Ian Barr News

The London P&I Club has called for greater familiarization by ships’ officers and crews with the testing requirements relating to Voyage Data Recorders after two recent claims incidents investigated by the club’s loss prevention team revealed VDR malfunctions. In both claims, when the VDR data had been retrieved and analyzed, it was apparent that certain required sensors were not feeding data to the VDR unit at the material time. This led to delay in the analysis of the incidents, and to loss of important claims handling information.

London Club says owners must not accept exemptions from IMSBC code for DRI cargoes. THE London P&I Club has urged shipowners to be alert to any attempt by shippers and other cargo interests to claim exemptions from the International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes (IMSBC) Code in connection with the carriage of DRI (Direct Reduced Iron) cargoes. Long-standing concerns about the carriage of DRI - involving the possibility of a chemical reaction between the cargo and water, leading…