Home PageServicesClientsNewsContact Us

Friday 27 May 2016

London P&I Club warns on enclosed space entry and testing procedures

The London P&I Club says it continues to see cases of injuries and fatalities associated with entry into enclosed onboard spaces, including cargo holds on bulk carriers where atmospheres have not been treated as potentially dangerous.

In a recent case, two shore staff were permitted by the ship’s crew to enter the cargo hold of a bulk carrier via the usual means of access. But, due to an atmosphere which did not have sufficient oxygen to support life, one member of the shore staff died, along with a crewman who made an attempt to rescue them without following proper emergency procedures.

London Club Loss Prevention Manager Carl Durow says, “Despite the recent introduction of legislation relating to drill requirements for personnel engaged in entry into enclosed spaces, the club is still concerned about the number of spaces which should be considered potentially dangerous but may not be by crew who might focus on the traditional spaces such as ballast tanks and bunker tanks.

“The carriage of goods in bulk which may deplete oxygen content or produce toxic substances remains a threat, together with the dangers arising from the use of fumigants in ships’ holds. Ships’ officers in particular should consider the risks of cargo hold entry at all points during the voyage and ensure that, by means of onboard training, drills and toolbox meetings, crew are also minded to question circumstances in which they and others are entering holds.

“Furthermore, the club hopes that ships’ officers and crew will practise the necessary skills and emergency response procedure established in their safety management systems, so there is every possible chance of a positive outcome in the event of such an incident.”

www.londonpandi.com

Labels: , , , , ,

Monday 23 May 2016

OSD introduces low-emission hybrid Azistern e-tug



Offshore Ship Designers (OSD) has designed a powerful, low-emission compact e-tug to further augment its Azistern series of vessels. Among other roles, the vessel is perfectly equipped to deliver excellent harbour assistance.

OSD managing director Michiel Wijsmuller says, “The Azistern-e has the typical low resistance stable hull and all-round visibility that is associated with all Azistern designs. What makes this particular Azistern tug different is that it is driven by a revolutionary podded drive and that it has a flexible and green electro/diesel-electric configuration.”

The hybrid power of the 22 m LOA / 50 BP Azistern-e is generated by two 970kW variable speed gensets and is supported by two 400kWh lithium battery packs. The low-emission tug can be delivered compliant with IMO Tier 3 requirements with an after-treatment system suitable for ECA areas, and is also equipped with an innovative energy management system. The uniform and perfectly optimized loading of the propulsion system ensures low maintenance and fuel costs. Transient sailing and manoeuvring can be performed using the batteries with zero emissions.

The Azistern-e is highly manoeuvrable, and the vessel’s power train has a remarkably short reaction time. By using the batteries as a booster, maximum bollard pull can be achieved within seconds. The relatively small size of the engines and the shaftless configuration frees up more space below deck, providing optimum flexibility in respect of the division of space and piping.
As a result of its podded drive and the double elastic mounting of its gensets, the MLC- compliant vessel will also provide the highest comfort level for its four-man crew.
Artist impression
Offshore Ship Designers Group (OSD) is a global one-stop resource delivering naval architecture and marine engineering skills to the shipping and offshore energy industries. It draws on an experienced global workforce to provide high-quality feasibility studies, conceptual and detailed designs for tugs and offshore support vessels of all types. OSD is based in IJmuiden, The Netherlands, and has offices in Dundee, York, Appledore, Shanghai and Singapore. www.offshoreshipdesigners.com

For more information:
Merijn Brusselers
Offshore Ship Designers
+31 (0)255 54 50 70
brusselers@offshoreshipdesigners.com

Labels: , , , , , ,

Thursday 12 May 2016

London P&I Club reports increased free reserves

THE London P&I Club’s result for the 2015/2016 financial year produced an overall operating surplus of $3.3m, lifting the free reserve to $160.7m. This result was underpinned by a technical underwriting surplus of $15.3m, with the combined ratio standing at 82.5%.

In a circular summarising the result, the club’s management team says there was a substantially improved claims outturn following the unusually adverse experience seen in 2014/15. The club’s annual report will be released as usual in July and will contain further details of developments, including particular reductions seen in the costs of claims in the high severity and attritional retained layers, together with positive developments in the cost of older policy years. The cost of International Group Pool claims notified by other clubs, meanwhile, was in line with expectations.

For the first time since 2008/2009, the club recorded a negative return on its investments, amounting to 2.5% or $11.5m, a position which has been reversed since the year-end.

Moving into the current P&I policy year, the club, which this year celebrates its 150th anniversary, saw further steady growth from existing and new members in its owners’ entry and a year-on-year increase of about 600,000gt following the 20 February renewal. There was also growth in its charterers’ book of business, including the addition of a number of European and Far East-based operators.

www.londonpandi.com

Labels: , , , , , , ,

Thursday 5 May 2016

ITIC reports on costly transhipment errors by ship agents

International Transport Intermediaries Club (ITIC) says it continues to deal on a regular basis with claims resulting from errors by agents involving transhipment cargoes.

In one case, an agent in Argentina failed to declare a cargo as transhipment cargo within fifteen days of the vessel’s arrival at Buenos Aires. This was the result of a simple oversight in the agent’s office. The obligation to make the declaration was strictly enforced and an automatic penalty of one per cent of the value of the goods was immediately imposed, amounting to $122,204. The agent who had failed to make the necessary declaration had to pay the sum demanded by the authorities.

In another case, an agent in the Dominican Republic was involved in the transhipment of two containers arriving from Cuba with a final destination of Haiti. Under Dominican customs law, in common with many customs regimes, cargo awaiting re-exportation can only be held in storage without paying the relevant customs duties if time limits and other regulations are complied with.

The agent maintained regular contact with the shipper, who was waiting for relevant documentation to be provided by the consignee in Haiti. The agent also obtained an extension of the time limit for storage of the containers, but unfortunately made a typographical error in an email sent to the shipper which noted that the extension expired on 26 January, when it should have stipulated 6 January. As a result, the cargo was impounded by customs when the containers were not exported before the deadline. Ultimately, a penalty of just over $25,000 was settled by the agent.

ITIC is managed by Thomas Miller. More details about the club and the services it offers can be found on ITIC’s website at www.itic-insure.com



For more information:
Charlotte Kirk
ITIC
Tel. +44 (0)20 7338 0150
Fax. +44 (0)20 7338 0151
charlotte.kirk@thomasmiller.com

Labels: , , , , , , , , ,

Wednesday 4 May 2016

Bureau Veritas pursues external growth strategy with the acquisition of TMC Marine

Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, May 04, 2016 – Bureau Veritas has reinforced its position in value-added marine services with the acquisition of leading international consultancy TMC Marine Ltd.

TMC has been providing pre and post casualty advice and support to the marine industry since 1979. The business focuses on marine claims and accident investigations, salvage and wreck removal consultancy and marine expert witness services for a client base that spans P&I clubs, law firms, marine insurers, salvage companies and ship owners.

Headquartered in London, TMC has a network of offices in the US, China, Singapore and Australia. It employs over 50 people and generated revenues of EUR 8.5 million in 2015.

“Our Marine & Offshore business, the historical activity of Bureau Veritas, is one of our eight key growth initiatives to 2020. As such, it is evolving rapidly. We are diversifying our service portfolio and developing our technological leadership in order to meet all our clients’ expectations in risk management. TMC is a recognized brand that enables the Group to enhance its offering to the marine insurance consultancy market, thereby expanding the services that we already provide in offshore to the maritime market,” commented Didier Michaud-Daniel, CEO of Bureau Veritas.

 “We are very happy to be joining the expanding Marine & Offshore division of Bureau Veritas, a leading service provider to the international marine industry. This is a strategic alliance that will provide TMC with technical synergies and greatly enhance the services we can offer to new and existing clients while at the same time continuing our plan of further geographic expansion,” added Tony Bowman, Chairman of TMC.



About Bureau Veritas
Bureau Veritas is a world leader in laboratory testing, inspection and certification services. Created in 1828, the Group has 66,000 employees in 1,400 offices and laboratories around the globe. Bureau Veritas helps its clients improve their performance by offering services and innovative solutions in order to ensure that their assets, products, infrastructure and processes meet standards and regulations in terms of quality, health and safety, environmental protection and social responsibility.
Bureau Veritas is listed on Euronext Paris and belongs to the Next 20 index.
Compartment A, ISIN code FR 0006174348, stock symbol: BVI.
For more information, visit
www.bureauveritas.com


Contacts

Analysts/Investors:
Mark Reinhard: +33 (0)1 55 24 77 80
Press:
Cathy Pianon: +33 (0)7 71 43 12 96
Véronique Gielec: +33 (0)1 55 24 76 01

Labels: , , , , ,


Search all news items





Home | Services | Clients | News | Contact
Copyright © Merlin Corporate Communications.