Release to Third Parties by Special Authorisation of Management only
Loading and Discharging of Bulk Carriers
1.	Purpose
	To an even greater extent than on other types of vessel the safety of bulk carriers during loading and discharging and at sea is dependent upon the correct and proper loading and distribution of cargo. Added to this cargo should not come to harm during loading and discharging.
	This is why Schiffahrtskontor tom Wörden GmbH & Co. KG provides its shipboard management with guidelines and tools for loading and discharging operations on bulk carriers in the form of this Documented Procedure.
2.	Application
	This Documented Procedure applies on all ships managed / operated by Schiffahrtskontor tom Wörden GmbH & Co. KG.
3.	Definitions and Abbreviations (refer to VA-001)

4.	Responsibilities
4.1	Master
	The Master is ultimately responsible for the ship's safety, and therefore also for the correct and proper loading and discharging of the vessel. He shall therefore inspect loading and discharging operations at appropriate intervals and be ready to offer the Cargo Officer advice and help when needed.
4.2	Cargo Officer
	The Cargo Officer is responsible for loading and discharging operations, whereby he should pay particular attention to the following: Exchange of requisite information with the terminal prior to the ship's arrival Preparation of the cargo holds for loading Preparation of the cargo holds for discharging Planning and supervision of loading and discharging sequences Planning and supervision of ballast operations Ensuring that the vessel's stability is adequate and that she is fit for loading and discharging operations throughout her entire berthing period Instructing and supervising officers / crew members on deck duty Receiving and checking cargo documents Ensuring that national, international and company regulations are adhered to Making arrangements for any changes with the person(s) responsible on shore Making sure that loading papers are complete Drawing up and checking stability calculations
4.3	Officers of the Watch
	With the assistance of crew members on duty, deck Officers of the watch are responsible for supervising loading and discharging operations, whereby due care and attention should be paid that: loading and discharging operations are carried out and supervised according to the prescribed sequences as far as possible, checks are made on cargo for damage hatch covers are opened and closed the vessel is trimmed correctly and her heeling action is correct safety rounds are carried out any damage to the ship and/or her cargo is reported draughts are checked checks are made on mooring ropes and gangway adherence to Safety at Work / Accident Prevention Regulations is supervised information is passed on to the Cargo Officer when necessary or when requested
4.4	Engineers of the Watch
	The Engineer of the watch should assist the Officer of the watch as need be, particularly when supplying adequate electrical power for operating the following: Cargo handling equipment Hatch covers Mooring winches Ballast equipment

5.	Description of Routines
5.1	Measures prior to Arrival
5.1.1	Contacting the Terminal
	Prior to a vessel's arrival at her port of loading or discharging her shipboard management contact, if necessary by the agent, the relevant terminal to obtain the requisite information for loading and discharging plans.
	Shipboard management supplies the terminal with the following information: estimated time of arrival (ETA), name, call sign, IMO number, flag state, port of registry, a loading plan stating the quantity of cargo required, stowage by hatches, the loading order and the quantity to be loaded in each pour, provided the ship has sufficient information available to be able to draw up such a plan, arrival and proposed departure draughts, time required for de-ballasting, the ship's length overall, her beam, and the length of her cargo area from the forward coaming of the forward-most hatch to the aft coaming of the aft-most hatch into which cargo is to be loaded or from which cargo is to be removed, distance from the water line to the first hatch to be loaded or unloaded, and the distance from the ship's side to the hatch opening, the location of the ship's accommodation ladder, details and capacities of the ship's cargo handling gear, number and type of mooring lines, any other information requested by the terminal.
	Part-loaded ships arriving at loading or unloading terminals should also supply information on: berthing displacement and draughts, the previous port of loading or unloading, the nature and stowage of cargo already on board and, when dangerous goods in bulk are carried, the name of the material, its IMO class and UN Number or BC Number, distribution of the cargo on board, indicating which is to be unloaded and which to remain on board.
	Information on loading and discharging plans, ETA and draughts are corrected should they change.
	In response, the ship receives the requisite information from the terminal. If this is not adequate, shipboard management requests more detailed data.
5.1.2	Preparation of the Cargo Holds
	Prior to the vessel's arrival cargo holds are prepared as far as possible to receive their respective cargo. Due care and attention should be paid here to cleansing of compartments, carrying out functional test runs on equipment, plants and cargo handling equipment. Check lists referring on "Bulk Carrier Practice" are available on board.
	As soon as all preparations are complete, shipboard management reports to the terminal that all cargo holds for intended loading are clean and free from residues from previous cargoes likely to react with the next cargo or to cause it to become soiled.
	Cargo holds are not cleansed if the same cargo is carried again and the shipper agrees to this arrangement, the previous cargo has left no residues (e.g. project cargo), washing is not possible because of temperatures or the vessel's sea area.

5.2	Measures in Port
5.2.1	After Arrival prior to Cargo Handling
	Loading and discharging operations can only commence once all necessary proceedings have been mutually clarified between the ship and the terminal. Special attention should be paid that: the Ship / Shore Safety Check List has been completed by the shipboard management and the terminal representative, and signed. loading and/or unloading plans have been mutually agreed upon and signed by shipboard management and the terminal representative. the terminal representative has been advised of the fact that deballasting and cargo loading rates should be kept co-ordinated. the terminal representative has been advised of the fact that special cargo trimming may be required. As refusal to transport a specific cargo can be an alternative to trimming, the company should also be consulted in this case. the terminal representative has provided the shipboard management with the "Form for Cargo Information", which contains all necessary information on the cargo. shipboard management and the terminal representative are in agreement on measures to be taken in the event of rain or other changes in weather, when the nature of the cargo could prove a hazard in the event of such a change. the shipboard management and the terminal representative agree to ship to shore communications facilities being available and in use. Assurance should be given that loading or discharging operations are stopped/interrupted at once should the ship or terminal so demand. the shipboard management and the terminal representative keep each other informed about the possibilities to use emergency stops on conveyor belts.
	Additionally the shipboard management ensures that the loading and unloading of cargo and ballast operations are under the control of the ship's officer in charge; the disposition of cargo and ballast water is monitored throughout the entire loading or unloading process to ensure that the ship's structure is not overstressed; ballast water is discharged at rates which conform to the loading plan and do not result in flooding of the quay or of adjacent craft/shipping; sufficient officers and crew are retained on board to attend to mooring lines and any normal or emergency situation, while still paying due regard to the fact that seamen are granted sufficient rest periods to avoid fatigue; hot work is only carried out with the permission of the terminal representative and in accordance with the port regulations.
	Once all these points have been clarified satisfactorily, confirmation of the fact should be documented in the Deck Log Book. Loading and discharging can then begin once the terminal representative has given his permission.
5.2.2	During Cargo Handling
	The Officer of the watch and deck crew members on duty supervise loading and unloading operations. They check cargo being taken on board and how it is distributed, paying due care and attention that the cargo is loaded or discharged according to the prescribed sequence; ballast operations are carried out according to plan; the vessel's cargo handling gear is in proper working order; samples of cargo or measurements are taken if need be; the agreed measures are taken if weather conditions change; the draught is checked periodically; any other instructions from the Master or Cargo Officer are followed.

	With the assistance of the deck crew members on duty, the Officer of the watch opens and closes hatch covers according to the loading and unloading plan. He also carries out the necessary ballast operations. Should irregularities arise, the Cargo Officer should be consulted.
	Shipboard management and the terminal representative must concur on any changes in loading and unloading plans. Should deviations from the agreed sequence occur on the part of the terminal, loading and unloading operations are to be interrupted immediately and an explanation demanded.
5.2.3	Safety Measures
	The Officer of the watch supervises the requisite and appropriate safety measures during loading and unloading operations. The following criteria may be expanded upon by additional points which refer specifically to certain vessels, ports or cargo:
	Vessel Safe mooring of the vessel at her berth, with due care and attention being paid to tides and any draught, trim and heeling action fluctuations which occur during handling operations. Safe gangway access Setting the necessary signals and erecting notice boards when handling dangerous cargo
	Deck and Cargo Holds Lighting for upper deck, holds and access hatchways to holds Access hatchways to holds should be kept free of obstructions and hatchway lids secured That holds are only entered by express permission from the Cargo Officer and under the supervision of the Officer of the Watch during loading and discharging of holds Upper deck is likely to be slippery due to cargo residues
	Hatch Covers Hatch covers should only be opened and closed in the presence of the Officer of the watch, by crew members trained for the job Hatch covers should duly be secured when open Safety protection should be available on all open hatches Danger zones around hatch covers should not be frequented. Access over hatch covers should only be permitted once they have been closed correctly
	Safety at Work No unauthorised person(s) should have access to loading zones Correct working and protective clothing should be worn Areas below cargo handling equipment should not be frequented Free access is kept via the opposite deck side to that on which the cargo handling gear is in operation No other work, or only if absolutely unavoidable, should be carried out in the cargo area

5.3	Measures after Completion of Cargo Handling Operations
5.3.1	With the assistance of the Officer of the watch and other deck crew members on duty, the Cargo Officer checks loading zones for the following once discharging operations are complete: that the holds are emptied complete according to the unloading plan, that the holds are cleaned by terminal based staff if this has been agreed on, that hatch covers and access hatchways are closed and bolted in the correct and proper manner, that ballast operations have been completed according to the ballast plan.
	The shipboard management and the terminal representative give written confirmation of the fact that unloading has been carried out to their mutual satisfaction. Any damage to the vessel in the course of discharging operations, e.g. by grabs, are documented.
5.3.2	With the assistance of the Officer of the watch and other deck crew members on duty, the Cargo Officer checks loading zones for the following once loading operations are complete: that the holds are completely loaded according to the loading plan, that the cargo is correctly trimmed where appropriate, that hatch covers and access hatchways are closed and bolted in the correct and proper manner, that ballast operations have been completed according to the ballast plan, that the deck is free of cargo residues, that special measures, e.g. ventilation, hermetic sealing, Inert Gas, are initiated where appropriate.
5.3.3	Following loading and discharging operations the Cargo Officer establishes the vessel's sailing conditions, paying particular attention to: her stability (especially her heeling angle) and bending moments within permissible limits during sailing and en route to the next port of call Draught at sailing Ballast condition Loading condition, final stowage plan Trim Checks on whether loading documents are complete
6.	References and Remarks
6.1	Reference Documents
	VA-024 Dangerous Cargo VA-014 Treatment and Supervision of Cargo - Bulk Carriers Stability Booklet, Software BC Code Code of Practice for the Safe Loading and Unloading of Bulk Carriers
6.2	Bibliography
	SOLAS MARPOL IMDG Code BC Code Accident Prevention Regulations

6.3	Remarks
	Some of the operations already described may well be carried out by third parties. Even so, the shipboard management is still responsible for supervising operations. Special cargo requires special handling. Special handling measures are set down in the voyage instructions issued by the Charterers, Shippers or the Company.
7.	Documentation
	Ship / Shore Safety Checklist Loading Plan Unloading / Discharging Plan Form for Cargo Information Stability Calculation Deck Log Book Port Log Further check lists according to "Bulk Carrier Practice", if applicable
8.	Revision of Documents
	Party responsible for the editorial revision of this procedure
	Fleet Manager / Designated Person
9.	Distribution
	All Safety Management Manuals
	Additional Copies
	None
10.	Attachments
	None

Procedure

Schiffahrtskontor tom Wörden GmbH & Co. KG Wilhelm-Schröder-Str. 3 D-21726 Oldendorf

VA-011

Revision 0

17.12.02

Page 1 of 6

Procedure

Schiffahrtskontor tom Wörden GmbH & Co. KG Wilhelm-Schröder-Str. 3 D-21726 Oldendorf

prepared: 16.09.02	approved: 16.09.02	released: 16.09.02	Revision 2
			Procedure No.: VA-011
M. Blohm	H.Corleis	H. Corleis	Page 1 of 6

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