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SGS specializes in providing experienced personnel capable of offering a complete range of services to terminals globally, including the handling of ships, trucks, rail tankers and all other terminal operations. We ensure all SGS staff is fully trained in your procedures and safety regulations, and available 24 hours a day if required. Our terminal services can be supplied on either a short or long-term basis, and are available in countries and ports around the globe for your convenience. Fertilizers pose one of the biggest challenges for cargo inspectors. Fertilizers are exposed to many of the same hazards as are other bulk commodities shipped over long distances. However, fertilizer’s physical properties make them much more sensitive to risks such as caking, compaction, and foreign contamination. The bulk handling and spreading techniques used require that fertilizers maintain their free-flowing nature. As a result, special care must be taken to ensure fertilizer cargos are not exposed to conditions that will deteriorate the product quality. With our extensive experience with terminal services SGS can provide you assistance with services including but not limited to:
Weight and Quantity Verification SGS provides bankable weight and quantity verification services at ports and major inland trans-shipment points worldwide. Whether you are trader, distributor, blender, or integrated fertilizer producer, SGS is ready to independently verify your shipment to ensure compliance with contractual documents. The bankable inspection certificate or report issued by SGS upon completion is your assurance of our inspection services. SGS inspectors use great caution during the inspection process. We understand that many factors can influence the weight determination of both bulk and bagged fertilizers. Throughout the inspection process, SGS monitors the performance of the weighing system and checks it with both items of known weights and recent calibration data. Detailed field records are kept of the data used to determine the final declared weight. We also supply a certificate of weight to you after a complete and successful weighing process is completed.
Draft surveys are used to determine the weight of cargo loaded onto, or discharged from, a vessel. Our global network of highly qualified draft surveyors work to a defined draft survey protocol, resulting in accurate draft weights for you at load and discharge points. Dependable and consistent draft weights allow you to monitor and control shrinkage while limiting the financial risks associated with bulk cargo transactions. In practice, draft surveys are complicated procedures that require a highly qualified draft surveyor. Overall accuracy will depend on the surveyor’s skill in dealing with:
Tally verification services by SGS provide assurance that the number or quantity of goods to be shipped or received is the same as those described in shipping documents such as the bill of lading, letter of credit, mate’s receipt, or other documents. You are always offered the opportunity to order a tally or count of the fertilizer bags at the time of loading/unloading. This informs all parties involved in the sale that the quantity specification and features of goods being transferred is the same as the number purchased and described on the purchase order’s product description. We can also check packing, marking and labeling. We monitor product marking and packing details to confirm that the fertilizer will be shipped in suitable packaging for the transit. Our inspectors will check manufacture dates, batch numbers, expiry dates (when these details are available), shipping marks, and packing lists, supplier certificates and labels.
Bunker and Conditional Surveys During change of ownership or time charter, a bunker survey or condition survey is needed to document the condition of the vessel prior to change of ownership. A bunker survey will establish the amount of bunker and lube oil onboard the vessel at a given time. Bunker surveys are also used as a loss-prevention measure. Proper documentation of bunker operations are required if a dispute or claim is anticipated. Improper collection and distribution of bunker samples will risk a subsequent claim in the event of a dispute. Our technical experts will conduct a bunker survey is done prior to and after a time charter period. Conditional surveys are usually done in association with a bunker survey. The purpose of a conditional survey is to inspect and record the condition of the loading gear, cargo holds and hatches of the vessel. With the assurance of our SGS personnel, our findings and report will allow you, the owner or operator of the vessel, to file claim for any potential damages caused during the time charter period.
On-hires and off-hires are vital to the shipment of fertilizer because it allows for the determination of the vessels’ present structure condition. At the beginning of the charter agreement, our staff will inspect the condition of the vessel as well as the maintenance of all equipment on board. This data will be then used to determine any discrepancies at the end of the charter agreement. At the conclusion of the charter agreement, the vessel used for shipment is then re-examined. The condition of the vessel as well as the maintenance of the equipment is all inspected again. SGS’ experienced staff will provide detailed reports to all parties involved for the on hire and off hire. These reports, filled out by reliable SGS staff, can then be used to settle any potential disputes concerning the condition of the vessel after the charter agreement has expired.
Hold and hatch inspection is part of a larger service that SGS provides to assure you that the shipped fertilizers will be received in the same condition as when it was loaded. Buyers or sellers can order an SGS visual inspection of the hold prior to loading. This gives both parties the confidence that the cargo will not be contaminated by material already in the hold, or altered in any way by vessel deficiencies. Our inspectors will immediately report any abnormalities to the appropriate authority. Digital photographic documentation is also provided. Certificates of inspection are provided upon completion of the job. In this way, you know your risk is minimized. Hold SGS inspectors verify that the hold is ready to receive the intended cargo. Our inspections provide assurance that hold is clean and free of rust and paint chips that could contaminate or discolour your cargo. We will also verify that the hold is free of previous cargo remnants prior to fertilizer loading. This includes material that may be hidden behind inaccessible areas, hold structures or adhering to walls, such as packaging or plastic sheeting from operations. Any combustible material in the hold such as wooden partitions or dunnage may need to be removed since Class 5.1 oxidizing agent fertilizers may react with organic substances and ignite during shipment. Hatch Statistics indicate that improper ship’s hatch-cover seals and securing arrangements account for a very high proportion of cargo defects. A ship’s hatch inspection must provide evidence that the condition of the hatch covers does not present a threat to the fertilizer. Hatch covers are checked at departure and on arrival for water tightness and activated to verify proper operation. Our inspectors will be looking for obvious damage, holes and leak points that may hamper proper operation.
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