Steamship Mutual Club

Steamship Mutual Club Highlights Safe Access of Ro-Ro Spaces

Safety4sea reports about a series of infographics highlighting the safety risks onboard RO-RO vessels & PCTC carriers. The infographics were first published by Steamship Mutual Club.

Proper access of RO-RO spaces

In the infographic, the club focuses on how to properly access RO-RO spaces and avoid prohibited areas.

Do’s
  • In accordance with SOLAS Regulations, all firefighting and emergency equipment shall be maintained in good working order and be readily available and accessible for immediate use.
  • E...

https://mfame.guru/steamship-mutual-club-highlights-safe-access-of-ro-ro-spaces/

Strikes at Portuguese ports: Which operations will continue

Stevedores strike at Portugal’s Setúbal Port; Therefore, Steamship Mutual issued guidance on how port operations will proceed during the strikes and which operations will be impacted.

Specifically, the expected incidences for the port of Setúbal:

  • Refusal to provide work on ships or cargo that, in the context of this strike, are or have been diverted from the port of Lisbon, and also with, refusal to provide services any and all overtime work on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, at the Tersado and...

https://safety4sea.com/strikes-at-portuguese-ports-which-operations-will-continue/

Port of Cotonou takes measures to tackle piracy

Steamship Mutual informed that it received information from TCI Africa that new measures have been taken by the Port of Cotonou to help protect against acts of Piracy for vessels both in the port of Cotonou and at anchorage in the waters of Benin.

Specifically, the General Director of the Port Autonome of Cotonou, Port Authority, informs maritime agents, shipping agents, stevedores and shipowners that the following measures are taken in order to enhance the protection of ships calling at the...

https://safety4sea.com/port-of-cotonou-takes-measures-to-tackle-piracy/

Potential problems arising due to the Coronavirus

The newly identified Coronavirus has made world headlines, as it is suspected to have caused the death of nine people and over 400 have been diagnosed with the illness. If the prevalence of the virus increases, Steamship notes that the shipping industry should first and foremost look after the health of crew members, but it can also face reporting and quarantine measures to guard against the spread of the disease, as well as issues in terms of charterparties.

Signs of infection of the Coronavirus

https://safety4sea.com/potential-problems-arising-due-to-the-coronavirus/

MARPOL Annex VI effects on non-compliant vessels

Steamship Mutual attempts to examine how compliance to the Global Sulphur Cap is to be determined; what procedures will apply and what will be used to ascertain whether bunkers on board and the operation of the ship are compliant, in relation to vessels without scrubbers or other equivalent means of compliance by reference to the IMO Guidelines available.

It is said that at the 74th session of MEPC the IMO approved

  1. 2019 Guidelines for Consistent Implementation of the 0.50% Sulphur Limit under...

https://safety4sea.com/marpol-annex-vi-effects-on-non-compliant-vessels/

Bills of Lading: How to be protected in case of cargo mis-delivery

Charles Brown, Head of Claims at Steampship Mutual, presents a case where a cargo was delivered based on fraudulent Bills of Lading, highlighting the importance of the Bills of Lading during trade and presenting the risks of agreeing charter party clauses that oblige an owner to discharge and deliver cargo without presentation of the bill of lading, against a charterer’s letter of indemnity (LOI).

Specifically, the bills of lading are very important to trade, as the holder in due course is...

https://safety4sea.com/bills-of-lading-how-to-be-protected-in-case-of-cargo-mis-delivery/

On deck cargo loss,damage excluded from Hague-Visby rules

The English Court decided that ‘On a true construction of the Bill of Lading, the Owner is not liable for any loss of or damage to any cargo carried on deck, including loss of or damage to any cargo carried on deck caused by the unseaworthiness of the Vessel and/or the Owner’s negligence’, according to Bill Kirrane, Steamship’s Mutual Syndicate Manager.

Specifically, the English High Court officially stated that ‘a shipowner has no liability for loss or damage to deck cargo where the bill of...

https://safety4sea.com/on-deck-cargo-lossdamage-excluded-from-hague-visby-rules/

Bunker Time Bars: Buyers Beware

In this article, Rebecca Penn-Chambers, Syndicate Executive, Eastern Syndicate, provides an overview regarding common issues surrounding notification of off-specification bunker disputes. As Ms. Penn-Chambers says, bunker quality disputes are not a new phenomenon, but there has been an upward trend in the number of disputes.

The consequences of burning offspecification bunkers can be severe, in extreme cases leading to the breakdown of, or damage to, the vessel’s engines and/or the time and...

https://safety4sea.com/bunker-time-bars-buyers-beware/

LMAA issues new arbitration clause, serving notices via email

The London Maritime Arbitrators Association (LMAA) issued a new arbitration clause, which is said to be similar to the BIMCO Standard Dispute Resolution Clauses. The default figure for the LMAA Small Claims Procedure to apply is US$100,000 or less. Parties can opt in to arbitration under the LMAA Intermediate Claims Procedure in cases involving claims between US$100,000 and US$400,000. These amounts can be amended by agreement should the parties wish.

The  new clause addresses the service of...

https://safety4sea.com/lmaa-issues-new-arbitration-clause-serving-notices-via-email/

Precautionary anti-narcotics guidelines for ships in Colombia

Colombian authorities are very alert to drug related issues and frequently search vessels both onboard and underwater in response to intelligence reports. As such, the local P&I Consultants Pandi Colombia have provided some precautionary anti-narcotics guidelines for operators who trade in Colombia.

At some ports and terminals an underwater inspection of the hull is mandatory, particularly at facilities specialising in oil or coal.

The following list cites the ports on the Caribbean Coast where...

https://safety4sea.com/precautionary-anti-narcotics-guidelines-for-ships-in-colombia/

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