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Colin Gillespie News

29 Jun 2017

Global Shipping Feels Fallout from Maersk Cyber Attack

Photo: A.P. Moller - Maersk

Global shipping is still feeling the effects of a cyber attack that hit A.P. Moller-Maersk two days ago, showing the scale of the damage a computer virus can unleash on the technology dependent and inter-connected industry. About 90 percent of world trade is transported by sea, with ships and ports acting as the arteries of the global economy. Ports increasingly rely on communications systems to keep operations running smoothly, and any IT glitches can create major disruptions for complex logistic supply chains. The cyber attack was among the biggest-ever disruptions to hit global shipping.

11 Feb 2017

North P&I Club Guidelines on Minimising Risk from Ro-Ro fires

North P&I Club has published a new loss prevention briefing on how to prevent, detect and fight fires on roll-on-roll-off (ro-ro) vessels and car carriers. Such vessels are twice as likely to catch fire as other ships and vehicle-deck fires are notoriously difficult to contain and put out. The new 10-page briefing, which is free to download from the Club’s website, explains the risks of ro-ro and car carrier fires in detail. It then sets out a comprehensive series of recommendations covering training, maintenance, vigilance, reaction and procedures. Vehicle fires collectively account for a large number of fires but there are different sources of ignition.

25 Jul 2016

How to Avoid Claims for Self-cooking Cargo

North P&I Club has advised its members to be extra vigilant during loading and transport of soya beans to ensure they do not get blamed for cargoes that start ‘cooking’ at sea. The advices comes in the latest issue of its loss prevention newsletter Signals. According to North’s loss prevention director Tony Baker, "We have recently experienced a number of high value claims in China associated with damage to soya beans exported from South America. He says China Inspection and Quarantine may test any suspect cargo on arrival but the ship may not necessarily be aware of the results. A cargo damage claim may result with a threat of arrest unless a large security payment is made.

21 Apr 2016

North P&I Suggests Owners Join the CSO Alliance

North P&I Club has partnered with CSO Alliance, an online community of maritime company security officers (CSOs), to encourage its members to join and take part in security-related information sharing. In a first for the P&I sector, all CSOs in North’s 131 million GT owned fleet will receive a 20 percent reduction in membership fees for the first year and North will subsidies a further 40 percent. Founded in the U.K. in 2012, the CSO Alliance has more than 380 members responsible for security on more than 6,000 ships worldwide. Members have access to a comprehensive and authoritative real-time incident and attack database and can share information, opinions and best practice.

08 Apr 2016

North P&I Warns of Risks of Reduced Generator Capacity

North P&I Club is advising its members to be aware of the potentially severe consequences of poorly maintained or overloaded on-board generators being unable to meet the electrical demands of ships at sea. The warning comes in the latest issue of the club’s loss prevention newsletter Signals. According to deputy loss prevention director Colin Gillespie, ‘Generators have a critical function to play on all ships. They provide electrical power for ever-more complex navigation, communication and safety systems as well as essential on-board services and vital equipment such as cranes, winches and bow thrusters. North says insufficient generator maintenance is a common industry failing.

28 Jan 2016

BIG DATA & Maritime: The Downside

Tony Baker, Loss Prevention Director

There is no question that the era of "Big Data" -- and all that those two words encompass -- will be transformational in the maritime market for the coming generation. There is no stopping the data trend, and today's generation demands it from a social aspect and needs it to be efficient in business operation. While the upside to big data has been recorded often, the North P&I Club has warned its members that despite the enormous benefits of digital technology on and around ships, there may also be some downsides.

20 Jan 2016

North P&I Publishes Loss Prevention Guide on Bulk Cargoes

The 175 million GT, ‘A’ rated North P&I Club has published a major new guide for the international shipping industry on how to reduce losses when carrying bulk cargoes by sea. The 280-page Bulk Cargoes: A Guide to Good Practice adds to North’s comprehensive portfolio of guidance provided about different cargo types and is the first to be made available in both print and e-book formats. Bulk Cargoes explains the basic rules to be remembered on every occasion during loading, carriage and unloading of bulk cargoes. It describes where various regulations, recommendations and general guidance can be found, and discusses procedures, preparations and good seamanship practice for appropriate and safe carriage of cargoes in bulk.

07 Feb 2013

Caution on Hiring W. Africa Armed Guards

North P&I Club advises shipowners to be careful about employing piracy protection armed guards in west Africa. According to the Club's new loss prevention briefing entitled West African Piracy, standard solutions and contracts for hiring armed guards on the other side of Africa, such as BIMCO's Guardcon form, may be inappropriate for the very different situation in the Gulf of Guinea, Bight of Benin and Bight of Bonny. ‘BIMCO Guardcon has been drafted specifically in response to the piracy situation in the Indian Ocean and the circumstances found in west Africa are quite different,' says the Club's Risk Management Executive Colin Gillespie.

16 Oct 2012

North P&I Club Launches Prevention Initiative

The ‘A’ rated, 170 million GT North P&I club has launched a new loss prevention initiative to help get ships’ masters and officers talking to each other about health and safety issues at sea. Announced in the club’s loss prevention newsletter ‘Signals’  (16 October 2012), the ‘Talking Points’ scheme involves producing a range of topical sheets specifically designed for handing out and discussing at on-board safety briefings. North’s head of loss prevention Tony Baker says, ‘While drills, training videos, guides and posters all help to deliver safety messages on ships, getting people to actually talk and think proactively about risk is the most effective way to raise awareness.