Bulk carriers are the workhorses of international maritime trade. Those responsible for operating them need to manage significant risks inherent to the dry bulk trade. Certain cargoes can deplete oxygen, catch fire, explode, corrode holds or simply deteriorate. At terminals, the Master may come under pressure to accept cargoes that are too hot or wet, which could endanger vessel and crew.
The dry bulk sector has made huge efforts to improve safety, but “there is no room for complacency and more work is needed,” says Intercargo Secretary General Dr Kostas Gkonis.

With the support of Intercargo and vetting organisation RightShip, The Nautical Institute has responded by publishing A Guide to Bulk Carrier Operations.

In the words of RightShip General Manager David Peel, the book has been designed as “a comprehensive end-to-end guide to exemplary safety practices that will be useful for all participants in our workforce, including shipowners, ports, terminals, charterers and associations”.

This highly practical guide draws on the expertise of more than 20 contributing experts representing a wide range of disciplines involved with the dry bulk trades. The book takes the reader through the essentials at each stage of the voyage, from preparation and loading, to care of the cargo and ship at sea, and finally arrival and discharge.

Subjects covered include strength and stability, hatch cover care, enclosed spaces, charterparties, legislation, draught surveys, deballasting, monitoring hazardous cargoes, spontaneous combustion, fumigation, coal fires, liquefaction and oxygen-depletion, safe mooring and access, ship-shore communication and ship/shore damage.

Clear diagrams and photographs complement the text along with tips, checklists and case studies.
The common-sense approach and straightforward language mean that, as Dr Gkonis says, this book “is indeed a pleasure to read!”
• To purchase your copy of A Guide to Bulk Carrier Operations please email pubs.admin@nautinst.org (price: £65; ISBN: 978 1 906915 77 3; NI ref: 0397).

The Nautical Institute is an international representative body for maritime professionals involved in the control of seagoing ships. It provides a wide range of services to enhance the professional standing and knowledge of members, who are drawn from all sectors of the maritime world. Founded in 1972, the Institute has over 40 branches worldwide and some 7,000 members in more than 120 countries.
Source: The Nautical Institute