On solid bulk liquefaction

Solid bulk cargoes, such as nickel ore and iron ore, have a tendency to liquefy. Such goods can transform from hard to liquid state very rapidly leaving no time for the master or crew to do anything but face their imminent fate. The liquefaction of solid bulk cargoes has claimed many seafarers’ lives and dozens of ships. The moisture content present in these cargoes can be dramatically increased to unsafe limits by the mere reason of the vessel’s rolling on waves. In response to the alarming number of liquefaction casualties – 13 incidents within seven years, with a death toll exceeding 100 – the IMO introduced the now mandatorily applicable International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes (IMSBC) Code