Loss Prevention Advice
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Half-Yearly Report for January to June 2026, detailing trends and incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships (ARAS) in Asia. The report highlights a significant increase in the total number of incidents compared to the previous year, with particular attention drawn to the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS) as an area of concern.
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At its 111th session held from 13 to 22 May 2026, approved revised guidelines on safety during abandon ship drills using lifeboats.
The amendments follow changes to the International Life-Saving Appliance (LSA) Code adopted through resolution MSC.589(111), particularly regarding arrangements for testing free-fall lifeboat release systems under load without launching the lifeboat into the water.
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The revised guidelines build on a series of measures developed by the MSC over the past two decades to reduce the risk of accidents during lifeboat drills and improve the safe conduct of abandon ship exercises.
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PLUG FAILURE (COURTESY OF SKULD CLUB)
Fire in the engine room remains the most common and costly risk in Hull and Machinery insurance, due to the combination of flammable materials, complex machinery and human factors, according to Skuld Club.
Skuld has seen recent cases of engine room fires due to erosion (fusible) plug failure. An erosion plug failure in a fuel pump can cause engine room fires by allowing pressurised fuel to escape as a fine spray, which can ignite instantly upon contact with hot surfaces. An erosion plug is a safety device built into fuel pumps, and particularly in high-pressure fuel pumps.
Erosion plugs are made from a low-melting-point alloy and are designed to relieve pressure during overheating, preventing the fuel pump casing from rupturing or exploding.
However, excessive temperatures, internal friction, pump seizure and inadequate maintenance can cause the plug to melt, erode or blow out prematurely. When this happens, pressurised fuel oil escapes, often as a fine atomised spray rather than a liquid leak.
This fine mist presents a serious fire hazard. If it comes into contact with hot surfaces such as exhaust manifolds or turbochargers, it can ignite almost instantly.
Combined with high fuel pressure and the presence of hot machinery, the resulting flash fire can spread rapidly through lagging gaps, cable runs and accumulated oil deposits, significantly increasing the extent of damage in the engine room.
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A bulk carrier sailing under the Tanzanian flag and operated by an Azerbaijani crew has been struck by Russian drones near the Port of Odesa, with at least one person killed in the attack.
According to Ukrainian media outlets, Russian forces targeted two civilian vessels on 14 July, including the Azerbaijani-manned bulk carrier and another ship operating under the Liberian flag.
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry later confirmed that the merchant vessel Atlas Bey, owned by a Turkish company, was attacked near the Odesa coastline. The ministry said 11 Azerbaijani nationals were among the crew and confirmed that all crew members except the captain who reportedly lost his life and was also an Azerbaijani citizen, were rescued.
The incident follows a series of attacks on civilian shipping in the Black Sea. In recent days, Russian forces have targeted several merchant vessels, including a Togolese-flagged cargo ship that was struck on 13 July while unloading mineral fertilisers at Odesa.
The attacks have heightened concerns over the safety of commercial shipping routes in the Black Sea, where merchant vessels continue to operate amid ongoing military tensions.
IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez has warned that while global attention has been focused on escalating tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, a renewed wave of attacks targeting international shipping has emerged in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov regions and urged all parties involved in conflicts to refrain from actions that endanger merchant vessels, seafarers and the marine environment.