The UK MAIB has published a report on the death of a chief officer who was struck in the head by a tensioned mooring line aboard a bulker in 2021, finding that a short-handed operation and an unfamiliarity with the mooring arrangement contributed to his death.

On August 29, 2021, the bulker Teal Bay arrived at Kavkaz, Russia, to rendezvous with a transloading vessel and take on grain from small powered barges. With guidance from the local pilot, Teal Bay tied up with the geared bulker Kavkaz V on the Kavkaz’s port side. The crew had never made fast to another vessel of this size, nor had they conducted ship-to-ship loading operations in this manner before. They used a combination of three head lines, three stern lines, two bow spring lines and two stern spring lines. (Spring line naming conventions vary among maritime nations, and “stern spring line” refers here to an forward-leading spring line originating from the stern.)

The transloading operation got under way, and the crane operators aboard the Kavkaz V scooped up grain from small barges on Kavkaz’s starboard side, swung the cargo over the deck and over the port side, depositing it into Teal Bay’s holds. As the operation proceeded and her holds filled up, Teal Bay’s freeboard decreased. Over the course of the next day, her main deck level dropped to about 25 feet below the deck of the Kavkaz, and her mooring lines took on an upward lead.

At about 2220 on August 30, loading was nearly complete. The third officer aboard Kavkaz V asked Teal Bay to move ahead so that the crane operator could reach another part of Teal Bay’s hold. Teal Bay’s master decided to warp ahead, since this was a small move. He could have treated this as a full mooring operation per the SMS, but this would have meant waking up the off-watch crew to add more personnel on deck. He did not want to wake the crew, so he sent the chief mate to the stern and the third mate to the bow, each with one AB.

At about 2235, as the team on the bow slacked off their spring line, the AB on the stern spring line activated the winch to pull in and warp the ship ahead. The line was run through an open roller fairlead, and the chief mate was standing next to the fairlead near the deck edge, where he would have been able to watch and supervise the evolution. As soon as the line came under tension – with a vertical lead towards the Kavkaz’s higher main deck level – the line popped up and out of the roller fairlead and struck the chief mate in the head. He fell immediately unconscious to the deck.

The open fairlead and chief mate’s position (far left) and a diagram of the mooring arrangements (MAIB)

The open fairlead (center) and the substantial height difference between the decks of the Teal Bay and Kavkaz (MAIB)

The local maritime rescue coordination center was contacted and Teal Bay’s second officer gave the chief mate first aid, including oxygen. The victim had a pulse and was breathing, and there were no outward signs of injury.

A tug arrived to evacuate the victim at 2316, but the crew would not take him aboard before receiving permission from the port. Alternate arrangements for a helicopter were discussed but none were available. The tug ultimately took the chief mate aboard, getting under way for shore at 2350. At this point, the officer’s pulse had weakened. By the time a paramedic met the tugboat at the pier at 0045, the chief mate had no vital signs.

An autopsy determined that he had died from a brain hemmorhage resulting from blunt force trauma.

Through its investigation, MAIB determined that the crew’s decision to run the line through an open roller fairlead, combined with the vertical lead from the deck of the Teal Bay to the deck of the Kavkaz, allowed the line to pop out of the fairlead when it came under tension. The appropriate choice would have been to select a closed roller fairlead; the crew may not have known this as they were unfamiliar with this particular mooring operation. No risk assessment was conducted before the evolution, and so the opportunity to identify this hazard was lost.

The short distance of the move and the desire to complete the loading operation quickly could have motivated the master to warp ahead without making a fuller assessment of the situation. As the captain did not bring out the crew for a full mooring operation, the chief mate was operating with fewer people on hand than he usually would have, and was tasked with supervising both the aft deck and the evolution as a whole. If the full crew had turned out, the chief mate would not have been on the stern.

The extra time taken up in making medevac arrangements reduced the officer’s chances of survival, MAIB determined, though it is impossible to know whether he would have survived even with prompt care.

Among other post-casualty recommendations, the shipmanager has been advised to remove all open fairleads from its fleet and replace them with closed or universal type fairleads, which will not release a line with an upward lead.

Source: https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/uk-maib-improper-mooring-arrangement-led-to-chief-mate-s-death

Panama Canal Authority (PCA) said the new structure will assume a simplified, value-based pricing structure, reducing the number of tariffs from 430 to fewer than 60.

On transits of vessels in ballast condition for all market segments except for containerships, tolls will be calculated by applying 85 per cent of the laden toll instead of the originally proposed 9 per cent.

On containerships, the charge for empty containers will be reduced to $2/TEU in 2023, $4/TEU in 2024, and $6/TEU in 2025, instead of the $5, $6.50, and $8 that were initially proposed for each year, respectively.

All other tariffs will be implemented gradually from January 2023 to January 2025 at the originally proposed levels, including the proposed modifications to the loyalty program for containerships, which will be phased out by January 2025.

Incentives for return voyages applicable to containerships and liquefied natural gas (LNG) vessels will be eliminated by January 2023 when the new structure comes into effect.

“The proposal aims to strengthen the tolls structure in a way that is consistent with the value provided by the Canal transit service while providing greater visibility and predictability to customers,” said Panama Canal Administrator Ricaurte Vásquez Morales.

The tolls proposal was issued on 1 April 2022 and went through a formal consultation period during which 17 interested parties submitted their comments or opinions in writing.

The public hearing was held in Panama on 20 May 2022 with the participation of seven parties, representing local and international customers.

The visibility charge currently applied to full container vessels, and classified as Other Marine Services, will be eliminated prior to the implementation of the new tolls to avoid an overlap with the Total TEU capacity (TTA) charge.

In June 2021 the PCA increased its waterway’s maximum allowable length for commercial and non-commercial vessels transiting the Neopanamax Locks.

The PCA said the maximum length overall (LOA) for regular transits of the Neopanamax Locks is 370.33 metres, an increase from 367.28 metres.

The increase means that now 96.8 per cent of the world’s fleet of containerships can transit the Panama Canal, shortening routes and benefiting economies around the world.

Source: https://www.porttechnology.org/news/panama-canal-toll-restructure-receives-governmental-approval/

The value of global trade rose to a record US$7.7 trillion in Q1 2022, an increase of about $1 trillion relative to Q1 2021, according to UNCTAD’s Global Trade Update published on 7 July.

The growth, which represents a rise of about $250 million relative to Q4 2021, is fueled by rising commodity prices, as trade volumes have increased to a much lower extent. Though expected to remain positive, trade growth has continued to slow during Q2 2022.

“The war in Ukraine is starting to influence international trade, largely through increases in prices,” the report says. It adds that rising interest rates and the winding down of economic stimulus packages will likely have a negative impact on trade volumes for the rest of 2022.

Volatility in commodity prices and geopolitical factors will also continue to make trade developments uncertain.

Trade growth strong for both developed and developing countries

According to the report, trade growth rates in Q1 2022 remained strong across all geographic regions, although somewhat lower in the East Asia and Pacific regions.

Export growth has been generally stronger in commodity-exporting regions, as commodity prices have increased.

Trade in merchandise goods reached about $6.1 trillion, an increase of about 25% relative to Q1 2021, and a jump of about 3.6% relative to Q4 2021.

The value of merchandise exports from developing countries was about 25% higher in Q1 2022 than in Q1 2021. In comparison, this figure is about 14% for developed countries.

Merchandise trade between developing countries also strongly grew during Q1 2022. Trade in services grew to about $1.6 trillion, an increase of about 22% relative to Q1 2021, and a rise of about 1.7% relative to Q4 2021.

Substantial increases across sectors

The report shows that most economic sectors recorded substantial year-over-year increases in the value of their trade in Q1 2022.

High fuel prices are behind the strong increase in the value of trade in the energy sector. Trade growth was also above average for metals and chemicals. By contrast, trade in the transportation sector and in communication equipment has remained below the levels of 2021 and 2019.

Slower economic growth, war in Ukraine dim prospects

The report says the evolution of world trade for the remainder of 2022 is likely to be affected by slower-than-expected economic growth due to rising interest rates, inflationary pressures and concerns over debt sustainability in many economies.

The report states that the war in Ukraine is affecting international trade by putting further upward pressure on the international prices of energy and primary commodities.

In the short term, because of the inelastic global demand for food and energy products, rising food and energy prices would likely result in higher trade values, and marginally lower trade volumes.

Other factors expected to influence global trade this year are continuing challenges for global supply chains, regionalization trends and policies supporting the transition towards a greener global economy.

Source: https://maritimefairtrade.org/global-trade-hits-record-us7-7-trillion-in-q1-2022/

A Pakistan delegation led by Secretary Commerce, Sualeh Ahmad Faruqui will visit Afghanistan on July 17-18, 2022 for talks on import of coal for power generation, well informed sources told Business Recorder.

The delegation visit is scheduled amid threats by Chinese company generating electricity on imported coal that they will revert to South African coal if NEPRA fails to resolve its issues related to payments.

Sharing the details, sources said, during the third meeting of Border Management Committee (BMC) under the chairmanship of Federal Minister for Defence, Khawaja Asif it was decided that a working level delegation will be sent to Afghanistan to discuss the issues related to cross-border trade of coal.

Proposed composition of the delegation as follows: (i) Secretary Commerce (Lead); (ii) Additional Secretary-1, Power Division; (iii) representatives from Military Operation Directorate; (iv) representatives from Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI); (v) Director General Afghanistan, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; (vi) Riaz Ahmed Khan, Joint Secretary (PE/FIA), Ministry of Interior; (vii) Mariya Qazi, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Commerce; (viii) Brig Muhammad Abid, Director Border Terminals, NLC; and (ix) Ahmed Raza Khan, Chief Collector KPK, FBR.

Key issues for discussion include declaration of 24/7 operations at Torkham, Kharlachi and Ghulam Khan border terminals, deployment of additional HR to ensure smooth operations, improvement in infrastructure on Afghan side and cross border movement of vehicles.

The sources said expenditures in respect of participation of members of delegation will be met through their respective organisations/ministries.
Source: Business Recorder

Source: Maritime Executive

The London P&I Club has released new operational guidance for carrying and securing non-standardised cargo during transportation in a bid to reduce stowage risks and the number of serious accidents that have occurred as a result of inadequate securing arrangements.

The new guidance, entitled ‘Reducing the Risk of Damage to or Loss of Non-Standardized Cargo’, was released on 13 July 2022 and produced in collaboration with TMC Marine and Bureau Veritas.

The document provides general guidance and practical advice to crew, ship owners, operators, charters and  managers on the risks associated with safely stowing and securing non-standarised cargo, as well as precautions to reduce and prevent these risks. The London P&I Club stresses that it is not intended to replace official regulations and guidance notes or any document that forms part of a vessel’s Safety Management System, including the cargo securing manual.

According to the guidance, cargoes that have proven to be a potential source of danger due to inadequate stowage methods include portable tanks and receptacles, special wheel-based vehicles such as locomotives or mining equipment, wind farm components such as towers and blades, and offshore mooring equipment.

Carl Durow, Loss Prevention Manager at The London P&I Club, said: “Ships carrying non-standardised cargo face an increased risk of loss or damage during transit due to the infrequent nature of such cargo. General carriers may lack the experience in securing different loads.”

“We wanted to highlight effective methods that crews can take to ensure that cargo is secured properly, reducing the risks of liability related to damaged or lost goods, damage to the vessel itself or the safety of crew members or other ships at sea.”

Inadequate securing arrangements for non-standardised cargo can lead to injury and loss of life, not only at sea but during loading and unloading. In addition, forces arising from wind and sea motions during transit can put the cargo and the vessel at risk due to acceleration and transverse motions.

Charterers should ensure that their vessel is fit for purpose, while shop owners and operators should only tender suitable vessels for specific cargoes. The London P&I Club guidance noted that appropriate precautions should also be taken for cargo with abnormal physical dimensions to ensure that no structural damage to the ship occurs and to maintain adequate stability throughout the voyage.

The London P&I Club recommends that an independent cargo securing survey be carried out when carrying non-standarised cargo in order to ensure that effective stowage methods have been applied. The guidance also recommends that the cargo surveyor liaise with the Master, Chief Officer and stevedores during the survey, and that a full report with photographs is produced prior to transit.

Ian Barr, Director at The London P&I Club, said: “We are always looking to ensure that our members have the guidance and expertise to be able to securely stow any cargo.”

“At The London P&I Club, we have the knowledge and experience to be able to provide best practices for all cargo stowage incidents, including securing non-standarised cargo. This guidance is the latest example of how we work closely with our members to provide that expertise.”

Source: https://www.seanews.co.uk/shipping-news/the-london-pi-club-has-published-new-guidelines-to-decrease-cargo-loss-and-responsibility-claims/