Liquefied Gas Carrier

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General precautions and instructions on deck - Liquefied gas carrier guideline

During cargo operation, a continuous watch shall be maintained on the cargo deck and at the manifold. The watchmen attending such duties shall look for and report hydraulic oil or control air leaks within the cargo pipes/system and advise the OOW of any abnormalities concerning the cargo transfer system. In addition, the deck watchmen shall continuously check water surface around the vessel for signs of oil that may originate from own ship, other ships, or the terminal. All such abnormalities shall, without delay, be reported to the Cargo Control Room.



The duty officers and deck watchmen shall be equipped with a radio and regular radio checks shall be performed.The watchmen involved in cargo operation shall know about the location and operation procedures of pollution prevention, fire-fighting, and safety equipment available, including the location of thermal suites and other safety equipment.

The deck watchmen shall wear safety helmets, safety shoes, boiler suits, gloves and goggles as per Company’s standard. Additionally arm bands shall be worn if required by the port.

The duty officers and watchmen assigned the mooring watch shall be aware of the mooring arrangements, either as agreed with the terminal or as outlined in any “Terminal Rules and Standing Instructions” and fully understand the consequences should the vessel move. The duty officer shall frequently monitor the moorings during the cargo operation, while the watchman shall continuously check all moorings and report any abnormalities to the Cargo Control Room.

Typical LNG vessel at loading terminal

Fig:Typical LNG vessel at loading terminal

The duty officer shall be aware of the tide changes during the period of cargo operation and observe the weather forecast.

The duty officer shall assist the Chief Officer in ballast operations, keep all relevant records throughout the cargo operation and assist as required.

The duty officer and Cargo Engineer shall call the Chief Officer in case of any abnormalities regarding cargo operation, ballasting / deballasting, weather/sea conditions, moorings or any other relevant operation errors that might interfere with the safe operation of the vessel.

The Chief Officer shall call the Master, Charterer’s representative when one or more of the conditions mentioned in the above paragraph do occur. If the Master is in any doubt, or considers that the safety of the vessel, crew, cargo or environment is at risk, then he must call the vessel DPA.

Any kind of maintenance/repair work to be done onboard during port stay shall be discussed with the vessel superintendent, and agreed with the terminal before arrival. To do maintenance work outside this agreement is strictly prohibited.

The content of the “Terminal’s Cargo Handling Regulations” shall be familiar to the officers, Cargo Engineer, and crew. Operators of mooring winches, anchor windlass, cranes and portable lifting gear shall be qualified in the use of such equipment.

Paint thinner, detergents, chemicals and other products that might be harmful to the health and inflammable shall be treated with care. The bosun shall ensure he and the crew using such products are familiar with the hazards involved.

The bosun and the crew involved in work aloft shall observe the procedures outlined for such work and be fully aware of the dangers involved. (see Work Permit Procedures & Risk Assessment). All crew shall be aware of the dangers involved with the:
The required protective equipment shall be used and relevant safety measures taken.

At beginning of Loading and Discharge operations, the officers involved in cargo operations should be positioned on Manifold, on cargo deck and in CCR. They will remain in these stations until full loading/discharge rate and steady flow conditions have been reached.

If any cargo monitoring instruments or control safety devices are overridden, due to operational circumstances, it must be verified by both the Chief Officer and the Cargo Engineer and it must be recorded, the Master and management office are to be informed. The instrument or device must be returned to its normal operational state as soon as it is no longer necessary to override the function. The return to normal function must also be recorded.

If there is a necessity to override such devices on a regular or frequent basis then the Company office must be notified of the circumstances.

Preparation for dry-docking must follow the instruction and sequence set up in the vessel’s Cargo Handling Manual. This is especially important with warming up, gas freeing, inerting, aerating, hold space drying, gassing up and initial cool down after dry-docking. Prior to each of the above operations, the line up must be checked by Cargo Engineer and verified by Chief Officer, and logged down.

All cargo operations related checklists must be initialled by both Chief Officer and Cargo Engineer. The verification needs to be done by both senior officers participating in the cargo operations, to ensure that all systems have been cross-checked.




Prior to taking over watch during cargo operations, all Deck Officers and ratings must read and be familiar with any additional standing orders that the Chief Officer has issued.

Below is more guideline for safe handling of liquefied gases.


  1. Cargo Information - physical and chemical properties necessary for the safe containment of the cargo

  2. Mooring requirements for gas carrier

  3. Means of access to ship - gas carrier guideline

  4. Precautions against abnormal weather or other conditions

  5. Dispersal of Vented Cargo Vapours

  6. Openings in Deckhouses and Superstructures


  7. Engine and Boiler Room Precautions


  8. Cargo Machinery Room Precautions


  9. Lashing of movable articles - Problem with helicopter operations on gas carriers

  10. Personal protective equipments for people working onboard gas carriers


Cargo tank ruptures due to increased pressure - emergency procedure for gas carriers

Loss of power supplies - emergency actions

Risk and hazards of Equipment failure

Loss of Instrumentation during Unloading Operations - Recommended actions by Liquefied Gas carriers

Risk and hazards of Nitrogen Loss

Gas carriers Loss of Instrumentation during Loading Operations

Gas carriers Structural Damage due to Incorrect Loading/Unloading Sequence

Encountering High Winds and/or Waves - countermeasures

Safety guideline for changing previous cargo





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