The marine surveyor's responsibilities extend significantly to cargo, encompassing its condition, quantity, and any damage it may sustain during transportation. This involves a wide range of tasks crucial for successful and safe cargo movement.
Cargo Condition and Quantity Assessment
A primary function of the surveyor is to determine the state of the cargo itself. This includes:
Condition and Quantity: Ascertaining the condition, quantity, nature, and extent of any damage to cargo, whether transported by land, sea, or air.
Stowage and Approval: This often involves reviewing and approving the stowage arrangements for cargo.
Vessel Measurements for Cargo: Measuring or otherwise determining a vessel's drafts. Calculating or measuring a vessel's volume, both above and below the waterline. Determining a vessel's cargo deadweight by examining its displacements.
Cargo Weight Verification: Establishing the quantity of cargo discharged or loaded, whether in storage or at any stage of transit.
Hold and Compartment Readiness: Assessing the condition of holds or compartments, and indicating their acceptance or rejection preparatory to loading or discharging, whether aboard a vessel or on land.
Loading/Discharging Surveys: Conducting surveys during the loading or discharging of a vessel, warehouse, tank, or other container for specific purposes, such as cleanliness or suitability.
Pre-Discharge Position/Condition: Surveying cargo aboard a vessel to establish its position or condition before discharge.
Unused Volume/Weight: Ascertaining any unused volume or weight ashore or remaining aboard, relevant to dead-freight capacity.
Consignment Surveys: Surveying a particular cargo consignment during shipment, whether aboard the vessel or on the docks.
Cargo Space Readiness: Viewing and approving cargo spaces for "Readiness to Load," which may include issuing relevant certificates or notes.
Addressing Cargo Damage and Specific Considerations
In cases of cargo damage or for specialized cargo types, the surveyor's role expands to include:
Sampling and Analysis: Securing or taking samples of cargo or packaging to ascertain grade, type, or condition. This is particularly important for damaged goods to determine the nature, extent, and reasonable cause of damage.
Damage Quantification: Establishing the quantity of damaged cargo or the percentage of depreciation through direct count, sampling, assessment, or other reliable methods.
Loss Minimization: Investigating and recommending methods like re-cooping or other strategies to minimize further loss.
Salvage Arrangements: Arranging the sale of damaged parts or entire consignments and accepting tenders for salvage.
Container and Packaging Surveys: Conducting surveys of cargo containers and packaging.
Measurement Tonnage: Measuring cargo and calculating "measurement tonnage," which may extend to recommending freight payable.
Pre-Movement Surveys: Performing surveys before cargo movement.
Specialized Cargo Issues: Conducting surveys related to trademarks, non-standard goods, non-ordered goods, contamination, and refrigeration chambers.
Cargo-worthiness: Viewing the suitability of a container or vessel for the carriage of a particular cargo, sometimes referred to as "cargo-worthiness".
Stability Calculations: Performing general stability calculations, notably for the carriage of grain and other loose stowing commodities, as well as deck cargoes.
Liquid Bulk Cargo: Taking general soundings, ullages, and densities to determine bulk liquid volumes, specific gravity, and calculating the weight or displacement of such liquids.
Cargo Properties and Precautions: Being aware of the properties of various cargoes and recommending necessary precautions to minimize loss or damage in transit.
Dangerous Goods Certification: Where qualified under the Merchant Shipping Act, conducting inspection and certification of dangerous goods.
The marine surveyor's comprehensive involvement with cargo ensures proper handling, safe transportation, and accurate assessment of its condition throughout the logistics chain.