E

GUIDELINES ON EARLY ASSESSMENT OF HULL DAMAGE AND

POSSIBLE NEED FOR ABANDONMENT OF BULK CARRIERS

I The Maritlme Safety Committee, at its seventy-Sixth session (2 to 13 December 2002),

COnSidered recommendations for decisjon-making emanating from va「ious fomal safety asSeSSment

(FSA) studies on bulk car∫ie∫ Safety. In particular, the Committee agreed that a circular should be

PrePared addressing bulk caniers which may not witl雨and flooding of any one cargo hold and
COntaining infomation on the actjon to be taken in case offlooding ofsuch hoids, making sure that
the professional judgement ofthe master lS nOt underm血ed.

2  The Committee, at its seventy-ninth session ( 1 to l O December 2004), having conside「ed the
recommendations made by the Sub-Commi備ee on Ship Design and Equipment at its forty-Sixth
SeSSion, the Sub-Commi請ee on Safety ofNavigation at its fo宣ty一正1血and珊ie血sessions and血e
Sub-Committee on Standards of T「aining and Watchkeeping at its thi巾′-fifth session, aPProVed
Guidelines on early assessment ofhull damage and possible need foT abandonment ofbulk carriers,
as set out m the amex. Some common causes ofhull damage are contained in the Appendix to the

3  Member Goverrments are invited to urge companies, aS defined in the lSM Code,血at
operate bulk carriers nying their flag, tO jssue ship specific guidance, based on the amexed
Guldelines, tO the masters ofsuch bulk carriers with a view to improving the precautionary measures
and procedures for emergencies on board血eir ships. mis ship specific guidance should be bTOught

to the attention of a11 c「ew members during familiarization training・

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 MSC/Circ.1 143

ANNEX

GUIDEL量NES ON EÅRLY ASSESSMENT OF HULL DAMLAGE AND

POSSIBLE NEED FOR ABANDONMⅢNT OF BULK CARRIERS

I Provoked by the disappearance and loss of a number of bulk carriers from皿id 1970s
OnWards the intemational shipping com血unity has grown increasjngly concemed that such ships are

Particularly vuherable to rapid loss. Consequently, IMO has been taking action over the years to
address this prob喜em and to find appropriate solutions. Among such actions, the Organization has

adopted amendments to the 1 974 SOLAS Co皿vention, by introducjng chapter XII in 1997 (amended
in 2002), and other Telated provisions in chapter II-1 , and has also amended the Guidelines on the
enhanced programme of inspeCtious during su「veys of bulk CamerS and oil tankers

(resolution A.744(1 8)) on several occasions. More recentiy, a numbe冒Offomal safety assessment
(FSA) studies on bulk carrier safety have been carried out. From血ese studies, the Ma「itime Safdy
Committee of IMO concluded at its seventy-Sixth session in December 2002 that bulk carriers do
deserve continued special attention and a number ofmeasures were approved to address血e issues
identified, both structural and operational.

2  Records ofbulk carrier losses indicated, in a large p∫OP。rtion ofthe cases studied,血at ship’s

masters often appeared to be uLnaWare Of the imminent danger they Were in. Many lost their lives
together with血e o血er seafarers on board as a consequence. Ship Iosses were fiequent宣y so rapid

that the ship did not have time to send a distress signal.

3  The records studied show that in the event of ioss of hu1喜integrity言n many cases, bulk
Carriers should be evacuated as quickly as possible. EARLY ASSESSMENT OF THE SITUAT丁ON
IS THEREFORE IMPERATIVE, COMBINED WITH ALERTING A MARIT[ME RESCUE
CO-ORDENATION CENTRE, ALER¶NG ALL PERSONNEL ONBOARD AND MAK」NG
PREPARATTONS FOR EVACUATION. This is of particula「 importance for single skin bulk
carriers which may nOt be capable ofwl血standing flooding ofany cargo hold.

4  Companies shou獲d consider the following advice carefully with a view to improving their

own precautionary measures and procedures for emergencies. The advICe aPP看ies equally to ships
Other than bulk carriers when carrying dense cargoes.

Heavy ca「goes

5  h most cases in which bulk carriers have been看ost, heavy cargoes such as iron and o皿er
dense ores are a common factor. Ships are also vu血erable when carrying certain break-bulk cargoes

such as steel products. This could inc量ude other ship types. The sma= voiume taken up by the cargo

in the ships’holds results in a large unoccupied space. This provides potential in a flooding scenario

for large vo喜umes ofwater to rapidly destroy the ship’s residual buoyancy and, in the case ofsmaller
vessels, its stability. Larger vessels are also highly susc印tible to structural failure due to increases

Of weights caused by the influx of water.

6  Heavy cargoes place hjg旧oads on the struc血re, and structu「al failure lS therefore more

Probabie when sulIiected to血e additional fbrCeS aSSOCiated with flooding.

MSC/Circ.1 143
ANNEX
Page2

St「uctul℃

7  Deterioration ofstructure through corrosion, fatigue and damage is ident揺ed as a principal

factor in the loss ofmany bu獲k ca正ers. Faj喜ing to identify such deterlOration may Iead to sudden and

unexpected f邪1ure. Bu看k carrier crews may be unaware ofthe vuinerabjlity ofthese vessel types.
The consequentia1 1oss ofa ship carrying heavy ca∫gO Can be expected to be very rapid, Sho山d a
major fai喜ure occur・

Forw盆rd偶oodi血g

8  Spaces forward ofthe co11ision bulkhead will, in the event offlooding, Significantly affect the

trim ofthe Ship and reduce freeboard at the bow. ln extreme weatheT this further血reatens the ship

as gree皿seas come inboard and impact on hatch covers and other fittings that protect the water or
Weathertight integrity ofthe ship. She11 plating in the region ofthe bow protects the fo丁e peak tank

and other spaces as do air pipes and ventilators. Ifany of血em are damaged the ship’s ability to
resist further escalation of flooding is compromised・

Ea「ly assessment

9  When it occurs or is Iikeiy to occ叫masterS Should quickly assess damage to thei「 ships by
being ale巾to water ingress and its consequences. The following guidelines are given to assist them
in this assessment.

U血uSりa! motion or at慣tude

]O Ifa ship takes on an unusual trim or heel, Or ifher motions become changed, breach ofthe
hull envelope shou宣d be suspected immediately:

- UnusuaI co=ectioms ofwater on decks may be jndicating trim or heeI abnomality.

- Sudden changes of hee喜or trim will indicate flooding or in s皿a喜ler ships with lighter

CargOeS it may indicate cargo shift.

- Jerky lateral motions can be indicative oflarge scale sIoshing as would be the case ifa
hold were flooded.

- On smaller ships, SIow血g of血e ship’s ro11 period may indicate excessive water within

the hu1主a Serious threat to stab輔y. Ships珊ed with GM meters should be able to
identfty, any皿eXPeCted changes in GM.

- Inc「eases of water boarding fo「ward decks may indicate flooding of a forward

COmPa巾neTlt. Tl.im and freeboard changes are notoriously d臆cult to assess from an
after bridge.

1 1  Methods of detection

- Hatch covers may be disIodged by pressure and/or sIoshing from within a hold if

flooding occurs through side shell or bulkhead.

看:¥CIRC¥MSC¥ l 1 43.DOC
 MSC/Circ. 1 1 43
ANNEX
Page3

- Sudden pres urization ofcompartments a句oining those瓜at are damaged or flooded wi11

indicate failure of intemal subdivision, mOSt nOtably bulkheads.

- Spaces may be monitored, either using gaugjng o「 bilge/water level alarms. Forward

StOre SPaCeS Can a看so be monitored audibly using `午alkback’’te看ephones that may be柵ted
in fo「ward spaces. AnchoT impacts and water in the space can be detected using

telephones ofthe type that remain active until switched offfrom the bridge.

一 Hu11 S億ess Monitors, Where珊ed, may be able to detect unexpected longitudinal hull

gうrder bending. Torsional stresses may also be detected through differential changes
between port and starboard strajn gauges.

- Visua獲monitoring from the bridge using binoculars, Where fitted, by cIosed circuit

television, Can give imdication ofabnormal water on deck and looal damage. However,
assessment of trim or freeboard using th主s method is difficult.

- Assessment oftrim changes can in certain conditions be detected by noting the level of

皿e horizon, When visible, against a known reference point on the foremast.

- Draught and trim can be assessed using draught gauges. Changes are much more

discemible using this me血od than by visual means from above decks.

Ea「ly readiness fo「 evacuation

12 In the event of identify血g or even suspecting that the ship may have sustained damage,
Ship’s persomel should inediately be ca11ed to血eir emergency stations. A IIIGH PRIORITY
SHOULD BE PLACED ON PREPAR丁NG EQUIPMENT FOR EVACUATION. Abandonment
Shouid however only be invoked on血e spoken orders ofthe master fo喜看owing assessment of血e risk.

1 3  Contact wlth a Marlti血e Rescue Co-Ordmation Centre (MRCC) and/or owners should be
made early if the master has any suspicion that the ship is damaged. An URGENCY signal is
justified and this should be upgraded to DISTRESS ift血e ship is confimed as damaged.

T富aining

1 4  Masters should p】ace a strong emphasis on evacuation training so that dom〃ng Ofprotective
Suits and li筒ackets, launching of su「vival craft, and operation ofEPIRBs and SARTs is a fami看iar

PrOCeSS tO all ships’persomel. AIso included should be shutdown procedures for main and aux組ary
machinery, Which can, if left nmning, hinder launchmg of survival craft.

工血vcs慣g租簡on

1 5  Masters may wish to investigate any suspected water ingress more cIose喜y but preparations

for evacuating the ship should be made WITHOUT DELAY and concurrent with any investigatjon.
Remote methods ofobservation are preferab量e to sending persomel onto decks, Particularly in bad

Wea‡he「 and/or at night. Deck floodlights shOuld be used if necessary to try and identify
abnoma獲ities. Detrimental effects on watchkeepers’night vision are of secondary importance in

such circumstances.

I:¥CIRC¥MSC¥] 143.DOC
MSC/Circ. 1 1 43
ANN玉X
Page4

1 6 In circumstances dee血edjustifiable for sending persomel onto decks that may be frequently
awash with gree皿water, at least two persomel should go to investigate. They should wear hamesses

that attach them to a lifeline and to each o血er and should be in constant (radio) communication with
血e bridge. Each hamess should be provided with two easi喜y operated c看ips so that wearers a工e

always attached to the ship’s s血Cture, eVen When passing across from one睡Iine or str山肌ral
attachment to another. Lifelines on both sides of‘the deck should be rigged at a11 times and progress
along the deck should always be via皿e lee or slleltered side. When weather conditions deteriorate is

not the time to begin rigging such measures. Fencing or shipside rails alone should not be relied
upon without attachment by hamess.

1 7  When a loss ofhu= integrity is known or suspected, PerSOmel should not be sent onto decks
that are being regularly submerged or deeply awash. In such circumstances the ship should be
regarded as in imminent danger and priority should be given to preParations for evacuation.

Cotlision

18 In the event ofa co11isiom, maSterS ShouId ca= the ship’s persomel to emergency stations

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Ships with fewer holds are particu!aty prone to sudden progressIVe flooding ifthe damage occurs
abaft any streng血ened bulkheads in the forward part of the ship. This tyPe Of damage is more

probable resulting from collisions in dense traffic or overtaking manoeuvres.

Safety and surviva量

1 9 In the cjrcumstances hjg踊ghted above, Pa巾cular emphasis has been placed on being ready
for early evacuation or abandonment ofthe vesse看. For ships carrying high-densfty cargoes this is of
impo巾ance while they are at sea. There may however be cases wheTe abandonment may be the

worst option and for b皿carriers as with other ship tyPeS this is most probably true in the event of

grounding. ln cIose proximity to shore, and especially in bad weather, [ife-SaVi皿g craft launched
from the ship are unlikely to save the oocupants from血e perils ofthe shore喜ine and the process of
launching the craft probably carries much gI.eater danger than remaining on boa「d. Again, eariy

contact with a Maritime Rescue Co-Ordination Centre is impo血1t and the master should not hesitate

to broadcast an Urgency or DIStreSS meSSage. When aground and although the ship may be severely
damaged or broken in two,血e accommodation blocks in such strandings usua=y survive long
enough宣br helicopter evacuation, aS Organized and co-Ordinated by the Maritime Rescue

Co-Ordination Centre, When weather conditjons abate.

20  Companies are reminded that the master is the one who decides on whetheT Or nOt the ship is

to be abandoned. mis guidance is provided to assjst the master in making that decision and is based
On the OVerriding principle血at human life is more important than property.

2 1 Companies are also reminded that emergency contingency pl狐n皿g foms an integral part of

the lntemational Safety Management Code required by SOLAS chapter上X. They should therefore
assess the actual risk to血誼ships with consideration ofthe infomation given in these Guidelines
and provide in their Safety Management System appropriate advICe to aSSist the maste「 in assessing

the action to take in a situation invoIving血ooding ofthe ship.

 MSC/Circ」 1 43
ANNEX
Page5

APPENDIX

Causes of damage and血ilure

l Damage to side shell, eXtema11y thTOugh contact with docksides or tugs an串ntemalIy from
血PaCt by cargo dislodging equipment during discharge・ Can reSult in initiating fractures and/or

fatigue of the structure・ In single side-Skin bulk carriers’bu皿eads・ trunds and ba看last tank
boundaries, Can PreSent ・frord spots,・ that concentrate forces where the change in coustruction 。CCurS

(e.g. [ongitudinal to transverse framing). This may lead to undetected fractures.

2 Intemal degradation皿ough corrosio皿may be accelerated血rough chemica喜action from

。ertain cargoes. Welds j叩articufar may be s巾ect to `毎OOVing” corrosion, in which the material
foming the weld corrodes at a faster rate血an the plating to which it is attached. Fatlgue failure may・
result due to Ioss ofcross-SeCtional area in the pfating joints・

3 In ballast holds, SIosh血g forces due to partially fiHed spaces (such as may occur when
changing ballast for environmental reasons) may result in damage to the structure. This damage may
go umoticed if it is in inaccessible positions. S」oshing is also a known cause ofsecondary damage
after a space has become flooded.

4  Danage to bow pla血g such as is possib漢e through impacts associated with swinging or
-oosely stowed anchors may cause an initiating fracture or fatigue in bow she1喜pIating血at could

lead t。 failure and subsequent flooding. htemal integrity offdrward spaces (that are usually used

for ba1喜ast and/or stores) is therefore of vita看importance. Corrosion degradation will seriously

reduce the ability ofplating and s描en宣ng tO Wi血stand the forces to which it will be su12jected. In
larger ships, Partia量一y皿ed fi )rePeak tanks may set up des血Ctive sIoshmg forces unless the tank

structure is designed for this.

5  Extema看forces - horizontal and/or vertical - may CanSe hatch cover disIodgement. The cargo

hatchway, ifjt loses its protection in this way, js a major access for water ingress and a serious threat
to the integrity ofthe h出

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