Cargo Inspection
A vital service or an unnecessary expense?
When times are hard and there is
a downturn in market prices, high
chartering / freight charges, low
profit margins, the nomination of a
reputable, internationally
recognized inspection company is
often viewed by some commodity
traders as an unnecessary
expense. However, the relatively
low cost of employing such a
company will provide you with
peace of mind, saving you time and
more importantly vastly reducing
the risks of purchasing poor
quality product that is out of
specification. Weight
determination should not be left
to chance, therefore the inspection
company will ease your worries by
providing you with weight
verification, whether it be by draft
survey, weighbridge monitoring or
truck reconciliation.
The inspection company is often
referred to as 'your eyes and ears'.
It is therefore important that fully
inform them of your exact
requirements, supplying them with
as much data as possible regarding
the product specification and
vessels particulars. It is often the
case that traders are furnished
with relevant information regarding
product quality or potential
problems with vessels etc. and the
trader listens to the problems.
Sometimes however he does not
act upon the information or advice
that he receives. In such cases
communication between the
inspection company and his
principal becomes fundamental, as
they should work together in
order to solve such problems.
When trading bulk commodities a
draft survey is often performed to
calculate the loaded weight. In
order to obtain an accurate draft
survey the surveyor, usually a
highly qualified ex Ship’s Officer,
will possess excellent technical
ability as well as having local
knowledge of the port conditions
because achieving an accurate
draft survey is an amalgam of
science and experience.
Similarly when trading bagged
commodities the surveyor will be
able to provide you with an
independent tally report and will
perform quality control
procedures, thus rejecting any
hard, contaminated, dirty or wet
bags.
The importance of the surveyor’s
ability to effect a thorough
inspection of the vessel's holds and
hatch covers to assess whether
she is clean, dry, sea worthy and
suitable for transportation of your
cargo is a vital service which we
are able to provide. Our expert
surveyors are able to enter the
holds, checking to ensure that all
residual cargo from previous
voyages has been removed thus
avoiding contamination and that
the holds are dry-
clean and ready to receive the
designated cargo. They will also
thoroughly inspect the hatch
covers and, if deemed necessary,
conduct a hose test to check the
water- tight integrity of the hatch
covers.
Alex Stewart (Assayers) Limited
currently boast fifty six strategically
placed worldwide offices who have
expert surveyors ready to protect
your interests at loading and / or
discharge ports, production sites
or warehouse stores.
Let us now explore two
different situations.
You’ve fixed your vessel. She’s
arrived in the load port and the
Agent has confirmed that loading
has commenced and will complete
during the night.
When you arrive in the office
tomorrow she’ll have departed
and by this time next week the
cargo will have been discharged
into your Customer’s vehicles and
delivered to the satisfied Farmers.
You will have made a reasonable
profit and all will be well in the
great scheme of things. Or will it?
Let’s look again at that cosy little
scenario. After all you didn’t
appoint an Independent Inspection
Company in either the load port
or the discharge port did you? You
saved cash there, which will make
the figures that little bit more
attractive when your Boss takes a
look at them next week.
But how do you know that the
vessel was in all respects clean, dry
and ready for loading your valuable
fertiliser cargo? Were her holds in
good order and her hatches
watertight? No one will have
checked on your behalf, certainly
not the Agent- it’s not his job after
all! Was the cargo in good order,
free of contamination, dry and
within specification? Who knows?
You certainly don’t.
The only way that you can be sure
that everything is in order is to
appoint a reputable Independent
Inspection Company at both ends
of the voyage.
That company will send a highly
experienced Surveyor down to
the port and he will look after
your cargo as if it was his own. He
will go into the cargo holds, check
that all residual cargo from
previous voyages has been
removed and that the holds are
dry, with no puddles in those
indentations in the tank tops. He
will thoroughly inspect the hatch
covers and seals and if he suspects
any problems he will conduct a
hose test to check the watertight
integrity of the lids.
He will walk through the loading
installation and check that
everything is clean and dry. If it is
possible he will inspect the cargo
to be loaded in the store or the
rail wagons.Then he will allow
loading to commence - but only if
the weather is favourable!
He will control the weighing of
your cargo both by means of the
shore facilities and, if you wish, by
Draft Survey of the vessel so that
you can utilise a common method
of weighing at each end of the
voyage.
He will observe the entire loading
operation, taking regular
representative samples of the
cargo, inspecting them for
irregularities and conducting
granulometry tests. If you’ve told
him the specifications he will be
able to reject any off-spec material
and have it removed. He will stop
loading and have the hatches
closed in adverse weather
conditions and on completion he
will supervise the sealing of the
hatch joints with Ram-Neck tape
or foam if you require this
additional precaution.
You will receive the principal
details of the loading operation on
completion, together with a
detailed report and samples as
soon as possible.You will know
that your cargo meets your
requirements and that all
precautions have been taken to
keep it that way.
The vessel will sail and the Master
will undertake his duty of care
with all due diligence. Despite this,
bad weather may be encountered
on the voyage and even the best
hatch covers can "work" in very
heavy seas.
Fortunately you have had the
foresight to appoint the same
Independent Inspection Company
to represent your interests in the
discharge port.You know that
when the hatches are opened
another highly experienced
Surveyor will be there to conduct
an inspection and he will remain
there throughout the discharge to
look after your interests.
If there has been any water ingress
or contamination he will identify it
and issue a Letter of Protest. He
will liase with any P&I Surveyors
who attend and he will supervise
the segregation of any damaged
cargo from the sound material.
He will inspect the discharge
facilities and vehicles for suitability
and cleanliness and he will control
the weighing of your cargo,
including a Draft Survey if
required.
He will observe the entire
discharge operation, taking
representative samples and
conducting granulometry tests to
ensure that no degradation has
occurred during the voyage and
closing the hatches in adverse
weather conditions.
If you receive any complaints from
your Customers you have an
expert on the spot that can
protect your interests.
On completion of the discharge
you will again receive the principal
details of the operation followed
by a detailed report and samples
as soon as possible.
Your position has been thoroughly
protected, however it’s cost you a
several hundred dollars.
Now let’s look at the
alternative.
You saved on the supervision in
both ports so nobody bothered to
inspect the holds and hatch covers
prior to loading, or close-up until
the rain got really heavy during
loading.The vessel encountered
heavy weather on the voyage and
the joints leaked. When discharge
commenced nobody inspected the
cargo so the wetted material
wasn’t noticed and that Oil Seed
Rape from the previous voyage
didn’t matter to the Stevedores -
they’re just paid to get the cargo
out as quickly as possible.The grab
and hopper had been used to
discharge a cargo of Barley the day
before and the trucks that were
running round to the store had
been carrying Lead Concentrates
for the last week.The store
vehicles were tipping into a bay
containing the balance of your last
cargo and most of the vehicles
that loaded for direct deliveries to
the farms had just tipped Wheat at
the local silo and no one ensured
that they were swept out prior to
loading your cargo.
The first inkling that you will have
of the impending disaster is when
a Farmer calls to complain about
the various seeds and "dirt" in his
wet fertiliser. Everything will go
down- hill from there, but look on
the bright side - you won’t be
worrying about the load that left
the port without bothering to
weigh.You’ll never even know
about it, but you will be puzzled by
the 25mt short out-turn weight.
Never mind you can console
yourself thinking of the cash that
you saved by not appointing an
Independent Inspection Company,
whilst you check out the jobs
page.
Dave McDowell
ASA Inspector, February 6, 2001