More Expert Tips for Maintaining Dry Bulk Carrier Holds

Last month we covered the advanced marine cleaning solutions that will improve your dry bulk carrier operation. We showed how using modern solutions designed exclusively for vessels carrying dry bulk cargoes is easier, safer and more economical than using outdated, more traditional products. To continue to strive for excellence, there’s even more you can do. Here are additional expert tips for dry bulk carrier hold maintenance and cleaning.

Dry bulk carrier hold maintenance & cleaning tips

• Ensure adequate supplies and working equipment
• Crews - training, delegation, safety, & morale
• Post info - MSDS, instructions, schedules, duties

Secure solutions and equipment

Profitable voyages depend on keeping tight timelines, which means eliminating as many variables that would interfere with that as possible. To that end, make sure you have enough solutions to tackle the cleaning and maintenance of your vessel’s holds for the cargoes being transported. This eliminates the delays you’d experience if you ran out and had to source more. It also removes the risk of falling back on unfamiliar or less effective products if you can’t find your preferred solutions. All scenarios in which you run out of supplies waste time & money. So make sure there are enough cleaning and barrier solutions on board at departure or call ahead to relevant ports to ensure you can source more of what you need.

Crew support

In addition to solutions, confirm crews will have all the necessary cleaning gear, PPE, machinery and backups they’ll need to do their jobs. Also, that they’re in good working order.

Once you have the solutions and equipment, cleaning & maintenance is as good as the crew overseeing it. To reach their peak they need support and access to important information.

Ensure each member receives adequate training. Hold refresher sessions and regular safety drills. Ensure roles are clearly defined, understood and fairly designated. Foster teamwork and good morale. People that are well supported and well supplied feel more competent and confident. They can take pride in their work which translates into better performance and increased efficiency.

Facilitate quick and easy access to any information your crew might need while cleaning or maintaining the holds. Post schedules, duties, emergency procedures, instructions manuals and MSDS for the solutions and equipment they’ll be using. This helps to smooth operations, refine transitions between tasks, and enables rapid response to unforeseen events.

We hope these tips help. Dry bulk carrier hold maintenance and cleaning is challenging work that can be managed with optimal planning and a strong foundation of crew support.

RBM HoldSolutions’ advanced marine solutions and equipment can be found around the world at any of our many stockpoints. Please contact us if you would like to discuss stock available at any of these locations:Vancouver, Houston, Dubai, Portland, New Orleans, Singapore, San Francisco, Rotterdam, Chile, & Long Beach. 1-604-531-8333