Professional Bulk Carrier Loading Procedure Accurate Record Strict Standard

Solid bulk cargo means any material, other than liquid or gas, consisting of a combination of particles, granules or any larger piece of material, generally uniform in composition, which is loaded directly into the cargo spaces of a ship without any immediate form of containment. Examples of such dry cargo are grain, sugar, and ores in bulk.

How to make a loading plan in accordance with the ship's loading manual
The ship's approved loading manual is essential onboard documentation for the planning of cargo stowage & loading operation.

For each step of the loading operation, the loading plan should also show the amount of ballast and the tanks to be deballasted, the ship's draught and trim, and the calculated shear stress and bending moments. Exceeding the permissible limits specified in the ship's approved loading manual will lead to over-stressing of the ship's structure and may result in catastrophic failure of the hull structure.

It is imperative to carry out draft checks at regular intervals during the loading, and particularly when between about 75-90% of the cargo is loaded. The tonnage loaded should be compared with the terminal's weight figure, and adjustments to the final trimming figures determined and agreed accordingly

Any changes to the loading plan required by either terminal or ship should be made known as soon as possible and agreed by the master and terminal representative. Stresses resulting from any changes must remain within the ship's hull stress limitations. High impact cargo drops and exceeding maximum load limits on tanks tops should be avoided.

To avoid over-stressing the ship:
a) Cargo should be distributed evenly within each hold and trimmed to the boundaries of the cargo space to minimize the risk of it shifting at sea. The quantity of cargo to be trimmed into the fore and aft holds should be delivered exactly as required to ensure the ship finishes with the required fore and aft draughts and trim. This will ensure it will be able to depart from the load port and proceed to and arrive at its unloading port safely and with the required under keel clearance.
b) Cargo should not be loaded high against one hold bulkhead or one side, and low against the other.

c) Each hold should be loaded using at least two separate pours per hold.
d) The terminal should maintain an accurate record of the tonnages loaded in each pour into each hold.
e) Sudden increases in the loading rates causing significant overloading should be avoided.

The amount of cargo remaining on the belts depends on the loading rate at the time. This should be known by the loader operator and the terminal representative Ship/shore communications arrangements should be confirmed when completing the ship/shore safety checklist, giving all necessary details and contact details for both ship and terminal including:

a) Language and terminology to be used.
b)Location of telephones and terminal offices, normal communications procedures and telephone numbers.
c) Emergency communications procedures and telephone numbers.
d) Designated port VHF Channels

Clarify procedures for providing the duty officer with the tonnage loaded and the loading rate as required.
Clarify arrangements for stops to carry out draught checks.
Clarify arrangements for reporting ship damage by stevedores.
The ship should provide the terminal with its proposed unloading plan in advance of the ship's arrival.
The terminal representative should co-ordinate with the master and agree upon a plan before operations begin.

Agreeing on the unloading plan prior to arrival simplifies matters for all concerned when the ship does arrive, as there usually is little time for the master to re-calculate the unloading plan after the ship has arrived and is ready to commence unloading.

The Master should ensure that the terminal representative is provided with accurate information in good time so as the loader/ unloader operator can be notified of the ship's requirements.