When it comes to bulk cargo, underestimating proper lashing and bracing can have disastrous effects.
“General cargo vessels are not built to the same specification as a heavy-lift,” said Pooven Moodaliar, managing director of Cargo Lash. “There are also some bulk carriers out there that advertise their ability to do project bulk cargo, but they’re not able to support proper lashing arrangements and the deck load capacity required for project cargo.”
According to Moodaliar, agents keen to mitigate risk ought to educate clients on the suitability of vessels, which do not always lend themselves to the proper bracing and blocking of heavy cargo.
“If you get into heavy weather the cargo might just bounce around if it is not stowed properly,” he told FTW. “Cargo should always be properly managed by the experts to ensure proper lifting, packaging, stowing, lashings and bracings. All this should be done in addition to vetting the ship itself in advance.”
Cargo safety was key, said Moodaliar. “Safety incidents could potentially lead to major economic and environmental disasters.” When moving bulk cargo, it’s imperative to not just use a company that is able to deliver stateof-the-art cargo securing solutions, but that has a proven track record.
“Whether it’s breakbulk cargo, or static cargo that could become volatile during transport, we have solutions that will keep cargo still during shipping.
“It’s the safest and most effective way to ship static and dynamic loads quickly and easily,” he said. “It combines polyester lashing with the patented Dynablock buckle that has specially designed grooves to hold cargo securely in place even when in motion. This provides unrivalled safety and security in an innovative and efficient system.”
CAPTION
Proper lashing of cargo is crucially important.
