Marine Casualties

LOC has specialised personnel with considerable experience in attending marine casualties in a consulting or surveying capacity. The company is well represented on the list of Special Casualty Representatives (SCRs) in the event that SCOPIC is invoked under a Lloyd’s Open Form salvage contract. We have close working relationships with the world’s leading salvage contractors and an in-depth knowledge of their practices and procedures, and we also manage salvage operations in our own right as and when instructed by our clients to do so.

Our specialist knowledge in salvage and wreck removal includes:

• Provision of preliminary advice on salvage feasibility and methodology to mitigate and minimise loss and prevent or minimise pollution
• Invitations to tender for wreck removal, bid evaluation and technical advice on contracts
• Co-ordination and/or management of salvage operations
• Acting as SCR when SCOPIC has been invoked
• Monitoring and assessment of strength and stability during salvage or wreck removal operations
• Pollution prevention and control
• Lightering operations
• Bunker and cargo removal operations

LOC is frequently instructed to attend to investigate the cause and establish the extent of damage to vessels as the result of a collision. Certain members of our staff, in particular our Master Mariners and Naval Architects, have considerable experience and technical knowledge in this field and can provide comprehensive advice on the various issues involved, including:

• Angle of blow and speed
• Navigational aspects of the incident
• Ship handling
• Pollution control
• Assessment of and minimising consequential loss
• Nature and extent of damage
• Repairs and repair costs

In addition, our attending consultants can participate in the implementation of marine emergency response plans or liase with the local authorities and/or salvage contractors as required.

Pollution is a frequent product of marine casualties and LOC has developed considerable expertise in this field from attendances at major pollution incidents around the world. Pollution can arise from fuel and lubricating oils and oil cargoes as well as from chemicals in various forms and we have provided independent consultancy on polluted dry bulk cargoes and grain cargoes as well as hydrocarbon and chemical pollution and spills. Our expertise includes the following:

• Fuel oil removal from casualties, submerged or stranded
• Pollution prevention methods following a casualty
• Shore line clean up methods
• Claims handling and Review for P&I Clubs, ITOPF, IOPCF

We have also provided pollution prevention expertise to a range of clients that includes P&I Clubs, Admiralty lawyers, IMO, Shipowners, Government agencies and National Coastguard Authorities.

The expertise required for this aspect of our marine casualty service is particularly wide ranging and varied, reflecting the diverse and numerous types of cargoes carried by sea. Our marine personnel have appropriate backgrounds on oil, chemical and gas tankers, bulk carriers, container ships, general cargo vessels, passenger ferries and liners and offshore construction vessels, and have significant experience in attending and investigating the cause and extent of damaged or contaminated cargoes, and the possible mitigation thereof. This includes:

• Oil, chemical and gas cargo contamination and shortages
• Container damage and losses, including engineering analysis of container stowage and lashing calculations
• Bulk cargoes, including cargo damage, hold cleaning and stowage issues
• General / break bulk cargoes, including steel, project and bagged cargoes
• Heavy lift cargoes, lashing failures
• Ro-Ro cargoes
• Refrigerated cargoes

LOC’s marine engineers have considerable experience in hull and machinery matters and in attending casualties involving all types of hull and machinery damage or failure.

In addition to investigation of cause and extent, we have also provided oversight of, and on occasion managed the repair process, including preparation of repair specifications, repair costing and superintendency.  Our expertise and knowledge covers:

• Main propulsion
• Dynamic positioning (DP) systems
• Auxiliary engines and electrical generators
• Main and auxiliary boilers
• Steering gear
• Machinery and machinery spaces
• Cargo handling equipment
• Hull and vessel structure

The term “Fixed Objects” covers a very wide variety of maritime structures, facilities and equipment, including quays, docks, jetties, breakwaters, locks, bridges and causeways, submarine pipelines and fixed and floating offshore oil platforms, as well as cargo handling equipment such as ship loaders, conveyors, loading arms, portainer cranes, etc.

LOC’s Civil Engineers, supported by personnel of other technical disciplines, have significant experience in fixed object damages and can provide the necessary technical advice and expertise for the investigation and resolution of these types of casualties. They can also organise and manage repairs to damaged structures if this is required. Key areas of fixed object damage expertise include:

• Evaluation of the cause, nature and extent of damages
• Repair methodologies and repair costs
• Alternative temporary repairs
• Assessment and advice on minimising consequential losses
• Sourcing of specialised second hand equipment to reduce long lead times on ordering new replacement items
• Organizing and managing repairs
• Invitations to tender, bid evaluation and technical contract advice