CONTAINER LASHING SAFETY STUDY

[proud_ionian]

MARIN, the Maritime Research Institute Netherlands, is about to undertake an investigation project aimed at improving the safety and economy of container loads.

The move follows the high-profile incidents during February when hundreds of containers were lost overboard from containerships in the Bay of Biscay. Marin notes that several thousand containers are thought to be lost each year.

The institute says that it has invited stakeholders with a direct interest, including eight shipowners, the major lashing equipment manufacturers, specialist surveying companies, classification societies, as well as the Dutch Department of Transport, to co-operate in the Joint Industry Project Lashing@Sea. P&I clubs have also been invited to join the consortium, and other interested parties are welcome to apply, said MARIN.

Project leader Jos Koning says: "The recent container losses and stow collapses indicate the lack of understanding in the loading and response of present-day lashing equipment. It is clear this jeopardises the safety of property, people and the environment.”

He continued: ”But these problems also apply to the short-sea coaster/feeder ship and ro-ro trades, where, due to differing flag state rules, non-transparent regulations result in a non-level playing field. Small ships are subject to heavy stresses as much as larger ones.

“In order to reduce their costs, operators, especially in Western Europe, need to seek operating efficiency through optimised lashings and weather dependent lashing. The Marin project will investigate these requirements with the aim of finding solutions but without reducing safety and reliability levels.”

source: MGN