to plan the emergency moves in advance , to plan what to do if an emergency arise, where the nearest exit to deck for escape , where is the nearest life jacket , lifeboat or raft. While abandoning ship , it is recommended to try to board the lifeboat or raft dry. If immersion is necessary you must try to enter the water slowly. Swimming increases body heat loss , To reduce your body heat loss it is recommended to float in the water with your legs together , elbows to your side & arms across the chest.

Survival equipment and life craft.

Life-saving appliances include survival craft, rescue boats, life-rafts and personnel life-saving equipment. Rigid or inflatable life-jackets, immersion suit, life-buoy and thermal protective aid are personnel life-saving equipment.

There are different types of lifeboats: open, partially enclosed, sea totally enclosed. For passenger vessels the capacity of lifeboats is generally sufficient for every person on board. For cargo vessels the capacity of lifeboats is generally twice the number of persons on board. Lifeboats are usually launched by davits or free fall method.

Life-rafts may be inflatable or rigid. They are launched by free fall method or float-free method using arrangements.

Rescue boats are mainly used in the case of man overboard and in the case of abandoning the vessel to gather and group life-rafts.

Emergency organization on board the ship.

The ship’s emergency organization comprises all members of the ship’s company. The E.O. is centered on an emergency squad. The E.S. consists of selected officers and ratings. The E.S. takes actions necessary and possible to deal with an emergency. Selected personnel is assingned to special duties. On sounding the emergency signal the E.S. should muster at the emergency headquarters, from which position they collect their equipment.

The Chief Officer takes charge of tackling emergency outside of the engine room. The Second Engineer takes charge of the emergency within the machinery spaces..

The final composition of the E.S. is acknowlaged by the master.

The support squad is in charge of a deck officer. The support squad must supply extra equipment to the E.S., provide extra manpower, form additional hose parties, conduct boundary cooling and boundary starvation, prepare lifeboats and life-rafts.

First aid and provisions squad consists of all members of the catering staff who is in charge of Chief Steward. The main duties are the transportation and care of casualties and the supply of extra water and blankets to the lifeboats.

The emergency headquarters is established in the accommodation which cannot be cut off by fire and smoke and gives reasonable access to upper deck , engine room, accommodation. This is mustering position for the E.S.

Before leaving the port the master allocates emergency stations. These stations and duties are recorded on the Muster List

Obtaining Radio Medical Advice.

At the open sea situations very often arise when immediate medical advice may be required. Nowadays it is possible to realize such advice by means of GMDSS equipment.

ITU list of Radiodetermination & Special Service Stations must be included into the ship’s Radio documentation in accordance with the Radio Service Regulations. This publication lists commercial & government radio stations that provide free medical message service to vessels. These massages should be prefixed with “DH MEDICO”. They are delivered to RCCs, hospitals or other facilities. RCCs forward these massages to SAR services which provided either medical radio advice or immediate evacuation of the casualty. SAR personnel contains well-qualified doctors trained in accordance with special program for medical treatment & evacuation at sea.

There are several enterprises in some states which provide subscription & pay-per-use medical advice to vessels at sea. The best known medical advisory service is Centro Internationale Radio-Medico in Rome, Italy. It provides round the clock medical assistance & advice service by radio for sailors of any nationality anywhere on the high seas. The service is free. This center has arrangements to transport the sick or injured by air & sea.

As for the United States the Inmarsat system is available for this purpose. The massage may be addressed to the US Coast Guard RCCs. There are two such stations: one of them covers the Atlantic Ocean Area & another one covers the Pacific Ocean Area. Massages should be prefixed “MEDICO” & signed by the master. These RCCs forward the massage received through the Inmarsat to the medical facilities for action.

After massages have been forwarded to hospitals or other medical facilities the suitable instructions will be transmitted to the vessel.

Massage must include the following information:

-routine particulars about the vessel

-routine particulars about the patient

-particulars of the illness or history of the injury

-results of examination of the ill person.

Separation, dunnage, lashing.

Dunnage is the material used for protecting cargoes from possible damage. Correct dunnaging of cargoes is very important. The main purposes of dunnaging are the following:

-to protect it from contact with water bilges, leakage from other cargo, from the ship’s side or from double bottom tanks;

-to protect it from contact with moisture or sweat;

-to prevent chafage of packages;

Dunnage must be dry, clean, sound and free from stains which may contaminate the cargo in contact with it.

The use of dunnage retaining the odour of a previous cargo should be avoided. The types of dunnage materials are as follows: boards, battens, cardboard, cardwood, tarpaulins, mats, plywood. The selection of dunnage for some cargoes depends on a kind of a cargo.

Dunnage from wide boards is preferable to small bagged cargo. It prevents the sagging of the bags between the boards.

A general cargo may be dunnaged almost with any types of wooden boards or battens provided they fulfil the requirements of cleanlineless. The board or battens should be selected in accordance with the sizes of the packages.

General cargo due to different shapes and sizes will break up and misplace laid dunnage. Therefore it is necessary to have a liberal supply of dunnage in the compartment.

Double dunnage should also be laid. The first tier is arranged athwartships in order to provide water courses toward the bilges and the upper tier fore and aft.

Emergency response actions.

Anyone may initiate an emergency by pressing the emergency alarm switch. This will bring the emergency party to the emergency headquarters and alert the remaining members of the emergency organization.

A person having sounded the emergency alarms must also report the location and nature of the emergency to the bridge or to the emergency headquarters.

The emergency squad should muster at the emergency headquarters with the utmost speed. The first officer to arrive at the emergency headquarters should contact the bridge to advise or enquire about the nature and location of the emergency.

In any case communications must be established with the master. On leaving the emergency headquarters , the emergency squad should use portable VHF transceivers.

Personnel assigned with special duties should proceed to their stations. The first aid and provisions squad should proceed to their musterpoint. The support squad should muster and await instructions.

Communications must be established between the bridge and engine room. The emergency squad must collect the necessary equipment and proceed to scene of the emergency.

Principals of stowage.

Stowage is the placing of cargoes either in ship’s hold or on her deck. The method of stowage must ensure the following:

-the preservation of crew and ship from danger of injury

-to protect the cargo from damage, loss and deteoration and to ensure its “sound delivery”

-the economy of cargo spaces that depends on the vessel’s earning capacity.

The cargo plan should be drawn up carefully. It will make distribution of cargo pieces in the holds easier and it will help to avoid cargo claims.

While stowing the cargo the stevedore and the cargo officer should ensure the ship’s stability and seaworthiness. Cargo must be stowed and fastened reliably to avoid shifting if the ship pitches and rolls during the storm. A reliable fastening the cargo prevents possible damage from chafing, breaking and crushing.

The method of stowage depends on the kind of the cargo. Light cargoes are stowed on the top of heavy ones. The stevedores and cargo officers use a term “broken stowage”, which is used to indicate space which is lost and unoccupied by cargo between and round the packages, space occupied by dunnage, space at sides, ends and on top of cargo.

The loss of space varies according to the nature of the cargo. If the vessel carries free flowing cargoes such as grain, sand, the loss is small. With bag cargo and handy cases of uniform dimensions very full stowage is possible. If the vessel carries irregularly shaped packages, varying in size and form such as machinery, boilers, large reels the loss of space is very high and sometimes reaches 25 per cent.