Shipping has always been an important, essential mode and cost effective mode of transportation of goods and cargoes across the oceans. The need is to achieve a greater co-operation between officials involved in these areas. Ports need to get more efficient and user friendly by adopting best practices and employing modern equipment for cargo handling. Training is very essential in use of the equipment for optimum performance and effective maintenance. The use of cargo securing arrangements is to be well understood by ship’s crew and the stevedore labour. This subject is not very well covered in our training institutions.
Loss prevention is also a subject that must be regularly discussed say during Company of Master Mariners of India (CMMI) meetings and lecture sessions conducted by Protection and Indemnity (P&I) clubs. They taught us “can test” for ascertaining moisture limits in various concentrates such as nickel, copper, bauxite and iron ore cargoes but often do not exercise due diligence on this. You should have the confidence to take away the loader and close hatches even if the rain is not very heavy. Soya Beans and grain cargoes must also be taken care of by not heating the adjacent fuel oil tank more than 40-45 deg C.
At times, some officers are only interested in operational part and do not love the maintenance part. This can be improved by effective training in our DG approved training colleges by ensuring that the faculty is well experienced.
A greater cohesion and intermingling is to be achieved between International Warehousing and Transport (IWT) and coastal shipping by cutting red tape and simplifying documentation and procedures. Issuance of Panamanian Certificates of Competency (COC) is to be considered seriously so that only well trained and well tested candidates get the certification. Same applies to International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for seafarers (STCW) certificates – no certification without prescribed training in full.
Training must be imparted to youth so that they can acquire skills which will enable them to find employment and set up their own workshops. India is facing shortage of electricians therefore training must be offered to youth for addressing this issue. Such enhanced training modules can be arranged with the participation of experts drawn from foreign countries. In our country, we must focus on the work of enhancing electric power generation and distribution.
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)