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Dear Captain,

Please find below guidelines to assist you and your crew in preparing the cargo holds up to grain
standard (regardless of next cargo to be loaded, unless higher standard is required).
Please bear in mind that in case of doubt and specific questions you should contact your
Technical Department for further assistance.

AA) Holds cleaning plan (pls revert with your cleaning plan, covering at least below points):

First and foremost we must stress that the holds cleaning process should start while the vessel is
still under discharging ops, always subject safety, manpower and available time.

1. Required time for cleaning all cargo holds: Pls advise the time needed for completion of the
cargo holds cleaning.
2. Chemicals: Pls advise us the chemicals you intend to use for the hold cleaning – if something
needs to be supplied pls advise us timely.
3. Wash waters disposal: Pls advise whether wash waters will be disposed or will be stored on-
board, considering MARPOL regulation.

BB) Hold Cleaning Operation can be divided into following main stages of operation:

1. Dry Cleaning / Sweeping/ Blowing of Upper sections of the hold: Ship’s crew should attempt
to carry out good sweeping dry residues from as many holds as possible while alongside as
removal process becomes easier and is faster due to either use of ship’s cargo gear or shore
equipment. Good co-ordination with Shore foreman and efficient planning of on board crew’s
work schedule is very important to achieve desired results.

2. Use of Cleaning chemicals // Application of Chemicals: There are a number of products


available and the manufacturer’s instructions for mixing proportions and the safety precautions
should always be followed. If the recommendation is to use only freshwater to apply the
chemical, this should be followed, otherwise the application may be ineffective. After leaving
the applied chemical on the bulkhead for a prescribed time, the chemicals are washed off using
a full seawater wash. The operation should always be finished with a freshwater wash.
Just for your guidance below is an approximate indication of the qtty of chemicals to be used
per hold:

Handy/Supra size vsl: about +/- 250 liters per hold of undiluted product.
Panamax size vsl: +/- 300 liters per hold of undiluted product.

However for guidelines on the specific chemical application and dose rates pls refer to the
maker’s instructions that should have been provided with the chemicals (we have attached
some general manuals that should not overwrite specific makers instructions as previously
stated).

3. Seawater Wash: Once sweeping and removal of the residues has been completed, the next
task with most bulk cargoes is to wash down the holds and hatch covers with seawater. This
seawater may be delivered from hoses at the pressure supplied by the deck fire main. When
washing down, the crew should take care to ensure that the upper reaches of the holds are
washed thoroughly to dislodge any residues that may be trapped in the upper structure, behind
pipe guards, on cross deck structures, etc. This is particularly important in parts of the hold that
are physically inaccessible. Steel-plate manhole covers should be removed to allow access to the
lid recess below, and container fittings on the tank tops, ladder recesses and platforms must be
thoroughly cleaned.

4. Washing of coaming tops and hatch covers undersides: During hold washing operations it is
important to ensure that the hatch cover undersides are attended in effective manner. Frames
and drain channels, are to be well swept and washed out. In addition, special attention should
be paid to the coaming tops, drain channels and non-return valves which all must be well swept
and washes out . Any small spaces which are missed may well contain cargo residues which
would then contaminate a clean hold while closing the hatch. Similar attention is to be given to
the hold accesses and ventilation hatches.

5. Fresh Water Rinsing: To be performed typically from top to bottom. If no special tools
available rinsing of accessible areas using garden hose should be accomplished. Else if, fresh
water can be supplied through fire line a quick 5 minute all round wash per hold to be
performed using fresh water through fire hose at a delivery pressure of about 3 to 4 kg/cm2 .
This should consume not more than 4-5 mts of fresh water per hold with good rinsing results.

6. Cleaning of Hold Bilges: To be performed and can turn out to be time consuming if cargo
ingress takes place. Preferably Hold washing should not commence unless Hold bilges are made
free of Dry cargo residues in certain cases as it can be difficult to remove the residues when wet.
7. Drying of Holds: Holds to be allowed to dry up. All the water puddles accumulated on tank
tops to be mopped dry.

8. Removal of loose scales, loose paint and atmospheric rust from tank tops: This process needs
to be continued till the vessel goes in for the inspection by Surveyor. Especially, during long sea
voyages atmospheric rust to be tackled only 3-4 days prior arrival at load port and not before. If
any paint is used for touch up work paint drying time to be allowed for and ensure good
ventilation is carried out to remove any paint odour from the hold.

CC) Key areas in the cargo holds, which are to be treated with special attention (for better
understanding we will describe vertical/horizontal projection of each hold as Upper/Mid/ Lower
parts):
• Upper part of the hold
1. Hatch side coaming
2. Web beam (cantilever beams)
3. Underneath of hatch cover especially if hatch covers are single skinned
• Mid part of the hold
1. Side shell web frames
2. Side shell plating
3. Corrugation (Fore & aft)
• Lower part of the hold
1. Hopper side tanks
2. Tank top plates
3. Shedder plates
Note: Apart from the above list, areas which are usually missed and not treated properly by the
crew because they are difficult to be attended are around ballast vent pipes, sounding pipes,
Australian ladders trunk framing/cages. Special attention to paid to those areas.

As underdeck areas & upper sections are not easily accessible we would like to treat such areas
with highest importance and to commence cleaning while the vessel is in loaded condition.
Please send us several pictures upon completion of the cleaning of each hold, which cover
different areas. As a general requirement we would like pictures to be made with medium
resolution, at close distance, not general ones ( i.e. pictures of the hold taken from the hatch).
Pictures which cover upper stool as cantilever beams, hatch side girder to be made from the
upper most platform of the vertical/Australian ladders.)

DD) Main reasons for failure of hold cleaning can be as below but not limited to:

1. Cargo contamination problems / Presence of previous cargo: The holds will be declared unfit
for loading if any residue of the previous cargo, other debris or substances, dunnage residue.
2. Cargo stain: Cargo stains are not acceptable if they rub off and risk contaminating the next
cargo.
3. Rust, rust scale and paint flaking: The holds will be declared unfit if loose rust or paint flaking
is found.
4. Unsanitary conditions: If a hold is found to contain animal filth, bird droppings, faeces or
sewage, it will be rejected.
5. Wetness: All holds must be dry. If the holds contain water or leaking water, the vessel will be
declared unfit. Bilges and bilge wells must be dry.
6. Odour: All grain storage areas must be odour-free. This includes odour from paint and
cleaning chemicals.
7. Infestation: Holds will be declared unfit to load grain if three or more insects, dead or alive,
are found in one hold. The holds will also be declared unfit if larvae or unhatched insect eggs are
found.
Note: Many surveyors apart from the visual inspection are performing the so called “white glove
test”. Same test could be used by the crew in order to be sure that hold internal surfaces are
well cleaned and ready for inspection.

EE) Guidelines to Master on how to handle the inspection:

1. During Surveyor's attendance, Hospitality is an important key to a successful inspection.


During the Surveyor's attendance kindly ensure that crew is attentive to surveyor's suggestions
and recommendations. At no stage surveyor should feel that he is not being listened to or not
given importance. Preferably, Master & chief officer should personally attend the Hold
inspection along with surveyor.

2. If surveyor to board by boat at anchorage or from seaside at port, Kindly ensure that Pilot
ladder or Accommodation ladder is properly rigged well in advance and manned as appropriate
prior surveyor's arrival at the vessel and Bridge watch keeper to keep appropriate look out for
the Surveyors boat (boat should not be waiting unnecessarily alongside)

3. Also ensure that crew is adhering to required safety standards. Kindly ensure crew is wearing
appropriate personal protective gear during inspection (and of course at all times when
desired). Preferably crew should not wear dirty boiler suits as this can give a poor impression
about the vessel.

4. Kindly also ensure accommodation spaces, Main deck area are reasonably cleaned.

5. During inspection Crew to remain stand by with sufficient rags, scrapers, buckets , soft hand
brooms and heaving line to immediately attend to minor issues pointed out buy the surveyor.
Last minute running around will cause unnecessary delays and can end up irritating the
surveyor.

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