A progress report by the Royal Institution of Naval Architects' Safety Committee
What are General Cargo Ships?
The term "general cargo ship" covers many different ship designs that do not fit into other more specialised dry cargo types such as bulk carriers, container ships and Ro-Ro ships. In general, their distinctive feature is an ability to carry diverse types of lift-on/lift-off cargo. They include multi-purpose cargo ships, traditional tween-deck designs, and many small coasters [1].
Why is General Cargo Ship Safety Important?
eneral cargo ships experience particularly high risks of accidents. They account for nearly 20% of the world merchant fleet, but suffer over 40% of total losses and almost 40% of the fatalities. These accidents amount to 90 ships lost per year and cause the death of 170 seafarers each year world-wide. These statistics are based on the period 1995 to 2000 [1], but more recent statistics are little better [4]. The risks of death to individual seafarers are higher than on any other large ship type, and the total death toll is roughly equal to that from oil tankers, bulk carriers and Ro-Ro passenger ferries combined.
It is clearly desirable for the maritime community to take action to reduce the risks, although it is not clear exactly what action would be most effective.
What has the Royal Institution of Naval Architects' Safety Committee done about it?
The Royal Institution of Naval Architects' Safety Committee was alerted to the issue in 2001 by Nikos Mikelis. In 2002, John Spouge quantified the risk levels [1-2], and the subject has been one of the Committee's priority topics ever since.
The nature of the general cargo fleet means that international action is needed, and so Alan Gilfillan submitted the RINA paper [3] to the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) of IMO in 2003. MSC concluded that "in principle the data provided in the document justified a more detailed undertaking into the safety of these ships".
After a further 3 years in which the subject failed to reach the IMO agenda due to lack of support from national maritime administrations, the Chief Executive wrote the Secretary General of IMO in 2006 expressing RINA's concern at the lack of progress on this important issue. The Russian Federation has provided the necessary support [4], and it is expected that the issue to be discussed at MSC in October 2007.
What has the Maritime Community done about it?
Meanwhile, several initiatives have been taken by the maritime community, which the Safety Committee's research [1] indicates should improve the situation:
oThe ISM Code has been applied to general cargo ships from 2002.
oUnified requirements for close-up surveys on general cargo vessels were introduced by the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) in 2002.
oPort state control inspections continue to be targeted at ship types with high detention rates, such as general cargo ships.
oProbabilistic damage stability requirements will apply to general cargo ships from 2009.
What can Naval Architects do about it?
Topics needing research include:
o Have the above initiatives reduced the risks to an acceptable level? It will be some years before accident statistics answer this question. Meanwhile, incident trends or theoretical analyses are needed.
o What further action, if any, would be effective? Formal Safety Assessment (FSA) is a suitable technique to address this question, but after the recent FSA of bulk carriers there is little enthusiasm or resources for a large-scale FSA of general cargo ships. Therefore, simpler guidance is needed.
In design, a key hazard is that general cargo ships may be particularly vulnerable to flooding, especially for ships in the range 6000 to 9000 dwt. We deduce this from their high rates of loss from foundering, collision, and grounding compared to other ships [1]. Although the reasons are unclear, it would be prudent for designers to take extra precautions against flooding of these ships.
In operation, a key hazard is that crew on general cargo ships may be particularly exposed to accidents due to cargo handling. We deduce this from the high occupational fatality rates on coasters compared to other ships [5]. In addition, operators should take particular care to maintain watertight integrity on the vessel.
Further Information
1. Spouge, J., "The Safety of General Cargo Ships", International Journal of Maritime Engineering, December 2003.
2. Spouge, J., "General Cargo Ships - Danger Overlooked?" The Naval Architect, February 2003.
3. RINA, "Comparison of General Cargo Ship Losses and Fatalities", MSC 77/25/4, Maritime Safety Committee, March 2003.
4. Russian Federation, "General Cargo Ships Safety", MSC 82/21/19, Maritime Safety Committee, August 2006.
5. Hansen, H.L., Nielsen, D. & Frydenberg, M., "Occupational Hazards on Board Danish Merchant Ships", International Conference on Learning from Marine Incidents II, RINA, March 2002
Feedback
The RINA Safety Committee would welcome feedback from members and non-members on any better or more specific suggestions for improving the safety of general cargo ships. The Committee would also like to know what further information or advice might be needed.
Comments should be forwarded using the Safety Topic page of the Technical Forum - Discussion
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