Serious accidents in mooring operations involving death or serious injury appear to be increasing over the long term, says the UK P&I Club which has spent over US$34m settling mooring-related insurance claims over the past 20 years. It has published a guide on the subject, Understanding Mooring Incidents, which can be downloaded from the UK Club’s website: www.ukpandi.com.

The club says that such incidents rarely exceeded four per cent of all claims on the club and two per cent of settlements in 1987-97. During the next decade, however, the number peaked at 14 per cent in 2000 and the value at 15 per cent two years later. In 2007, both numbers and values dropped to 1997 levels.

However, the Club regards this as “encouraging but not necessarily indicative of a long-term trend.”

While mooring injuries have been only the seventh most frequent cause of personal injuries dealt with by the club they have been the third most expensive per claim, indicating that these injuries are often more severe. Some 14 per cent of all mooring accidents accidents involved deaths. Some 23 per cent were leg injuries, 14 per cent back, 11 per cent multiple and seven per cent arm and head.

It emerged last week that the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) has been assisting troubled owner Britannia Bulk by, among other things, becoming involved in talks with the company's bankers. ITF says is offering to extend the same offer of help it gave Britannia to any other owner in difficulty. The ITF has pointed to the case as proof that its early involvement can assist in a humane result even where a company cannot be saved.

ITF represents 4.5m transport workers in 148 countries

ITF maritime coordinator Stephen Cotton said: “We reiterate what we’ve said before. We welcome anyone who is experiencing business difficulties asking us to assist where we can. After all, we usually share the same aims, that good companies continue trading and employing seafarers.” He added: “We can offer help, especially if we’re involved at an early stage. And even if all else fails and the company is unable to continue trading, then we can call on our expertise and resources to make sure that the seafarers who might otherwise face penury and abandonment actually get home.”

On 31 October London-based company Britannia Bulk put its main trading subsidiary into administration. The company was hoping for an agreement with its lenders to restructure its debt but it failed and had no alternative but to go into liquidation, seeking protection from lenders or other protection under bankruptcy laws. Denmark's Nordea Bank confirmed to the ITF that it was the principle secured Lender for the Britannia Bulk Fleet. Britannia Bulk through its Danish vessel manager Svendborg Ship Management had 14 vessels under an ITF Special Agreement and Uniform TCC CBA. The crew of the vessels were mainly from the Philippines and some from Russia and Ukraine.

On hearing the news the ITF maritime department set up a maritime crisis management team which engaged in early discussion with vessel managers Svendborg, Nordea Bank and the appointed administrators, BDO Stoy Hayward.

ITF says: “As a result of the early intervention the ITF was able to secure an agreement to mitigate the human impact of the company collapse and to ensure payment of all outstanding wages and repatriation where appropriate. Nordea Bank engaged the assistance of ship managers Wallems (Hong Kong) and Danish company Norden A/S to manage the vessels and work with the ITF on their behalf to resolve issues with regard to the payment of wages, repatriation, and retention of crew for lay-up. In the case of Norden the company took over the management of five vessels and agreed to retain the current ITF terms and conditions of employment for the mainly Filipino crew. It’s understood at the time of writing that the UK based Clearwater Group has bought the five vessels originally transferred over to Norden. Efforts are in progress to secure the retention of the ITF Agreement and continuation of ITF Employment Contract for the crew.”

Maritime London will be in Turkey promoting the UK's maritime services this March. Accompanying the Lord Mayor of London, highlights of the trip will include addressing a seminar at the Turkish Chamber of Shipping on 19 March and an evening social event on the Bosphorus.

For further details contact Doug Barrow.

E: dbarrow@maritimelondon.com

Gary Rynsard is set to take the helm at Steamship Mutual

Maritime London member Steamship Mutual, a leading P&I Club providing marine liability insurance worldwide, has announced that Gary Rynsard will succeed James Stockdale as senior partner of Steamship Insurance Management and chief executive of Steamship Insurance Management Services, with effect from 20 August.

Gary Rynsard joined the Club’s London representative office in 1978, after having qualified as a barrister in London. Previous positions held within the club include head of claims, head of underwriting and, most recently, chief operating officer.

Commenting on the appointment, Otto Fritzner, chairman of the Club said: “Gary has worked very closely with James over 30 years and is eminently qualified to be his successor. We are very confident in the expertise that he brings to the Club. The entire Board of Directors is very grateful for James’ important contribution over the past 31 years, particularly his teams successful efforts over the last six years in building what is now one of the world’s leading Protection & Indemnity Clubs.”

James Stockdale commented: “When I took over as Senior Partner in 2003, it was always my intention to retire in the Club’s Centenary year. I have enjoyed my time working for Steamship enormously, but now, after over 30 years with the Club, I feel it is time to move on and devote more time on other interests. Steamship Mutual is well known to have a very strong and cohesive management team. They have asked me to stay on as a consultant until the end of the calendar year to provide some transitional support, which I am delighted to do. I am confident that the Board and the Managers have taken the right steps to put the Club in a strong position to face the challenges currently confronting all P&I Clubs and the shipping industry generally and I look forward to watching, as an interested observer, as the Club goes from strength to strength in future years.”

Inchcape Shipping Services (ISS) has secured a worldwide agency contract from Norwegian-based Odfjell Tankers.

A statement says: “Following a competitive tender, ISS won the global agreement which will see the UK-based firm undertake hub agency services for Odfjell involving over 4,000 port calls annually across the world.” Odfjell is a major player in the global market for the transportation and storage of chemicals and other speciality bulk liquids. Its specialized fleet consists of 92 ships and nine newbuildings with a total capacity of around 2.9 million dwt. The company generated a turnover of just over US$1bn in 2007.

ISS says: “Unlike transporting crude oil and petroleum products, the chemical transportation business can be very complex and dynamic, involving multiple suppliers, receivers and charterers on each voyage. With sophisticated vessels capable of carrying up to 48 different parcels, each parcel with its own special handling requirements, the voyages require a special expertise and a robust data management system, which ISS can provide.”

The agreement will involve ISS working with local port agents handling Odfjell’s tankers to ensure their safe and efficient turnaround in port. ISS will oversee the whole port call process through to completion of the disbursement account. This will include monitoring the performance of local port agents through established Key Performance Indicators and seeking continuous improvements and innovative ideas to reduce costs.

The management of over 50 chemical and parcel tanker companies will be descending on London from across Europe and the USA for the International Parcel Tanker Association and Navigate’s chemical tanker conference 10-11 March.

High on the agenda will be discussion of the issues surrounding the proposed expansion of inert gas requirement. Other topics will include market outlook, vetting, piracy and a legislative update.

See www.navigateevents.com for further details.

Freight derivative broker GFI Group has launched GFI FreightView – a light version of EnergyMatch Europe, its electronic trading platform for energy and freight. GFI FreightView provides non-interactive access to live prices and historical trades from GFI’s freight trading platform via web browsers and internet-enabled mobile devices, including BlackBerry and Windows Mobile.

“Trading in wet freight derivatives has become a 24 hour global market and market participants therefore need constant access to real-time price quotes and trade activity”, said Wayne Anderson, GFI’s head of broker analytics. “Whether our clients are at their desk or the move, they will have the same information available.”

Despite the “grim trading conditions which persist in most shipping trades” marine delay insurer the Strike Club says its annual renewal has been “very encouraging and, indeed, better than might have been expected”. Its new policy year commenced on 1 February. Although not a P&I club in the accepted sense, but structured on the same lines, it is the first of the mutuals to report on its renewal this year.

“It is somewhat early for an accurate analysis,” said Bill Milligan, chief executive of Strike Club Management, “but we estimate that our overall retention rate is around 95/96%, demonstrating the continuing support of our members and the brokers. This result also underlines the fact that shipowners and charterers want financial protection at this volatile time when strikes or any other form of delay in the marine transport chain can make a significant difference to their bottom line.”

Club underwriter Claudio Blancardi said: “Clearly, in view of the current situation in the freight markets and the overall financial malady affecting all sectors, we must expect less premium income during the coming year. Lower charter rates, lower insured amounts, return of premiums for laid-up ships, a lower exchange rate for the euro ..… all will contribute to the reduction.”

Mr Blancardi added: “Since policies are written on a daily entered sum, it follows that claims will be lower.” The club is also facing a nil return on investments this year, although it does not anticipate any significant decrease in its capital base. Late last year the club announced it was asking members for a 15% increase in the advance call rates for the 2009/2010 policy year. The 15% applied to all three classes of cover and, as usual, before any adjustments for individual claims experience. It said that almost certainly all three classes would show a deficit for the 2008/2009 year, with claims across the board moving sharply higher.

On a more upbeat note, the club reports a continuing high take-up rate for its loss of earnings cover which it introduced on a fixed-premium basis in July 2007, with an insured limit of $2.25m for any one loss-of-hire event.

The club also reports that an increasing number of shipowners are signing up for the club’s war risk cover, also fixed premium, which includes tailor-made comprehensive insurance for piracy-type incidents. The war risk portfolio, with an insured limit of $200m. each incident, now covers more than 960 ships, representing $31bn. in insured hull values.

The International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) now has a new chairman. Chris Fisher, of Bunker Claims International is the association's eighth chairman. IBIA has also changed its governence structure, changing from a 25-member Council of Management to an executive structure headed by a Board of Directors.

Ian Adams who had been IBIA secretary-general has been appointed chief executive. Ian Adams says, “The bunker industry faces a number of daunting challenges, and we now believe that we have the executive structure in place at IBIA to help our members best meet these.”

Old IT equipment can be put to good use

Computers and other equipment used until last year by risk management group Thomas Miller are now helping to train teachers in Kenya and to teach women there IT skills while in Rwanda the computers help to run health centres and in remote parts of Chile to teach disadvantaged children IT skills.

When Millers moved offices last year it decided to re-equip more than half its staff, about 300 in all, with new computers. This left it with the problem of how to dispose of 400 pieces of equipment, including laptops, PCs and screens in an ethical and environmentally responsible way.

Millers contacted Computer Aid International which refurbishes old computers for use in projects in the developing world. Computer Aid collected 300 computers and 100 screens from Thomas Miller's old building and took them to its workshop in North London. There each hard drive was data wiped to UK Secret Service standards, ensuring no data can be recovered, and then each computer was refurbished for re-use.

Millers also donated sufficient funds to meet the cost of refurbishing and transporting the machines to Computer Aid’s beneficiaries.

Bob Grainger, chief ooperating officer of Thomas Miller, says: "We are so pleased that our machines have been put to such good use. We are an international company and this is an ideal charity for us to support. We understand the difficulties businesses are currently facing but would hope that other companies in the insurance and transport industries might be able to follow our lead in the disposal of superseded IT equipment, particularly at this time when Computer Aid's projects are in danger of suffering."

Computer Aid says it currently has a waiting list from schools, hospitals and community organisations in Africa and South America and needs many more donations like the one Thomas Miller made.

Anyone with equipment to donate should call 020 8361 5540 or visit www.computeraid.org.