🔍 Key Concepts

• Coal as a bulk cargo can produce flammable gases (like methane) and can self-heat, creating a fire risk. • The difference between surface ventilation and through (deep) ventilation in a cargo hold. • The effect of wet coal on heating, gas formation, and stability (free surface and shift of cargo).

💭 Think About

• Which type of ventilation might increase the risk of spreading fire or feeding oxygen deep into the stow? Think about what you want to avoid if a coal fire starts inside the cargo. • What is the main purpose of ventilation for coal: to keep the cargo cool and safe, or to remove gases from the hold space above the cargo, or both? How might that affect whether air is blown through the body of the coal itself? • Consider how wet coal behaves: does moisture make coal safer or can it contribute to self-heating and gas production? How might this influence whether loading wet coal is allowed or not?

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify from bulk cargo/coal guidance whether deep/through ventilation is recommended or actually restricted because it can feed a fire. • Check if standard guidance specifies surface/forced ventilation only for coal, rather than ventilating through the mass of cargo. • Confirm whether there is a prohibition on loading wet coal or whether the main concern is handling and monitoring it carefully due to heating and gas evolution.