Chapter 8

WATCH KEEPING IN PORT ON SHIPS CARRYING HAZARDOUS

CARGO

General
The master of every ship carrying cargo that are hazardous, whether
explosive, flammable, toxic, health threatening or environment polluting
or in bulk shall ensure that safe watch keeping arrangements are
maintained. The ready availability on board of a duly qualified officer or
officers, and ratings where appropriate, even when the ship is safely
moored or safely at anchor in port shall be a requirement for keeping a
safe watch.
On ships carrying hazardous cargo other than in bulk, the master shall
take full account of the nature, quantity, packing and stowage of the
hazardous cargo and of any special conditions on board, afloat and
ashore.
Documentation
1.

In all documents relating to the carriage of dangerous goods, the

correct technical name of the goods shall be used (trade names alone
shall not be used) and the correct description given in accordance with
the classification set out in regulation.

2.

The shipping documents prepared by the shipper shall include, or be

accompanied by, a signed certificate or declaration that the shipment
offered for carriage is properly packaged and marked, labelled or
placarded, as appropriate, and in proper condition for carriage.

The Dangerous Goods Note

This is a dangerous goods declaration in the form of a shipping note
and container/vehicle packing certificate. It is required in ocean, road
and rail freight for containers. It contains such information as:

the names and addresses of the exporter,

consignee and freight forwarder (if any),

vessel,

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port of loading,

port of discharge,

destination depot,

marks & numbers,

number and kind of package,

description of goods (indicates the hazard class,

UN number,

flash point in degrees Celsius),

net and gross weight of goods,

volume of goods,

prefix and container vehicle number,

seal number,

container/vehicle size and type,

name of shipper preparing the note and telephone number, and

name and status of declarant

The carriage of dangerous goods onboard ship is governed by the IMO
International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) code and its
supplements. This publication contains details of the classification of
each commodity and the documentation, labelling and packaging
required. Physical and chemical properties are described and advice on
fire-fighting and any limiting quantities is given. Such goods must be
appropriately handled, stowed and segregated with regard to the advice
given in the code.(Student may refer to chapter 10 of the first year
Cargo handling and stowage technology courseware.)
The supplements contain information on: reporting procedures, packing
guidelines, solid bulk cargoes (BC Code), emergency procedures (EmS
Code), and medical first aid guide (MFAG) (for use in accidents
involving dangerous goods).

Watch Keeping In Port

The OOW should be familiar with the layout of this publication including
its supplements, so that he is able to extract quickly all information
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which is relevant to the cargo carried on a particular voyage. The OOW

should read the entry for each item of dangerous goods that is to be
shipped, and ask the Chief Officer for clarification of any point he does
not understand. With rapid loading and large quantities of dangerous
cargo the OOW may not have time to read the details of all these
entries. However, it is good practice if he reads such entries as soon as
he is able. Extra information may also be available from the Shipper of
the goods.
Dangerous goods should be loaded and discharged only under the
supervision of the OOW. He should ensure that they are clearly marked
with their appropriate class and IMO number as described in the IMDG
code, and that they are identified by their correct chemical name and
not a brand name, otherwise there may be problems in obtaining the
correct advice for handling spills or other emergencies.
It is essential that the OOW checks that all dangerous goods are
stowed exactly as per the preloading plan, to ensure that planned
segregations are made. He must report any discrepancies to the Chief
Officer immediately, to ensure that any incorrect stowage is changed so
that incompatible cargoes are adequately segregated.
Ships carrying dangerous cargo shall exhibit the following signals,

By day, flag "B" of the International Code of Signals

By night, an all-round fixed red light

Marking on packages
Some mention needs to be made of the cargo plan and adherence to it
Please include requirements given in the supplements such as:

Proper marking on the cargo

If the hazardous cargo is loaded in container the container shall also be

marked appropriately

Appropriate dunnage and securing arrangements compatible to the

cargo

The personal protective clothing required if specified in the supplement.

Precautions to be taken in case of spills.

No smoking.

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Readiness for fighting fire.

First aid requirements with some hazardous cargoes

Requirements to be taken into account as specified in SOLAS CH II

Information to be made available to the crew relating the hazards

Special precautions necessary when loading explosives

reporting requirements MSN 1741(m)

Hot work not to be permitted

Precautions to be taken when handling dangerous goods

The OOW should be extra alert if any dangerous goods are spilled from
their packaging, He must inform the Chief Officer immediately. The
substance should be identified and the spill contained. The IMDG Code
must be consulted to ascertain the likely effects of the spillage.
Relevant information may be contained in the ES Code and MFAG
supplements. If the chemical is poisonous, gives off toxic fumes, or has
any life threatening properties, no one should be allowed near the spill
unless they are wearing appropriate protective clothing and a respirator
if necessary, Evacuation of the hold, or the entire ship, may be
appropriate.
The ships carrying dangerous cargoes should be equipped with a
sufficient quantity of fully protective clothing, self-contained breathing
apparatus, spray nozzles (preferably fire hoses fitted with approved
dual-purpose nozzles, i.e. spray/jet type incorporating a shut off) and
suitable absorbent material.
The Ems recommends essential equipment other than items commonly
carried and readily available on board ships to provide checklist when
dangerous goods are loaded. Not all-protective clothing is resistant to
all dangerous goods. Therefore the manufacturers recommendation
should be asked for the use with particular substances. Fully protective
clothing comprises boots, overalls, gloves, goggles and headgear.
Where self-contained breathing apparatus is required for both spillage
and fire situation, there will be no need for goggles; thus protective
clothing comprises boots, coveralls, gloves and headgear.

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When dealing with incidents involving flammable gases, or flammable

liquids with flash point of 610 C closed cup or below, all sources of
ignition should be avoided.
In general, the recommendation is to wash spillage on deck overboard
with copious quantities of water and, where there is likely to be a
dangerous reaction with water, from as far as practicable. Disposal of
spilt dangerous goods overboard is a matter of judgement bearing in
mind that safety of crew has priority over the pollution of the sea. If it is
safe to do so, spillage and leakage of substances, articles and materials
identified in IMDG Code as MARINE POLLUTANT should be collected
for safe disposal. Absorbent material should be used for liquids.
Normally entry of personnel into any enclosed space requires in that a
space, which has remained closed for some time, may have insufficient
oxygen to support life. Toxic, corrosive and/or flammable vapours in
under deck cargo spaces should, where possible, be dispersed before
undertaking any emergency action. Where mechanical ventilation
system is used, care will be necessary to ensure that flammable
vapours are not ignited. Entry into a cargo space should only be
undertaken by trained personnel wearing self-contained breathing
apparatus, and protective clothing when recommended, and always
under the supervision of a responsible officer.
Spillage collected with absorbent material and kept in plastic bags or
other receptacles may need to be stowed safely for ultimate disposal
ashore. Collection of spillage with absorbent material under deck may
not be fully effective, hence the foregoing precautions on entry into
enclosed spaces should be observed. A careful inspection for structural
damages should be carried out after dealing with spillage of highly
corrosive substances.

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