The Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) and the Coast Guard used drones to photograph container ships sailing 82 times in 2023. A total of 63 ships were photographed to see if they had properly 'lashed' their container cargo, as securing the containers is called. In two-thirds of the inspections, it showed that there was a violation.
So even after the MSC Zoe disaster, lashing is often still inadequate. During inspections in 2023, inspectors therefore paid more attention to the use of computer software for lashing. In addition, a more comprehensive inspection and reporting system was developed for 2024 to provide a more detailed picture of the possible causes of improper lashing.
Based on drone photographs, 18 ships were inspected for correct lashing and stowage. A so-called Cargo Securing Manual (CSM) is present on board ships. This CSM contains information on the use of lashing materials on board, such as examples of relevant lashing configurations.
Software
Conclusion after the inspections is that the CSMs often do not contain enough information. The CSMs are insufficient to identify which lashing configurations should be applied in different situations. In addition, incorrect software (lashing modules in the cargo computer) is regularly used to determine which lashing configurations should be applied. As a result, too few lashings are then applied when securing containers on the ship.
Since 2022, the ILT has been using drones with a camera to check for lashings. The ILT Aerosensing team sails aboard the Coast Guard and from the ship, inspectors photograph sea-going vessels carrying containers. The Coast Guard ship sails mainly in the anchorage areas and in the run-up to Rotterdam port, in the North Sea. Based on the photos, which an inspector analyses, a decision is then made to carry out a targeted lashing inspection on board when the ship is docked in the port.
Zero measurement
For years, it has been known that sea container ships' cargoes are not always properly secured. In 2009 and 2020, the ILT issued reports on the state of lashings on seagoing vessels. The 1st report followed the lashing theme action that took place between 2005 and 2009. This report served as a baseline measurement to visualise the general state of lashings; 57 ships were reviewed at that time. The 2nd report, from 2020, describes the findings of inspections on 69 ships in 2019. These inspections were carried out in response to increased attention to lashing problems in that year: in early 2019, the container ship MSC Zoe lost a large number of containers on the Wadden Sea.
Source: ILT
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