2 Maintenance of hatch covers and hatch opening, closing, securing and sealing systems
Clasification Society 2024 - Version 9.40
Statutory Documents - IMO Publications and Documents - Resolutions - Maritime Safety Committee - Resolution MSC.169(79) - Standards for Owners' Inspection and Maintenance of Bulk Carrier Hatch Covers - (Adopted on 9 December 2004) - Annex - Standards for Owners' Inspection and Maintenance of Bulk Carrier Hatch Covers - 2 Maintenance of hatch covers and hatch opening, closing, securing and sealing systems

2 Maintenance of hatch covers and hatch opening, closing, securing and sealing systems

  2.1 Lack of weathertightness may be attributed to:

  • .1 normal wear and tear of the hatch cover system: deformation of the hatch coaming or cover due to impact; wear of the friction pads where fitted; wear and tear of the cleating arrangement; or

  • .2 lack of maintenance: corrosion of plating and stiffeners due to breakdown of coatings; lack of lubrication of moving parts; cleats, joint gaskets and rubber pads in need of replacement, or replaced with incorrect specification parts.

  2.2 Insecure hatch covers may be particularly attributed to damage or wear of securing devices, or incorrect adjustment, and incorrect pre-tension and load sharing, of cleating systems.

  2.3 Ship owners and operators shall therefore institute a programme of maintenance. This maintenance shall be directed to:

  • .1 protecting exposed surfaces of plating and stiffeners of hatch covers and coamings in order to preserve overall structural strength;

  • .2 preserving the surface of trackways of rolling covers, and of compression bars and other steel work bearing on seals or friction pads, noting that surface smoothness and correct profile are important for reducing wear rates on these components;

  • .3 maintaining hydraulic or mechanically powered opening, closing, securing or cleating systems in accordance with manufacturer's recommendations;

  • .4 maintaining manual cleats in adjustment, with replacement when significant wastage, wear or loss of adjustment capability is identified;

  • .5 replacing seals and other wear components in accordance with manufacturers' recommendations, noting the need to carry on board or obtain such spares of correct specification, and that seals are designed for a particular degree of compression, hardness, chemical and wear resistance; and

  • .6 keeping all hatch cover drains and their non-return valves, where fitted, in working order, noting that any drains fitted to the inboard side of seal lines will have non-return valves for prevention of water ingress to holds in the event of boarding seas.

  2.4 The equalization of securing loads shall be maintained following the renewal of components such as seals, rubber washers, peripheral and cross joint cleats.

  2.5 Ship owners and operators shall keep a Maintenance Plan and a record of maintenance and component replacement carried out, in order to facilitate maintenance planning and statutory surveys by the Administration. Hatch cover maintenance plans shall form part of a ship's safety management system as referred to in the ISM Code.

  2.6 Where the range of cargoes carried requires different gasket materials, a selection of gasket materials of the correct specifications shall be carried on board, in addition to other spares.

  2.7 At each operation of a hatch cover, the cover and, in particular, bearing surfaces and drainage channels shall be free of debris and as clean as practicable.

  2.8 Attention is drawn to the dangers of proceeding to sea without fully secured hatch covers. Securing of all covers shall always be completed before the commencement of a sea passage. During voyages, especially on loaded passages, cover securing devices and tightness of cleating and securing arrangements shall be checked, especially in anticipation of, and following periods of, severe weather. Hatch covers may only be opened on passage, when necessary, during favourable sea and weather conditions; imminent weather forecasts shall also be considered.

  2.9 Operators shall consult the Cargo Securing Manual when planning the loading of containers or other cargo on hatch covers and confirm that they are designed and approved for such loads. Lashings shall not be secured to the covers or coamings unless these are suitable to withstand the lashing forces.

Parent topic: Annex - Standards for Owners' Inspection and Maintenance of Bulk Carrier Hatch Covers
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