Loss of deck cargo

Packaged goods can be lost overboard in a collision or grounding, or through stress of weather.

The physical behaviour of a loose package determines the nature of its associated hazard. Thus, a package may sink, float or be semi-submerged.

If the package is not water- resistant, the contents may be (slowly) released. A package that is intact and water-resistant will stay in the marine environment until it is retrieved. However, such packages, if un-retrieved for long enough will lose their integrity and leak their contents.

In addition, packages (intact or not) may pose a danger to the users of the sea. Ships can collide with the packages, or they can be caught in fishermen’s nets. This may endanger the crew of the fishing boat, should the package be breached in the operation in proximity to the crew.