Should a cargo hold be cleaned after each trip?

In this month’s blog, we want to address the frequency of cargo hold cleaning for bulk carriers.

Question

Should a cargo hold be cleaned after each trip?

Answer

The short answer is yes. Here’s why.

Cargo hold cleaning provides the opportunity to check for damage and to verify everything is working and in good repair. Hatches, seals, ladders, bilge areas, paint, limber boards and drainage systems need to be inspected often.

Grain cargos benefit from cargo hold cleaning after every trip.  Any problems that are discovered can be dealt with right away. It only takes one piece of contamination or infestation for surveyors to fail a hold.

With greasy cargos, like green delayed petcoke, cargo hold cleaning is essential after every trip. High-carbon coals are notorious for staining. These stains get harder to remove the more they build up. Therefore it takes crews longer to clean it off. 

Reactive cargos like salt and sulfur become corrosive when wet. The acidic water they produce eats away at the metal on the hold and can end up causing significant structural damage. Cleaning the hold allows crews to check for damage, make repairs, and reapply protective barrier coatings. 

Reason for cargo hold cleaning after every trip

• Check for damage
• Prevent contamination
• Reapply barrier protection
• Saves time and money

As every business owner knows, time is money. The more time the cargo hold remains empty dut to problems, the less time it’s earning.  Cleaning after every trip makes the job faster and easier, and also allows for damage checks and the reapplication of a protective barrier solution. It just makes good financial sense.

RBM HoldSolutions provides superior quality cargo hold cleaning solutions to help crews get the job done quickly and efficiently. Questions or concerns about our products or services? We’d love to hear from you. We can be reached by phone at 1 604 531 8333 or email: rbm@holdsolutions.com