SWEDISH CLUB SAYS SHIPOWNERS SHARE IN CONTAINER RISKS
Shipowners erroneously believe the safe stowage and securing of containers is the responsibility of charterers and stevedores, according to The Swedish Club, a protection and indemnity insurance association for shipowners and ship operators.
“The reality is that a vessel’s master and officers share in this responsibility” as the shipowner’s legal representatives, the Club said Tuesday in a report citing substantial container losses.
“There is also the time factor. The container trades operate at a frenetic pace. There is little doubt that this pressure can have a negative influence on those responsible for container stowage,” said Goran Rudelius, assistant claims director in the Hong Kong office of the Club, known formally as Sveriges Angfartygs Assurans Forening.