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Solid bulk cargo means any material, other than liquid or gas,
consisting of a combination of particles, granules or any larger
piece of material, generally uniform in composition, which is
loaded directly into the cargo spaces of a ship without any
immediate form of containment. Examples of such dry cargo are
grain, sugar, and ores in bulk.
How to make a loading plan in accordance with the ship's loading
manual
The ship's approved loading manual is essential onboard
documentation for the planning of cargo stowage & loading
operation.
For each step of the loading operation, the loading plan should
also show the amount of ballast and the tanks to be deballasted,
the ship's draught and trim, and the calculated shear stress and
bending moments. Exceeding the permissible limits specified in the
ship's approved loading manual will lead to over-stressing of the
ship's structure and may result in catastrophic failure of the hull
structure.
It is imperative to carry out draft checks at regular intervals
during the loading, and particularly when between about 75-90% of
the cargo is loaded. The tonnage loaded should be compared with the
terminal's weight figure, and adjustments to the final trimming
figures determined and agreed accordingly
Any changes to the loading plan required by either terminal or ship
should be made known as soon as possible and agreed by the master
and terminal representative. Stresses resulting from any changes
must remain within the ship's hull stress limitations. High impact
cargo drops and exceeding maximum load limits on tanks tops should
be avoided.
To avoid over-stressing the ship:
a) Cargo should be distributed evenly within each hold and trimmed
to the boundaries of the cargo space to minimize the risk of it
shifting at sea. The quantity of cargo to be trimmed into the fore
and aft holds should be delivered exactly as required to ensure the
ship finishes with the required fore and aft draughts and trim.
This will ensure it will be able to depart from the load port and
proceed to and arrive at its unloading port safely and with the
required under keel clearance.
b) Cargo should not be loaded high against one hold bulkhead or one
side, and low against the other.
c) Each hold should be loaded using at least two separate pours per
hold.
d) The terminal should maintain an accurate record of the tonnages
loaded in each pour into each hold.
e) Sudden increases in the loading rates causing significant
overloading should be avoided.
The amount of cargo remaining on the belts depends on the loading
rate at the time. This should be known by the loader operator and
the terminal representative Ship/shore communications arrangements
should be confirmed when completing the ship/shore safety
checklist, giving all necessary details and contact details for
both ship and terminal including:
a) Language and terminology to be used.
b) Location of telephones and terminal offices, normal
communications procedures and telephone numbers.
c) Emergency communications procedures and telephone numbers.
d) Designated port VHF Channels
Clarify procedures for providing the duty officer with the tonnage
loaded and the loading rate as required.
Clarify arrangements for stops to carry out draught checks.
Clarify arrangements for reporting ship damage by stevedores.
The ship should provide the terminal with its proposed unloading
plan in advance of the ship's arrival.
The terminal representative should co-ordinate with the master and
agree upon a plan before operations begin.
Agreeing on the unloading plan prior to arrival simplifies matters
for all concerned when the ship does arrive, as there usually is
little time for the master to re-calculate the unloading plan after
the ship has arrived and is ready to commence unloading.
The Master should ensure that the terminal representative is
provided with accurate information in good time so as the loader/
unloader operator can be notified of the ship's requirements.