Poorly stowed and secured cargo can cause serious harm to people, the environment, vessels, and other cargoes—not only at sea, but also during loading and discharge operations. These incidents may result in injuries, environmental pollution, reputational damage, and clean-up costs that can run into the tens of millions of dollars.
Recent AMSA ship inspections across ships visiting Australian ports identified several key issues with cargo container stowage and securing practices, including:
- exceeding maximum permissible container stack weights
- exceeding maximum permissible weight distributions within stacks
- cargo not adequately secured throughout the voyage to prevent loss overboard.
These findings reinforce the need for ship operators, masters, and crew to remain vigilant in following established cargo securing requirements and industry best practices.
The Maritime Safety Awareness Bulletin provides practical insights, case studies, and resources to help the industry reduce risks and improve compliance in this area.