Emergency Contact Guidance on Tank Washing for Inland Craft Home Latest updates Publications Guidance on Tank Washing for Inland Craft 10 Mar 2017 Download page as PDF Sign up for alerts The Club would like to thank Ad de Klerk from BMT Surveys (Antwerp) NV for his invaluable help in contributing to this article. Further to the bulletin Recommended Sampling Procedure for Inland Craft , the Club has continued to record contamination incidents occurring on inland vessels. Recent incidents have raised concerns over Members’ tank washing processes and the procedures in place to ensure this is carried out effectively and in line with good practice. In order to defend our Members’ position in the event of a related claim, the Club recommends the following advice is taken into account. Cargo Contamination The necessity for cleaning cargo tanks is dictated by the likelihood of the next cargo to be loaded becoming contaminated by the cargo previously carried and therefore no longer able to meet product specifications. For example, refined products are particularly sensitive to contamination by liquid products. Contamination of the cargo is likely to result in a substantial claim or at the very best, a depreciation in value of the contaminated cargo. Most often, the contaminated product has to be re-processed which results in high costs, or is refused for its intended purpose and therefore has to be used for alternative means or destroyed. Verify if cleaning is necessary Once cargo has been discharged, the company or master should verify whether cleaning of the tanks is necessary prior to loading the next cargo and if so this process must be carried out immediately. When carrying the same product during subsequent voyages cleaning may not be necessary, but written confirmation from the shipper should be obtained. Consideration must also be given to the manifold which is to be utilised at the upcoming discharge point. If this is uncertain it must be ensured that the manifold w