GIMS members may be required to attend to the loading or discharge of general or refrigerated cargoes, either from a conventional ship’s hold, a ro-ro vessel, or a container. They also required to advise on stowage and securing of the cargo or to determine damage. In some instances, they are there merely to observe and report on the procedures and operations being carried out.

Sometimes our members are asked to attend to damages with cargoes. Damaged cargo is surveyed to establish the cause and extent of the damage and to minimise any further loss or damage. Our members will make recommendations as the best course of action to be taken with regard to the particular commodity. It is therefore essential that the surveyor is familiar with the cargo in order to provide advice on the best method of minimising the loss or damage. It is for this reason that the Institute conducts regular refresher training to keep abreast with modern trends in the industry

Damage surveys are also undertaken for insurance or cargo interests, in order to establish the cause of a loss or damage.

It is general practice nowadays that all containers being returned empty to the container depot are to be inspected for damage and general condition. Repairs, if required, are detailed and quoted according to accepted international criteria. GIMS members are certified by the IICL to survey repaired containers. Surveys for cleanliness are also carried out prior to the packing of food stuffs into containers.

On and off-hire surveys are carried out whenever leased containers move in or out of a depot. The contract the user has with the leasing company also determines the costs borne by each party in repairing or cleaning the container. It is therefore important that the surveyor takes careful note of the damage so that the cost of repairs may be allocated correctly.

Our members may sometimes also act as an independent body during the custody transfer of oils and chemicals. The surveyors’ role is to monitor product transfer operations including the loading from shore to vessel, discharge from vessel to shore and road tanker and tank container loadings or discharges.

The surveyor often acts for both parties involved in the transfer so they must be competent, experienced and act with integrity to ensure that the operation proceeds smoothly and to everybody’s satisfaction.

Condition surveys are carried out to determine the value of the vessel for either insurance purposes or sale. For larger tonnages where facilities exist, vessels for survey are placed on the slipway or in dry dock to enable a comprehensive inspection and examination of underwater surfaces and fittings.

Surveyors may be required to advise on valuations based upon vessel condition and current market trends. In such a survey, it is essential that as much of the vessel as possible is inspected, including ballast tanks, void spaces, cargo or product spaces, decks and accommodation.

Draft surveys are a convenient and economical means of ascertaining the weight of cargo loaded into, or discharged from, a ship. A well conducted draft survey is capable of achieving an accuracy of less than 0.5%, which is as good as, or better than many methods such as belt weighing systems. It is the only method with the advantage of consistency in that the cargo weight calculations involve the same parameters (i.e. the ship itself) at the ports of loading and discharge.

The accuracy of a draft survey depends on many factors, the main ones being sea surface conditions, list and trim of the vessel and the co-operation of the ship’s officers. The latter is particularly important as it is necessary to accurately sound and calculate the quantities in all fuel, ballast and fresh water tanks. If the conditions are good and care is taken with all calculations, excellent results can be obtained.

In the event of mishaps such as oil spills, accidents involving personnel or cargo equipment etc, the marine surveyor will be instructed by the P & I Club to investigate and report on the facts of the incident and to assist the Master and Owners with advice.

In all instances it is not only the particular technical skills of the marine surveyor which are called upon but also their wider knowledge and appreciation of the legal consequences involved in the relationship between ship owners, charterers, insurers and cargo owners.

Such incidents usually involve large sums of money which are sometimes not settled until several years later, often after protracted court action. The surveyor must therefore pay particular attention to detail and have a good in-house system for recalling evidence.

Our members cover all areas of shipping activity ranging from ship construction, safety equipment and safe navigation, to marine pollution and the safe carriage and handling of sea-bound cargoes. Of the areas mentioned above, those which affect marine pollution and the safety of Ghanaian registered ships and foreign ships visiting Ghanaian Ports are covered by regulations made under national legislation. Most of these regulations are based on the requirements of international conventions, which are periodically ratified from time to time by the Ghanaian government.

The Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) is responsible for enforcing all marine pollution and ship safety requirements. Some of our members are gazetted by the Ghana Government to carryout statutory surveys on its behalf.

Our surveyors are sometimes called on to ensure the correct preparation of hatches with regard to cleanliness especially with regards to loading cocoa, either on their own or in conjunction with other statutory bodies to ensure the space is dry, odour free and suitable for the stowage of the cargo.

Cleanliness takes into account the residues of previous cargoes hidden behind pipe casings and on various edges in a hold, loose rust and scale as well as the painted or unpainted condition of the compartment, dirt and other foreign matter. The general condition of the fixtures and fittings are noted and recommendations made where they must be fixed prior to loading.

Our surveyors are further involved in the manner of stowage, dunnaging, methods of handling a particular cargo and its final securing after loading. They may also be required to issue a certificate stating that the hold is clean and ready for loading or the cargo has been loaded, stowed and secured in a safe and approved manner.

Refrigerated and bulk cargoes require special attention and both may require the inspection of the hatch covers to ensure they are watertight and sealed correctly.

Should the surveyor be involved in the loading, they may also have to consider the compatibility of the various commodities being loaded or check the stability calculations to ensure that the vessel remains within the stability criteria for its loaded condition. This is particularly required when attending to timber loading.

For discharging vessels, a surveyor will attend prior to commencement to see the initial condition of cargo in-stow and further attend as the discharging progresses, noting the condition, stowage and securing, and the reason for any damage.

These surveys are usually carried out at the commencement and termination of a charter. The surveyor will be employed by either the charterer or the vessel’s owners so it is not unusual to find two surveyors on board at the same time.

The purpose of the survey is to note every defect so that it can be verified later as being present prior to or occurring during the hire period. The on-hire survey is customarily carried out at the start of the hire period so that any additional damage found later at the off-hire survey can be charged to the correct party.

The purpose of these surveys is to assess the degree of damage, determine the cause of the loss and recommend a course of action to minimise or repair the damage. The successful achievement of this objective is dependent upon the experience and efficiency of the surveyor undertaking the survey.

For this type of work, it is essential that the surveyor has a good working knowledge of the commodity he is engaged to report on and is familiar with any treatment necessary to minimise the loss.

They should also understand ships and how cargoes can get damaged. The causes of damage are rarely clear and the surveyor must be prepared to investigate to establish the actual cause of the loss. The surveyor should also have an understanding of the workings of the marine insurance act and the York Antwerp rules. However, it is not the surveyor’s job to apportion liability. This is for the underwriters to decide.