201668 Containers overboard

 

Edited from UK P&I Club bulletin 1096 - 05/16

Changes to the SOLAS Convention now require shippers to ensure containers are weighed before being loaded on vessels. A recent incident highlights the importance of this amendment.

Six containers had apparently gone missing while enroute. The stack in question was located at the bow of the vessel on the very edge and had clearly been lost overboard during the voyage. Apparently, neither the Captain nor chief officer or crew were aware of what had occurred at the time.

It transpired that the stowage plan had been created using weights provided at the initial time of booking. While the final bills corrected the weights, this was never picked up by the planners, which resulted in the vessel being stacked incorrectly. The top four containers, all loaded with cement, were 28 tonnes each. The two bottom containers were only 5 and 3 tonnes respectively. This meant that the total weight for that stack was 143 tonnes, as opposed to the 50 tonnes permitted by the Cargo Securing Manual, as well as being top-heavy and unstable.

Lessons learned
- The new legislation will go a long way in preventing such accidents as the terminal and planners will be notified of the correct weights before the container is placed on board.