Hawkins Webinar - The Perennial Problem of Bulk Cargo Liquefaction

In this session Nico Zurcher will answer the following questions:

• What is liquefaction?
• Which cargoes pose a risk when carried?
• How can that risk be mitigated?

The learning objectives for this webinar are:

• What is liquefaction?
• How does it affect shipping?
• Overview of metal ores and their trade.
• Other cargoes that can liquefy.
• What is the IMSBC Code and how does it apply?
• Sampling and testing.
• Managing liquefaction cases.
• Precautions and risk management.

The speaker for this session is Nico Zurcher. Prior to becoming an investigator, Nico worked in a international environmental consultancy where he was involved in a number of major government marine projects in Hong Kong, as well as oil and gas, and mining projects around Asia. In 2011 he joined HFS-Asia in Hong Kong, where he worked as a fire investigator and consulting scientist. In 2015, Nico moved to London where he joined Hawkins to bolster their growing International and Shipping Incidents team. He continued investigating a broad range of land-based and marine incidents, both in the UK and internationally. He was also a member of the contamination team, taking on cases in the UK and Europe. Hawkins acquired HFS-Asia in 2016 and in 2020 Nico returned to Hong Kong to head the office he helped to build several years earlier.

Nico has investigated several fires in large industrial plants, as well as in commercial and residential premises. On the marine side, he has investigated major fires on container and general cargo vessels. He has worked on numerous cases of bulk cargo spoilage, involving grains, oil seeds and seedcake. Nico has also worked on cases involving the carriage and storage of mixed chemical cargoes, and the contamination of liquid bulk cargoes. While continuing to work in these areas, he is also developing the offering in the Environmental sector. Nico has provided technical advice notes and given presentations on loss prevention to law firms, P&I clubs and loss adjusters. He has prepared expert witness reports for use in civil litigation and has appeared in court in Thailand and in arbitration in London.

Nico is Swiss and grew up in Hong Kong. He is a native English and German speaker and is working hard on his Cantonese. He is the Regional Director of Hawkins’ Hong Kong Office.

Please note that this event is being hosted by Hawkins, on their events platform.

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