Hague/Hague-Visby Rules : cargo inspection

In the post of this morning, we will go into some operational aspects of cargo inspection. Before signing bills of lading, a Captain should be familiar with the provisions of the Hague/Hague-Visby Rules. Some part of these rules concerns his obligation , as the Master, to arrange cargo inspection. Should the Master fail to inspect, he will not be able to check the accuracy of the cargo description in the bills of lading, and given strong commercial pressure, may sign inaccurate bills of lading presented by the shipper. Master should develop a strong knowledge of the cargo and be familiar with the loading and inspection practices. It is always preferrable that either the Master or his senior deck officers perform the cargo inspection. A surveyor may be appointed to perform the cargo inspection as well, but, in this case, the Master should be fully aware whether the cargo survey is performed on his behalf or not.

Referring to the Hague/Hague-Visby Rules, the goods should be inspected for "apparent order and condition". What does it mean for the Captain (or deck officer) to inspect according to the rules?

The Captain's inspection should :

- determine general type of cargo (e.g. steel, wheat, soyabean meal or coal) and type of packing;
- find and record any apparent damage or defect with the cargo;
- identify whether packing is sufficient and adequate to protect the perishable goods during sea voayge;
-be carried out by a responsible deck officer, but not a quality expert (!) ;
- identify apparent damages by sight (!) and not hidden damages, as the deck officer is not supposed to remove the package and analyse, or test the cargo as the quality expert does;
- record parts and/or sides of cargo not available (e.g. visible) for inspection;
- preferrably be done at regular intervals while loading to obtain a fuller picture and to prevent possible problems (e.g. contamination or moisturing);
- obtain samples of inspected cargo to serve as evidence of the cargo's condition;
- check whether the marks made on the cargo are readable and whether they will remain so till the end of sea voayge;
- perhaps, state reasons why number, weight or quantity can not be determined;
- accurately record results of calculation of the draft survey, tally, ullage ;
- record observations that may affect accuracy of both ship's and shipper's figures (e.g. due to swell);

So much work to do for a single Man!