manufacturer’s instructions. Most marine coatings require at least seven days for the paint to be fully cured and odour free. All paint used in the holds and underside of the hatchcovers should be certified grain compatible and a certificate confirming this should be available onboard. Freshly painted hatches or hatchcovers will normally result in instant failure during the grain inspection, unless the paint has had time to cure.
Processed grains or grain cargoes that are highly susceptible to discolouration and taint should only be stowed in holds that have the paint covering intact. It is important that there is no bare steel, rust, scale, or any rust staining in the hold.
Dependent upon the quality of the grain to be carried, the charterer may require the holds to be fumigated. This may be accomplished on passage with fumigant tablets introduced into the cargo on completion of loading. Fumigation can also be undertaken at the port of loading (or occasionally discharge). The ship will normally be advised how the fumigation is to be carried out and of any special precautions that will have to be taken.
In all cases, the preparations (i.e. inspecting the holds and hatchcovers for gas-tight integrity) and fumigation must be carried out in accordance with the IMO document Recommendation on the Safe Use of Pesticides on Ships. Gas-detectors and proper personal protective equipment should be available and relevant ship’s officers should receive appropriate training in their use. After introduction of the fumigant, an appropriate period should be allowed (normally 12 hours) for the gas to build up sufficient pressure so that any leaks can be detected: the vessel must not depart from port before this period has expired. The entire process should be certified by a qualified fumigator. The holds must not be ventilated until the minimum fumigation period has expired, and care must be taken to ensure that subsequent ventilation does not endanger the crew.
Alongside the discharge port
On non-working hatches, remove all cargo remnants, loose scale and flaking paint from the underside of the hatch lids and from all steelwork within the hold, provided safe access can be obtained. Then commence washing the underside of the hatchcovers using liquid soap (such as teepol), followed by a fresh water rinse with a high-pressure water gun.
The hatch rubber seals should also be washed to remove cargo grime. However, caution is required to ensure that the hatch rubber seals are not damaged by the high pressure from the fresh water gun.
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After washing, depending on weather conditions, cargo dust may lightly contaminate the underside of the hatch lids; however, the dust particles can easily be removed at a later date using a high-pressure portable fresh water gun.
Example of portable high-pressure fresh water guns from Stromme
Ballast hold
If the ship has a ballast hold, this should be discharged as soon as possible during the discharge sequence. This will allow ships staff the time to remove all cargo debris and prepare the hold for ballasting.
Illustrated, from top: Hatchcover underside; clean hatch rubber; hatch undersides and rubber packing
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