Lashing@Sea puts crew safety centre stage

The project, led by Marin (the Maritime Research Institute Netherlands), is looking at the problem of hundreds of containers that are lost overboard every year.

“A single container could be a catastrophe in the wrong place at the wrong time, endangering marine navigation as well as the environment,” said a statement when the project was launched.“At the same time, the growing worldwide economy demands bigger ships, operational efficiency, limited port time and optimised lashing gear.”

Data is being collected and analysed through measurement systems installed on several different vessels, and parameters that are being addressed include wave-induced ship accelerations, additional accelerations due to whipping,bow and stern slamming, container stack flexibility and cargo hatch motions.

Based on the gained knowledge, classification societies and lashing gear manufacturers may improve their rules and products, says Lashing@Sea.

Among the partners in the project is French class society Bureau Veritas, whose product manager, dry bulk and container ships,Martijn Nieuwenhuijs,says:“The issues with twistlocks have been keeping us busy this year.”

Working with CMA CGM and Hyundai Heavy Industries, BV has equipped the 9,400 teu CMA CGM Rigoletto with accelerometers, hull girder load sensors and links to computers in order to measure rigid body motions, structural response to wave, springing and whipping loads, and stress levels.

It is assumed that the problems are due to a combination of larger sized vessels,with the consequent higher levels of stress from stern slamming,etc.,and fully automatic twistlocks which are perhaps not always properly fitted – sometimes because of time pressures in port, says Mr Nieuwenhuijs.

“Lashing is just one of the issues. But sometimes containers are lost because the cargo inside isn’t lashed properly – for example, if steel coils are damaging the container from inside, the stack collapses and you lose containers.

“If you are loading 8,000 boxes on a vessel, how do you expect to verify that the content of the containers is properly lashed and there are no explosives, for example, and that furthermore the containers are properly lashed on board the vessel?”

BV says one way of tackling the issue is to carry out a risk analysis of the containers that are to be shipped and, based on the analysis, carry out inspections at the site where the container is loaded,so that at least problems with the cargo inside are avoided. It is already carrying out this type of inspection work in countries where verification of goods being imported or exported is required.