Carefully to Carry - Consolidated Edition 2023

This guide to the safe carriage, loading and storage of cargo covers the potential issues and dangers inherent in the transporting of bulk cargoes, from the characteristics and risks inherent in specific goods, hold preparation and hatch covers, to best practice when loading and unloading. Outlining and expanding on all major international cargo regulations and guidelines, it also includes detailed checklists, information on draught surveys and guides to preparing cargo plans. Cargoes covered include timber, gas, grain, steel and other metals, bulk goods and refrigerated goods.

Foreword

I am very pleased to endorse this excellent and unique publication which strives to improve crew and vessel safety as well as enhancing loss prevention.

The 2023 consolidated edition of the UK P&I Club’s Carefully to Carry represents over 60 years’ worth of experience from several generations of international cargo experts together with claims and loss prevention specialists at one of the world’s leading P&I clubs.

It was back in 1961 that the UK P&I Club first set up its pioneering London advisory committee on cargo matters. The aim was to reduce claims through timely advice to the club’s members. The so-called ‘Carefully to Carry’ committee consulted widely with technical experts and went on to produce many articles on cargoes and the related issues that lead to claims.

The quality of the advice provided soon established Carefully to Carry articles as a key source of guidance for all the world’s shipowners and ships’ officers, whether entered with the UK Club or not. The articles also began to be used in claims negotiations and settlements, as well as being relied upon in court hearings.

In 2002 all the articles were gathered together, updated and made available as one entity by the Club for the first time. It continued to grow over the next 15 years to reach some 600 pages, prompting the Club to hand over the not-inconsiderable task of publication to leading shipping publisher Witherbys.

The first ‘consolidated edition’ duly appeared in 2018 and this 2023 edition marks the first of what we predict will be a long-running series of periodic updates of this definitive best practice guide on the carriage, loading and stowage of most types of seaborne cargo. Long may it continue.

Dimitris Fafalios

Chairman of INTERCARGO

Chair of the International Chamber of Shipping Bulk Carrier Panel

Foreword

Acknowledgements

Part 1 – Grain

Chapter 1 – Preparation, Survey and Load

Chapter 2 – Moisture Migration and Surface Ventilation

Chapter 3 – Cargo Measurement

Chapter 4 – The Carriage of Genetically Modified (GM) Crops

Chapter 5 – Soya Beans

Part 2 – Ores, Minerals and Fertilisers

Chapter 6 – Coal Cargoes

Chapter 7 – Bitumen (Natural and Rock) and Petroleum Coke

Chapter 8 – Mineral Ore Concentrates and Other Materials that May Liquefy

Chapter 9 – Sulphur Cargoes

Chapter 10 – Direct Reduced Iron (DRI)

Chapter 11 – Fertilisers

Part 3 – Steel and Other Metals

Chapter 12 – Steel

Chapter 13 – Scrap Metal

Part 4 – Timber and Forestry Products

Chapter 14 – Timber Deck Cargoes

Chapter 15 – Forestry Products

Part 5 – General Guidance

Chapter 16 – Draught Surveys

Chapter 17 – Hold Preparation and Cleaning

Part 6 – Bulk Cargoes – Liquid

Chapter 18 – Bulk Oil Cargoes – Shortage and Contamination Claims

Chapter 19 – Samples and Sampling in the Carriage of Liquid Bulk Cargoes

Chapter 20 – Flashpoint Contaminations of Diesel Oil and Gas Oil

Chapter 21 – Liquid Natural Oils, Fats and Fatty Products

Chapter 22 – Biofuels: Marine Transport, Handling and Storage Issues

Part 7 – The Carriage of Gas

Chapter 23 – Liquefied Gases

Chapter 24 – Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)

Part 8 – Packaged Cargoes, Including Bags, Drums and Flexitanks

Chapter 25 – Sugar

Chapter 26 – Potatoes

Chapter 27 – Cocoa

Chapter 28 – Coffee

Chapter 29 – Bagged Rice

Chapter 30 – Agricultural Products in Non-refrigerated Containers

Chapter 31 – Calcium Hypochlorite

Chapter 32 – Thiourea Dioxide

Chapter 33 – Expandable Polymeric Beads

Chapter 34 – Flexitanks

Part 9 – Refrigerated and Controlled Atmosphere Cargoes

Chapter 35 – Refrigerated Container and Controlled Atmosphere Cargoes

Chapter 36 – Carriage Instructions for Refrigerated Cargoes

Chapter 37 – Fresh Fruit and Vegetables

Chapter 38 – Frozen Fish

Chapter 39 – Meat and Meat Products in Containers

Chapter 40 – Pharmaceuticals in Temperature Controlled Containers

Part 10 – General Container Operations Including Waste Shipments

Chapter 41 – Stuffing, Stacking and Lashing Containers

Chapter 42 – Container Top Safety

Chapter 43 – Container Crime

Chapter 44 – Waste Shipments in Freight Containers

Part 11 – Miscellaneous Cargoes

Chapter 45 – Heavy-lift and Project Cargoes

Chapter 46 – Agricultural Produce – Insect Infestation and Fumigation

Chapter 47 – Fishmeal Cargoes

Chapter 48 – Palletised Cargoes

Chapter 49 – Radioactive Cargoes

Chapter 50 – Seed Cake Cargoes

Part 12 – Cargo Planning and Securing (Including Hatch Covers)

Chapter 51 – Preparing Cargo Plans – Structural Limitations

Chapter 52 – Cargo Pre-loading Surveys

Chapter 53 – Stowage of Breakbulk Cargo (General Cargo)

Chapter 54 – Lashing and Securing Deck Cargoes

Chapter 55 – Steel Hatch Covers

References

The UK P&I Club is one of the oldest P&I clubs in the world. It has endured for a century and a half with its continuing focus on mutuality. The UK Club has remained constant, weathering periods of profound economic and political change.

Providing a superior service to members at cost has always been the Club's central purpose. Irrespective of the times, staying true to our specialist role has demanded rigorous financial control.