Australia Bans Cargo Ship For 180 Days Due To Repeated Violations In Handling Dangerous Cargo

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority, commonly known as AMSA, has banned the general cargo ship Marsgracht, registered in the Netherlands, from entering Australian ports for 180 days due to repeated violations in handling dangerous goods.

The Marsgracht, operated by Spliethoff’s Bevrachtingskantoor B.V., was first detained on February 6, 2024, at Port Alma for improperly stowing dangerous goods, violating the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code.

Despite this, during a follow-up inspection on November 14, 2024, at the same port, inspectors found the same issue, leading to another detention.

AMSA Executive Director of Operations Michael Drake discussed the severity of these repeated violations, saying that barring the ship from Australian ports for 180 days was necessary given the “seriousness and nature of these breaches, and the apparent lack of effective processes to rectify failings.”

Drake added that AMSA takes its role very seriously and will not hesitate to take appropriate action against unsafe ships, their owners and their operators.

This is the fourth detention since July 2022 for a Spliethoff-operated vessel, which failed to comply with IMDG Code standards.

The company’s detention rate of 12.6% over the past two years is higher than the global average, showing systematic flaws in its safety management system.

Multiple Spliethoff ships have been detained for violating the International Safety Management Code and other major faults, raising concerns about the safety of seafarers and the risks to Australia’s marine environment.

AMSA has relisted Spliethoff as a poor-performing operator as of February 8, 2024.

Drake says there is no excuse for disregarding these standards when it comes to loading dangerous cargo, there is no scope for non-compliance.

Reference: AMSA

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