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13
Oct
2022

5 bulk carrier cargo hold maintenance tips

by Calista Nicks October 13th, 2022 in Cargo Hold Cleaning
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In dry bulk shipping, maximizing profits means getting fast turnaround times and avoiding damage to the cargo, crew and ship. Achieve both of these key goals by making bulk carrier cargo hold cleaning a top priority. Here are 5 cargo hold cleaning maintenance tips to ensure more successful voyages.

Tips for bulk carrier cargo hold cleaning

  1. Use a barrier. Some cargos are corrosive to metal surfaces. Since bulk carrier cargo hold protection is vital to the long term health of the ship, apply a holdblock to the cargo hold. Holdblock acts as a barrier between the metal and cargo. It lessens the effects of corrosion, making hold cleaning--and turnaround times--faster.
  2. Clean hydrocarbon stains every time. The problem with greasy cargos like green delayed petcoke is that they stain. Each time cargo is allowed to stain a hold, it gets more difficult, hence more time-consuming, to remove. For greatest efficiency, clean stains after every discharge, and apply a barrier before loading greasy cargos.
  3. Protect bilges. Bilges can suffer damage when carrying potentially corrosive cargos like sulphur. To mitigate the effect of acidic water in bilges, crews use caustic soda flakes or a BilgeCoat for protection.
  4. Proper equipment. Crews need access to equipment that allows them to do their jobs and to do them safely. This includes high-pressure and low-pressure applicators; and PPE for each member, including coveralls, gloves, goggles and masks. MSDS and instruction manuals for the equipment and cleaning solutions the crew will be using needs to be available.
  5. Clean cargo holds every time. Even if the same cargo is being loaded as the last one, the cargo hold should be cleaned. Doing so allows for damage checks in case there are issues being hidden by the leftover remaining cargo.

Every charter that keeps a company earning involves detailed hold cleaning maintenance carried out by knowledgeable crew. Regularly scheduled cleaning using quality products helps protect crews, carriers, and their cargo, thus safeguarding a charterer’s investments.

RBM HoldSolutions provides the best in eco-friendly cleaning and barrier solutions! Call us with any questions or for help with your order. We’d love to hear from you! 1-604-531-8333


Calista Nicks

Senior Content Writer
Marketing Writer for Cityline Websites


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