● To enable the loading operation to be followed in all its stages.


● To provide evidence should the ship’s tank coatings be found damaged upon discharge.


● To enable the carrier to provide evidence should local authorities lodge pollution claims against the ship.


● To enable the specific gravity and temperature of the cargo to be established.


● To investigate subsequent claims against the carrier for admixture or contamination.


Sampling prior to loading


Shippers of liquid bulk cargoes will not in most cases allow the carrier to take samples from shore tanks, road tankers, barges or tank wagons, particularly when the shippers are responsible for the loading of the cargo.


It should also be particularly noted that there are many areas of the world where large consignments of vegetable oils are delivered alongside by a wide variety of road tankers, barges or rail tank wagons. With road tankers and rail tank wagons the product is usually drained into the shore containers before being pumped onboard. Invariably these tankers are used for a variety of commodities including both vegetable and mineral oils and their cleanliness should not always be assumed. Indeed, shippers do not always check the suitability of such wagons until they arrive alongside in loaded condition where they are sampled by the shippers’ inspectors. It is also common practice in this trade for shippers to ‘borrow’ from each other to make up the total quantity loaded into a particular ship, so the cargo may consequently be of variable quality and condition. In the case of loading from tank barges, sampling takes place prior to loading into the ship. Even if the ship’s officers are provided with such samples they have no control over how they were drawn and there is no certainty about when or from where they were taken.


Sampling during loading


The first requirement is that on commencement of loading samples are taken from the ships manifold or ‘first run’, samples from the ship’s tanks, even though the loading operation may have to be suspended while this is done. It is essential that shipper’s inspectors take part in this sampling procedure and that the samples should be split between the parties. Whenever loading operations are interrupted and hoses, pumps or line system are changed, sampling of the relevant ship’s tanks before and after the changeover will be


16


necessary, unless it is certain that hoses, lines and pumps have been previously used for the same product.


On completion of loading, a representative sample from each tank should be taken. In the case of a parcel tanker, each consignment should be similarly treated. Shipper’s inspectors frequently take ‘first run’ samples on their own initiative and will usually make up composite samples of all tanks after completion of loading.


Loading port samples other than those taken by the carrier


Samples are sometimes handed to the ship’s staff to be delivered to the consignees in accordance with the sellers contractual obligations. In such cases ship’s staff are unaware how or where such samples were obtained and it is rare for the ship to be provided with a duplicate set for its own use. The origin of such samples is uncertain and their labels often bear vague descriptions such as ‘average shore tanks’ ‘average tank trucks’ ‘average head line’ etc. These samples whether relating to vegetable oils, mineral oils, or petrochemicals, may be samples drawn before and/or during and/or after loading, single or duplicate, sealed or unsealed and either against a receipt or not. The carrier has no control over the drawing of such samples and in many cases analyses of them are in conformity with the required specification whereas the cargo on arrival is not. At the port of discharge such shipper’s loading samples are collected by inspectors appointed by the shipper or consignees who may also measure and sample the ships tanks. Samples drawn at the loading port jointly by ship’s staff and shippers representatives may then serve to prove that the samples handed to the ship’s staff for delivery to consignees may not represent the true condition or quality of the cargo.


Sampling before discharge


On arrival at the discharge port and immediately tank ullages and temperatures have been carefully checked, samples should be taken of all cargo onboard. This sampling is usually carried out by the consignee’s surveyor and the procedure should be attended by ship’s officers. It is usual to take top, middle, lower, and bottom samples, depending upon the product. In the case of cargo that remains homogeneous during the voyage, such samples may be mixed into a composite sample with the largest proportion coming from the middle depth of the tank. It is also desirable to use a water finding instrument to establish if water is present.


In the case of edible oils and animal oils/fats, bottom samples should always be drawn to check for sediment. These bottom samples must be kept in separate jars, sealed and properly labelled for identification. It must be


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