Container Losses

Risk of injury, cargo and loss due to mis-declaration of container weight, insufficient lashings, navigation and stability issues.

2,301

average container losses for the last three years ((2020-2022) ¹

1,566

containers are lost each year on average ²

¹ World Shipping Council, May 2023 - Containers Lost at Sea – 2023 Update
‍² World Shipping Council, May 2023 - Containers Lost at Sea – 2023 Update

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Guiding Principles

Plan, prepare and execute the container stowage considering all the ports in the vessel’s rotation.
‍UK P&I Club Carefully to Carry General Container Operations
Be mindful of the GM of the vessel. Modern vessels have the capacity to forgive several deviations for the “light over heavy” rule at the beginning of the loading port sequence, and during the discharge port rotation, but as the loading ports come to an end, the available slots become fewer and therefore the deviations become unavoidable and more “costly”. This may not lead to a dangerous reduction of the GM, but it may force the vessel to to load heavy units on top of light ones on deck and at high(er) rows.
Secure the deck cargo in accordance with the Cargo Securing Manual and maintain the proper tension of the lashings throughout the voyage and in-between ports.
Use every occasion where bays are empty to check the condition of fittings and securing points.
Maintain the proper stability (static and dynamic) throughout the voyage. While Officers take all precautions to ascertain correct stowage of the Containers, they have a tendency of carrying excessive amounts of ballast, aiming to the highest possible GM. As a result we have very “stiff “vessels, that tend return to the upright position in a very accelerated manner. In heavy weather conditions is can drive the acceleration and shearing forces out of the designed capabilities of the lashing material and especially the twist locks.
One of the most dangerous conditions that a containership can find itself during heavy weather, is the “parametric rolling”, which if not detected and acted upon fast, can lead up to a perilous situation. Officers should possess the adequate skills to recognize the hazardous conditions that may be developing and to be able to take proper actions. Ship handling Courses and BRM courses for Container officers to include these scenarios.
‍TopTier Notice: Parametric Rolling From Following Seas
Conduct live cargo audits during annual ISM audits.

Resources

Incident Prevention

UKP&I Club

UK P&I Club Carefully to Carry General Container Operations

The document is a section from a maritime shipping manual focused on container operations and waste shipments. It provides detailed guidance on how to properly load, stack, and secure cargo in shipping containers, with specific emphasis on waste transport regulations.