Safety at Sea 11.2015-12-22

Przypadek up³ynnienia siê ³adunku boxytów.

The International Maritime

Organization (IMO) has issued a safety circular on the carriage of the minera³ bauxite, warning masters of the possible danger ofliquefaction.

The advice has been issued by the Sub-Committee on Carriage of Containers and Cargoes after considering the findings of the Bulk Jupiter investigation. The 10-year old Bahamas-flagged bulk carrier was carrying 46,400 tonnes of bauxite when it rapidly sank otTYungTau, Yietnam, in January this year. Ali but one of its 19 crew members were lost, declared dead or missing.

The safety investigation uncovered evidence suggesting li¹uefaction of cargo led to the ship's loss of stability.

The circular informs ship masters of the conditions under which they should accept bauxite for carriage: the moisture limit for the specific cargo is certified as less than the indicative moisture limit of 10% and the particle-size distribution is as detailed in the individual schedule for bauxite in the International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes (IMSBC) Code; or the cargo is declared as Group A (cargoes that may li¹uefy) and the shipper declares the transportable moisture limit (TML) and moisture content; or the cargo has been assessed as not presenting Group A properties.

Under the present regulations, the mineral is not classified as a Group A cargo. Instead, the IMSBC Code, bauxite is classified under Group C Cargoes that do not li¹uefy or possess a chemical hazard).

"There is a need to raise awareness of the possible dangers of li¹uefaction associated with bauxite," according to an IMO statement. "If a Group A cargo is shipped with moisture content in excess of its trans-portable moisture limit, there is a risk of cargo shift, which may result in capsizing." Group A cargoes have to be tested before loading, to determine their TML and actual moisture content. Only if testing confirms that the cargo is below the maximum moisture content is that cargo considered safe for caniage.

The IMO reyealed that the subcommittee nad set lip a corre-spondence group to evaluate the properties of bauxite and of coal, given that some types of coal may li¹uefy. The group will also consider any necessary amendments to the IMSBC Code.

P&I clubs have issued several warnings this year about the dangers of liquefaction while carrying bauxite. In January, Norwegian P&I club Skuld wamed that li¹uefaction often occured with bauxite when the cargo was pre-filtered to separate fine and large particles, the process of which may introduce water into the cargo, or when the cargo hadundergone some other formofprocessingorciushing