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GENERAL CARGO
Inspection of Holds prior Loading:
General
All holds should be inspected prior commencing loading this may be done while the ship is enroute or just after
completion of discharging and prior loading at the same port.
A thorough cleaning of the hold is undertaken; the bilges are cleaned and tried out with little amount of water. If
required the hold is hosed down and the water pumped to holding tanks.
(This ensures that there is no refuse lying within the holds and that the bilges after loading would if necessary
be capable of being pumped out.)
The bilges if with offensive smell have to be sweetened to prevent any food cargo from being tainted.
All other lines in the hold are to be pressed up and checked for leaks. Air pipes and sounding pipes passing
through the hold spaces are to be checked up with a head of water to ensure that ingress of water into the hold is
minimized.
The hold bottom has to be inspected for any dents in the plating.
All spar dunnage at the ship sides are to be fitted and the frames at the sides have to be inspected.
(This is done so that if bale cargo is loaded the shipside steel does not come in contact with the cargo.)
The used lashing material has to be removed including all temporary eyes, which had been made.
And if this is not done then the same eyes may be inadvertently be used for new lashing lashing wires are for
one use only and the risk of parted lashing arises by using old lashings.

GENERAL CARGO SHIP

Use of Dunnage
There are basically a few reasons why dunnage is so necessary on general cargo ships while loading general
cargo.
1) Of prime importance is to keep the cargo away from the steel bottom of the hold to minimize damage
from ship sweat. And only by dunnage can the cargo be safeguarded against this. Good ventilation
certainly helps but some amount of sweat is ever present.
2) The second reason why dunnage is spread about on the holds is to bring about some amount of
frictional resistance between the cargo and the steel bottom. Thus lashing becomes easier. Another factor
is the dunnage helps in spreading the cargo weight evenly.
3) In the event of small ingress of water the dunnage helps in channeling the water into the bilge wells, if
this were not prevented then any accidental ingress of water would be absorbed or retained in pools by
the cargo.
4) If the hold bottom is dirty due to stain and hard coating of earlier cargo and hosing down is not possible
then a double layer of dunnage would prevent the cargo in coming into contact with the stain.
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In general holds are laid with double dunnage while tween decks are layered with single dunnage.
The size of the dunnage may vary but usually they are about 6 X 1 X 6 feet. These are laid about 6 to 10
apart, though the gaps may again vary depending upon the nature of the cargo. The bottom tier of the hold
dunnaging may be laid in the fore and aft direction and the top tier in the athwart ship direction. At the aft of the
hold a clearing of two feet is laid with the bottom tier in the athwart ship direction. This helps in the water/
condensation from trickling to aft and then subsequently finding the bilge well.
Tween deck dunnaging is of one tier exceptionally may be two tiers and it really doesnt make much
difference if the dunnage is laid out in the fore and aft direction or in the athwart ship direction.
For heavy cargo where spreading the weight takes precedence over other hazards, the dunnage or timber used is
generally 4 X 4 X 6 feet (they may be also of stouter variety).
These heavy timbers are laid out in the fore and aft direction in order that the load is spread on as many frame
spaces as possible.
Dunnaging also forms a very important factor when ventilation is of primary concern especially when loading a
consignment of Rice. Extra channels are created within the bagged cargo to allow good ventilation. Together
with double dunnaging being provided between stacks of 4-6 bags. If this is not done then the cargo sweat that
may be generated is not removed and condenses on the cargo itself allowing the cargo to rot.
The structure of the ship is made of steel, this steel being a good conductor of heat cools down faster than wood
as such the temperature of the steel may fall below the dew point of the air within the compartment leading to
ship sweat. However if this steel can be prevented from coming into contact with the cargo by a layer of wood,
then the effect of the sweat coming into contact with the cargo and thus damaging the same may be limited.
Contamination of Cargo
Cargoes -which taint easily, e.g. tea, flour, sugar, should be kept well away from strong smells. If a pungent
(strong smelling) cargo e.g. cloves, cinnamon has been carried previously, deodorizing of the compartment will
be necessary.
Dirty Cargoes should never be carried in the same compartment as clean cargoes.
A very general classification for dirty cargoes could include paints and oils, steelwork, animal products other
than foodstuffs. Similarly a general classification of clean cargo could include food products and manufactured
vegetable products e.g. clothing. Naturally there will be exceptions to both of the above groups.
Bilge and Suction Wells

Bilges and bilge wells should be thoroughly cleaned prior loading any cargo and especially if the previous cargo
was oil cakes or such other cargo.
Bilges should be cleaned, the suctions tried out and then the bilges should be sweetened with pine oil or such.
The bilges should be finally dried.

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Made by Capt. P K Khare

Prior loading of cargo all bilge wells should be cleaned and then filled with water and the water then pumped
out.
Timings for pumping out the water should be noted and compared with the pump efficiency.
While filling the bilge well the sounding as measured by the sounding rod should be checked against the actual
as observed inside the bilge well.
The sounding pipe should be checked for any blockage.
The striker plate underneath the sounding pipe also should be checked for wear down.
Deep Tanks

Deep tanks are tanks on general cargo ships, which are accessible from the hold. The lines leading to such tanks
are to be blanked off since a slight leakage in such lines can damage cargo in the holds. The man holes to these
tanks also has to be ensured that they are water tight. If any liquid is loaded then the thermometer conduits
should be checked for any leakage as well the heating coils have to be tested prior loading. The pumping out
arrangement has to be tried out before hand.
Covering of Bilge Wells

These suction filters are very easily taken care of. Hessian is used to form a pad comprising of a double layer
and this is wrapped around the loose filter covers of the drain wells. The pad should not be so thick that it would
absorb water and prevent the water from draining into the wells.
For limber boards the same pads are nailed down between the adjacent boards. And they then serve the same
purpose, that is prevent any debris from clogging up the suctions.
Care of Ballast Lines

This is very important, since the inadvertent ballasting of the deep tanks would damage cargo loaded in the deep
tanks.
There are many instances of the above happening, bulk carriers of yesteryears often had a hold dedicated as a
water ballast tank, in 1978 a new ship off the building yard in Gothenburg had not blanked off the ballast lines
since the line had a double segregation. The vessel proceeded to load grain in a US port and on arriving at
aUK port for discharging her cargo, it was found that a substantial amount of cargo in the mentioned hold had
become damaged due to leakage of water from the ballast lines.
Separation Of Cargo
There may be numerous ways of separating cargoes bound for different ports or for same port and different
consignees. In general though not all are any hard and fast rule the principle is to ensure that cargoes destined
for a particular port or consignee is delivered accordingly.
Failure to do this at the time of loading would create chaos at the discharging port, with short landings
residual cargo, since the excess cargo that would remain would not be permitted to be discharged in a
subsequent port without creating more paperwork and expenditure. In fact cases have arisen where ships have
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been arrested for landing cargo not destined for that port customs take a very strict view of this in many parts
of the world.
Thus it is of paramount importance to ensure that cargoes are efficiently separated and marked so that to an uninitiated the cargo discharge may proceed smoothly.
Port markings may be made by different means for different cargoes, the following are some of the few:
Hessian separation strips, in various colours used to encircle the parcel
Shoring, blocking and securing the later port cargo, since this would have to be done in any case at the
discharging port.
Paper sheets
Lashing ropes with coloured strips of cloth wrapped around the joints-turnbuckles/ shackles/ bulldog clips.
Different cargo used as a separation between two similar cargoes.
Water based colours used as port marking or consignee marking this method though is used more often for
consignee marking.
Where bare steel cargo is loaded oil based paint is also sometimes used, since the others may not be suitable due
to partial rusting of the plates as well that hessian strips are in-efficient for these cargoes.
Valuable Cargo

Valuable cargo such as Banknotes or mail earlier used to be carried on general cargo ships in special lockers. If
such lockers were not available then some dedicated space, which could be effectively secured, was made
available. Newer ships do not have such allotted spaces and today most cargoes of such nature is shipped in
containers.
Personal effects are also shipped and unless stated as very valuable is loaded in ordinary holds and are quickly
over stowed with other cargo. As long as the over stowage is incomplete the hold is strictly watched and the
watchman is done away with once the cargo is over stowed and the entrance to the hold is locked.
All mail and personal effects are tallied on board by shore staff as well by a ships staff, the results are then
verified. In case of any dispute the authorities are informed before a general protest is made.
Ventilation

On general cargo ships one of the largest number of cargo claims is made for goods, which, have been damaged
in transit. Barring breakages and handling damage the most common damage is caused by sweat.
SWEAT is formed when the water vapour in the air condenses out into water droplets when the air is cooled
below its dew point.
The water droplets may be deposited onto the ships structure known as ships sweat or on to the cargo known
as cargo sweat.
Ships sweat may run down, and may also drip onto the cargo.
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Cargo sweat occurs when the cargo is cold and the incoming air is warm. Cargo sweat that is formed may be
absorbed by the cargo or if steel may run down after rusting the cargo.
To avoid sweat and its effects it is imperative that wet and dry bulb temperatures of the air entering and the air
contained in the cargo compartment are taken at frequent intervals (once a watch).
If the temperature of the outside air is less than the dew point of the air already in the compartment, sweating
will occur.
This gives rise to ship sweat and is most usually found on voyages from warm places to colder places.
Especially in winter, on voyages from Singapore to Northern China.
Similarly if the temperature of the air in the compartment (or the cargo) is lower than the dew point of the
incoming air sweating will again occur.
This gives rise to cargo sweat and usually occurs on voyage from cold to warmer places. Especially in winter,
on voyages from Northern China to Singapore.
If the latter of the foregoing conditions is encountered ventilation from the outside air should be stopped until
more favourable conditions obtain.
It should be noted that indiscriminate ventilation often does more harm than no ventilation whatsoever.
It should also be noted that variation in the angles of the ventilators from the wind cause very different rates of
airflow within the compartment.
The angle, which the ships course makes with the wind, also affects the flow of air.
In general the greatest airflow occurs when the lee ventilators are trimmed on the wind and the weather
ventilators are trimmed away from the wind.
Refrigerated cargo

The cleanliness of cargo compartments for the transport of refrigerated foodstuffs is more important than for
any other cargoes. Failure to clean properly can result in mould growth and rotting of fruit and vegetables.
Spaces are swept down and all loose dirt removed. Any remaining residues of previous cargoes will have to be
scraped or washed off. After cleaning, the spaces are sprayed with a mild disinfectant such as weak sodium
hypochlorite solution, which also helps to remove odours. Alternatively, an ozoniser may be used for the same
purpose, especially after the carriage of a strong-smelling cargo like oranges.
Holds and lockers are then cooled to carriage temperature. It is essential that any dunnage to be used is placed
in the space before pre-cooling, since the use of warm dunnage could cause considerable damage. It is common
practice to have holds and refrigerating machinery inspected by an independent surveyor to certify that the ship
is in a fit condition for the carriage of the intended cargo.
The cargo should be inspected ashore by the ships officers before loading to see that it is in good condition and
has been properly pre-cooled where that is required. A sample of the cargo should be thoroughly inspected for
signs of mould or other damage and its temperature checked by inserting a steel-tipped thermometer into the
product. A record of the inspection and temperatures recorded should be kept. Similar random inspections of the
cargo should be made during the loading. Any damaged products or carcasses which have thawed should be
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rejected or loaded separately. They could cause spoiling of the remainder of the cargo which was in good
condition.
The carriage temperatures are stipulated by the shipper of the goods and should be adhered to as closely as
possible. Temperatures are taken and recorded at frequent regular intervals and entered in a log-book. Many
ships are also equipped with thermographs, which provide a continuous record of compartment temperatures. In
the event of claims for cargo damage, the records and thermograph charts will be required as evidence that the
correct temperatures were maintained.
In general cargo ships it is usual to arrange, as far as possible, for the refrigerated cargo to be loaded last and at
its destination to be discharged first.
When refrigerated cargo is to be, carried, specially insulated compartments must be provided. The insulation on
the sides, top and bottom of the compartment may be of cork, fiberglass wool or polyurethane rigid foam. It will
be retained in position by galvanised sheeting.
The cooling may be effected by either circulating cold brine (relative density 1.047) through pipes on the sides
and deck head, or by blowing cold air through the compartment.
The bilges should be cleaned and sweetened and their suctions tested. The brine traps should be cleaned out,
refilled and tested. This also applies to those in the tween deck.
The brine traps serve a dual purpose they prevent the cold air from reaching the bilges and thus freezing out the
water in the pipes and also they prevent the bad odour from the bilges reaching the cold chambers.
If the vessel is fitted with brine-pipes the side baffle boards (which keep the cargo clear of the pipes) should be
removed and the pipes wiped clean. If fitted with the cold air circulation system, air ducts should be cleaned,
this is particularly important if a dusty cargo has been carried previously.
Any fat or grease spots on the deck should be scraped up.
The insulation should be inspected and any repairs necessary to it or to the sparring, which is attached to it,
must be effected.
Thermometers should, be made ready and, where fitted, thermometer pipes should be erected.
Dunnage must be pre-cooled before use. In most-trades the dunnage will be laid before the loading
commences.
If the compartment is fitted with gratings, these will have been scrubbed before being laid down.
When chilled meat is to be carried, the requisite number of meat bars, hooks and chain will have to be placed in
the compartment for pre-cooling.
The hook and chains should be sterilized (this is usually done ashore).
When the compartment has been prepared it will be cooled to the loading temperature. It will then be ready for
the surveyor to carry out a loading port survey. In most cases this is in essential before any cargo is loaded.
When the cargo has been loaded the portable brine-pipes will be fitted in the. square of the hatch. Afterwards
the insulated plug hatches must be shipped and fitted as tightly as possible.
When general cargo or frozen cargo at a different temperature is being carried in the deck above, a layer of
sawdust is often put over the hatches and deck to absorb any condensation.
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Refrigerated containers with their own built in cooling units are to be inspected as thoroughly as for chambers
above that is if they are being stuffed on board, this is extremely rare. In general the containers are pre-cooled
ashore and then are stuffed at the providers place or in the dock from refrigerated trucks. The inspections are
done by shore surveyors.
Prior loading all the ships power points for these containers are to be tested and logged down.
While receiving the containers the containers are to be inspected for any dents or gashes on the body and the
temperature card (circular) is to be noted.
The temperature is to be noted, however the temperature may a bit high on loading and it comes down after the
ships power is switched on. The temperature graph is to be monitored and any sign of heating up is to be
prevented. Some units have drawings to do some sort of emergency arrangements if the unit fails during the
voyage.
The graph card needs to be renewed once the time scale gets over and these are kept as spare on board and are
to be replaced by fresh cards, the filled in cards are to be kept with the cargo/ chief officer for handing them
ashore prior discharging.
Temperature records are vital in both the methods of carriage. Temperatures are to be recorded at least three
times a day and all the points provided and the same is to be recorded, if automatic recorders are provided then
the visual sightings also should be used for checking.
All records are to be kept safely are to be handed over (copies) to the shore authorities after discharging. These
records are vital in case there are claims about the cargo and the temperature records are the only proof the ship
has to refute the claims.
Securing Cargo
Need for solid stow and securing of all cargoes
Cargo onboard a ship will tend to shift with the motion of the ship. This necessitates the cargo to
be lashed (secured) to the ship structure. However the lashing with ropes/ wire ropes/ iron
restraining bars is not very effective because of the fact that the tightened lashings have a
tendency to work loose with the motion of the ship.

On shore any nut which is fitted tightly on a bolt works loose with vibrations as such - spring washers are used
together with check nuts and split pins to prevent the working loose of such nuts.
This is not practical on shipboard lashings - except for turnbuckles and bottle screws with restraint bars. Below
deck lashings further are not attended to during sailing and if they work loose it is practically impossible to do a
very effective job to re-secure them. Temporary measures are often adopted and these may not be very effective.
Thus the only way to prevent the lashings from working loose is to stow the cargo very close to each other and
then to shore the cargo with timber. This would prevent the cargo from acquiring momentum while swaying
with the ship and thus prevent to a large extent the working loose of the lashings.
For bagged cargo if the same is not stowed solidly and thus allowing too much of broken stowage, would tend
to shift with the motion of the ship, thus shifting the centre of gravity laterally and inducing a list to the ship.
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This coupled with the heeling of the ship would make the weather deck of a ship too close to the water line and
thus endanger the safety of the ship.
Bulk cargo on general cargo carriers are therefore saucered with the same cargo, in order to prevent the cargo
from shifting to one side.
Deck cargo due to the high KG is especially vulnerable for lateral shifting and the lashings work loose and also
to part lashing. Especially since the transverse momentum gained by such cargo during the rolling of a ship is
liable to part lashings. Thus all deck cargo has to be definitely shored and then also lashed to deny the cargo
from gaining any momentum.
Cargo liable to slide during rolling, such as steel rails, should be Stowed fore and aft
All long cargoes such as steel rails, pipes, long steel plates as well as steel coils are stowed with their ends in the
fore and aft direction. This again is necessary due to the fact that most of theses cargo cannot be individually
lashed they rather grouped into bundles and the bundles are lashed to make many small bundles of pipes or rails
as the case may be. This prevents the individual pipes from sliding and since as mentioned the transverse
momentum is quite large when the ship is rolling, and the pipes are thus prevented from damaging the sidewalls
of the hold. This is severe since repeated banging has resulted in tearing holes in the shipside plates below the
waterline and the ship capsizing due the inflow of water.
If the pipes / rails are stowed in the fore and aft direction this is prevented.
In general the safe working load (S.W.L.) of lashing wires is taken as 1/3 the Breaking load.
If chain is used for lashing then:
If made of H.T. steel then the SWL would be 40% of the Breaking load.
And if made of ordinary steel then the SWL would be 33% of the Breaking load.
Efficient securing of cargoes is essential for the safety of the ship as well as the cargo
Securing of cargo is of prime importance not only for the cargoes themselves but also for the ship as a whole
including the crew that sail on her.
Improperly secured cargo will shift in a seaway and can endanger the cargo as well as the ship.
In the worst cases the cargo may fall overboard and may endanger other ships such cargoes like logs and
containers have been noted to have floated and come within the sea-lanes.
When a container falls overboard it must be remembered that it does so in spite of it being secured on the ship
as well as the opposition to this being offered by the ship structure. Thus when it does go overboard it does after
causing a great amount of structural damage.
There are many instances of cargo improperly secured breaking the lashings and punching a hole at or below
the waterline and the ship having been lost with casualties.
Deck cargos if they part their lashings are liable to cause extensive damage, which can endanger the watertight
integrity. Even minor movement of heavy cargoes has been known to shear off air pipes and sounding pipes
resulting in water entering the tanks or other spaces below deck. Fire lines have also been damaged due to
inadvertent movement of cargo.

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Accommodation ladders as well as companionway can be damaged due to the cargo movement on deck in a
seaway.
Even if the ship is not lost the damage such heavy cargoes can bring upon the structure of the ship is very heavy.
Crew has often been sent to re-secure such cargo in rough weather with the crew suffering loss of limbs and
other injuries.
Stowage and securing of deck cargo should be adequate for the worst conditions which could be experienced
Good stowage and good securing arrangement should be foreseen prior loading the cargo. If it is required extra
lugs and eyes on deck have to be welded to provide lashing points for the cargo- this is generally done for heavy
lifts or cargoes of odd sizes.
Securing should be always for the worst weather that would be encountered. Many a ship have suffered damage
to cargoes and to their own structure by neglecting good and adequate lashing while on a short voyage, failing
to take into account diversions and anchorage at open roadstead and cyclonic weather.
Hatches sould be securely closed and cleated before loading over them
Once the cargo below deck has been loaded and all securing has been completed (securing can continue after
the hatches are secured provided it is permitted and there is adequate space for the crew to enter and to lash), the
hatches are closed and battened down and all cleats and centre wedges should be in place.
Only after the above have been completed should any cargo be loaded on to the hatch tops.
If this is not done, and the hatch is battened down after the cargo has been loaded on to the hatch tops the
battening down and the fitting of the cleats as well as the centre wedges would be ineffective since the weight of
the cargo would not permit the hatch covers to be correctly in place and the hatch would leak in a seaway or
even in rain.
Cargo Securing Manual must be followed strictly for Securing cargo.

Container Cargo
The first ship modified to accept containers on deck, sailed with 58 of them from New York to Houston in
April 1956.
The International Standards Organization (ISO) first established container standards in 1961. The ISO standard
is not prescriptive and instead simply stipulates tests that the containers must pass.
Containers come in two basic sizes 20 Footer and 40 Footer and are commonly known as TEU (Twenty
Equivalent Units) and FEU (Forty Equivalent Units).
The external body of the container is made of corrugated sheet metal and is not capable of taking any load. The
four corners have shoes and are strengthened to take in load.
The inside bottom has a wooden ceiling. There are weather-insulted vents provided to facilitate venting.
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The weights marked on the containers are TARE weight and LADEN weight. TARE weight is the weight of the
empty container and is usually 2200KGS for a TEU, while the LADEN weight may be anything from
20000KGS to 32000KGS (strengthened steel construction).
The container shoes fitted at the corners are hollow with 3 oval slots to facilitate the fitting of
container fittings as well as for lifting the container either by using conventional wire slings or
by spreaders.

Since the containers are concentrated weights the loading of the same require special heavy dunnaging to spread
the load evenly over the deck if carried as deck cargo on conventional general cargo ships.
However the carriage of containers are primarily on container ships or on ships, which have been built to take in
general cargo as well as containers to a limited extent.
Lashing of containers on purpose ships are supplied from reputed lashing makers and have been tested for the
loads they are to lash. Various fittings are used and all of these are generally carried on board.
Base stacker

Twist Lock

Double Stacker

Corner Eye Pad

Side Stack Thrust

Bridge Fitting

Double Twist Lock

Rod Lashing Bar

Spacer Stacker

The planning of loading of a container ship is normally undertaken ashore, but the officer in charge of the watch
should keep an eye on the loading to detect errors in stowage which may occur. A particular watch should be
kept for containers with dangerous goods placards to see that their stowage satisfies segregation requirements as
laid down in the IMDG code.
Other things to watch for are that container marked for underdeck stowage do not end up on deck this is
serious since the container may be for second port by rotation, also the heavier containers are generally loaded
underdeck to increase the GM. Thus in addition to a loss of GM the ship would also have a mess up at the
disport.
Refrigerated containers should be loaded where they can be connected to the ships power supply and the duty
officer is to ensure the same. While loading a slight slackening of watch can become a liability since the
gantries load very fast and to unload or to shift is expensive and time consuming even if the fault actually is of
the port.
Sometimes containers are loaded which due to the nature of the contents have to be overstowed, in this case the
container is loaded and the container is then blocked off so that there would be no chance of any pilferage
such containers may carry currency/ coins, drugs, and mail or other high value cargo.
All lashings are to be done following the CARGO SECURING MANUAL
DANGEROUS GOODS
Classes, divisions, packing groups

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Substances (including mixtures and solutions) and articles subject to the provisions of this Code are assigned to
one of the classes 1-9 according to the hazard or the most predominant of the hazards they present. Some of
these classes are subdivided into divisions. These classes or divisions are as listed below:
Class 1: Explosives
Division 1.1: substances and articles which have a mass explosion hazard
Division 1.2: substances and articles which have a projection hazard but not a mass explosion hazard
Division 1.3: substances and articles which have a fire hazard and either a minor blast hazard or a minor
projection hazard or both, but not a mass explosion hazard
Division 1.4: substances and articles which present no significant hazard
Division 1.5: very insensitive substances which have a mass explosion hazard
Division 1.6: extremely insensitive articles which do not have a mass explosion hazard
Class 2: Gases
Class 2.1: flammable gases
Class 2.2: non-flammable, non-toxic gases
Class 2.3: toxic gases
Class 3: Flammable liquids
Class 4: Flammable solids; substances liable to spontaneous combustion; substances which, in contact
with water, emit flammable gases
Class 4.1: flammable solids, self-reactive substances and desensitized explosives
Class 4.2: substances liable to spontaneous combustion
Class 4.3: substances which, in contact with water, emit flammable gases
Class 5: Oxidizing substances and organic peroxides
Class 5.1: oxidizing substances
Class 5.2: organic peroxides
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Class 6: Toxic and infectious substances

Class 6.1: toxic substances
Class 6.2: infectious substances
Class 7: Radioactive material
Class 8: Corrosive substances
Class 9: Miscellaneous dangerous substances and articles
The numerical order of the classes and divisions is not that of the degree of danger.
Marine pollutants and wastes
Many of the substances assigned to classes 1 to 9 are deemed as being marine pollutants. Certain marine
pollutants have an extreme pollution potential and are identified as severe marine pollutants.
Marking, labelling and placarding
Packages containing dangerous goods shall be durably marked with the correct technical name; trade names
alone shall not be used.
Packages containing dangerous goods shall be provided with distinctive labels or stencils of the labels, or
placards, as appropriate, so as to make clear the dangerous properties of the goods contained therein.
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, labeled or placarded, as
appropriate, and in proper condition for carriage.
Each ship carrying dangerous goods shall have a special list or manifest setting forth, in accordance with the
classification, the dangerous goods on board and the location thereof. A detailed stowage plan, which identifies
by class and sets out the location of all dangerous goods on board, may be used in place of such a special list or
manifest. A copy of one of these documents shall be made available before departure to the person or
organization designated by the port State authority.
Dangerous Goods Packing and Packages Packing Groups, Classifying Criteria The risks presented by dangerous
goods in maritime transport are related to their packaging, therefore it must be safe, well designed and
manufactured and in good condition. It is very unlikely you will suffer injuries due to this cargo, but if the cargo
is damaged, it is possible for dangerous substances or vapors to be released. The packages/containers must
comply with the following requirements:
Must not be affected by the cargo it contains
Must be strong enough to endure the rough treatment and risks involved in maritime transport
Must be able to endure rain, wind and sea water
Must be practical and adequate for the cargo they carry
Must be in good condition
Must be correctly marked, label and signposted
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For packing purposes, dangerous goods belonging to all classes, except for class 1, 2, 6.2 and 7 have been
divided into three packing groups depending on the degree of danger they represent:
Packing Group I High level of danger
Packing Group II Medium level of danger
Packing Group III Low level of danger
UN Packaging and Approval Marking Most packages also need to bear the UN packaging approval mark
confirming that the packaging has been tested and approved in accordance with relevant United Nations
performance standards.
Stowage requirements
Dangerous goods shall be loaded, stowed and secured safely and appropriately in accordance with the nature of
the goods. Incompatible goods shall be segregated from one another.
Explosives (except ammunition), which present a serious risk, shall be stowed in a magazine, which shall be
kept securely closed while at sea. Such explosives shall be segregated from detonators. Electrical apparatus and
cables in any compartment in which explosives are carried shall be so designed and used as to minimize the risk
of fire or explosion.
Dangerous goods in packaged form, which give off dangerous vapours, shall be stowed in a mechanically
ventilated space or on deck. Dangerous goods in solid form in bulk, which give off dangerous vapours, shall be
stowed in a well-ventilated space.
In ships carrying flammable liquids or gases, special precautions shall be taken where necessary against fire or
explosion.
Substances, which are liable to spontaneous heating or combustion shall not be carried unless adequate
precautions have been taken to minimize the likelihood of the outbreak of fire.
SEGREGATION AND SEPARATION
The IMDG Code requires dangerous goods to be stored and segregated according to the hazard, class and
compatibility. The code also provides detailed information on these important factors in terms of where
dangerous goods should be stowed and how they should be separated or segregated from other cargoes.
Regarding Class 1 (Explosives) the code establishes the following 15 categories for stowage onboard:
Category
Cargo Ships
Passenger Ships
01
On deck or below deck
On deck or below deck
02
On deck or below deck
On deck in closed transport units or
under deck in closed transport units
03
On deck or below deck
On deck only in closed cargo
transport units
04
On deck or below deck
PROHIBITED
05
On deck in closed cargo transport
On deck in close cargo transport
units or under deck
units or under deck
06
On deck in closed cargo transport
On deck in closed cargo transport
units or under deck
units or under deck in closed cargo
transport units
07
On deck in closed transport units or On deck only in closed transport
under deck
units
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On deck in closed cargo transport

units or under deck
On deck in closed cargo transport
units or under deck in closed cargo
transport units
On deck in closed cargo transport
units or under deck in closed cargo
transport units
On deck in closed cargo transport
units or under deck in magazine
stowage type C
On deck in closed cargo transport
units or under deck in magazine
stowage type C
On deck in closed cargo transport
units or under deck in magazine
stowage type A
On deck only in closed cargo
transport units
On deck in closed cargo transport
units or under deck in closed cargo
transport units

PROHIBITED
On deck in close cargo transport
units or under deck in closed cargo
transport units
On deck only in closed cargo
transport units
On deck only in closed cargo
transport units
PROHIBITED
On deck only in closed cargo
transport units
PROHIBITED
PROHIBITED

Segregation
The IMDG Code defines four segregation terms:
1. Away from
(the minimum separation between two incompatible goods)
2. Separated from
3. Separated by a complete compartment or hold from
4. Separated longitudinally by an intervening complete compartment or hold from
(this is the maximum separation between two incompatible goods)
Container and portable tanks which contained dangerous goods are to be treated as same class till cleaned and
certified.
Cleaning of container and portable tanks which contained dangerous goods must be done in a special area, away
from to those where dangerous goods are stored. Such areas shall be adequately designed and equipped to avoid
contaminated washing water ending up in the soil, waterways or sewerage system. After deconsolidating (unstuffing/ stripping) a container with dangerous goods, all placards and goods risk identification shall be
removed from the container.
LOG CARRIER
The carriage of logs at sea is a specialised trade and all those working on ships that carry such cargoes need to
be fully aware of the relevant safety regulations and procedures if the voyage is to be safe and successful.
Apart from stability, there are two other key requirements to remember - visibility and structural integrity. The
load must allow adequate visibility for safe navigation and the weight must not exceed the designed maximum
permissible load on the weather deck and hatches.
Code of safe practice for ships carrying timber deck cargoes (latest edn 2011) should be followed while loading
timbers on deck.
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Timber Carrier have separate loadline markings with lesser freeboard.

Also as they have deck cargo load the gm is quite low.
Due to above in heavy sea conditions the timber (even under tarpaulin cover) gets wet and the residual GM is
still reduced. And there is probability of vessel becoming unstable.
Before loading any cargo, the holds must be thoroughly cleaned and the bark residues from the previous voyage
must be collected for subsequent disposal. The holds, deck structures and other equipment should be inspected
to see whether any damage has occurred that will need rectifying before the ship loads a new cargo.
The stowage and securing of these cargoes on deck requires a complex system of lashing and should be done
strictly as per Cargo Securing Manual.
Common forms of timber include:
Log : tree trunk with bark and branches removed
Balk : log hewn (cut with axe or similar instrument) or sawn to square shape
Planks : timber cut in a shape with parallel sides
Deals : timber cut in a board shape
Battens : similar to deals but width is less than 7 inches
RORO ships
Roll-on/roll-off (RORO or ro-ro) ships are vessels designed to carry wheeled cargo, such as automobiles,
trucks, semi-trailer trucks, trailers, and railroad cars, that are driven on and off the ship on their own wheels.
This is in contrast to Lift-on/Lift-off (LoLo) vessels, which use a crane to load and unload cargo.
RORO vessels have built-in ramps that allow the cargo to be efficiently rolled on and off the vessel when in
port. While smaller ferries that operate across rivers and other short distances often have built-in ramps, the
term RORO is generally reserved for larger oceangoing vessels. The ramps and doors may be stern-only, or bow
and stern for quick loading.
Types of RORO vessels include ferries, cruiseferries, cargo ships, and barges. New automobiles that are
transported by ship are often moved on a large type of RORO called a pure car carrier (PCC) or pure car/truck
carrier (PCTC).
Elsewhere in the shipping industry, cargo is normally measured by the metric tonne, but RORO cargo is
typically measured in lanes in metres (LIMs). This is calculated by multiplying the cargo length in metres by the
number of decks and by its width in lanes (lane width differs from vessel to vessel, and there are several
industry standards). On PCCs, cargo capacity is often measured in RT or RT43 units (based on a 1966 Toyota)
or in car-equivalent units (CEU).
There are two main features of Roro vsls
1. There are large openings to facilitate loading, hence keeping them watertight at sea passage is of utmost
importance
2. The cargo is on wheels hence more likely to shift during heavy conditions, The securing must be done
strictly in compliance with Cargo securing manual.
Tankers:
Due to increased volume of liquid cargo movement there are dedicated ships to carry liquid cargo in bulk
They can mainly be subdivided as follows
Crude Oil Carriers
Product (obtained from refining Crude oil) carriers
Chemical carriers
Gas Carriers
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Due to volatile nature of cargo they carry, they are subject to many IMO regulations. Also the cargo is carried in
Inert atmosphere to reduce risk of Fire / Explosion. A closed ullaging system is used on modern tankers. Also
they have various types of monitoring equipment to check Tank atmosphere.
All types of tankers have their own pumps to discharge cargo. Any discharge of oily mixture to sea has to be
done strictly in compliance of MARPOL.

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