Marine & Ports Incident Investigation

Responsibility changes hands at the gangway.

Ports, terminals, shipping, stevedoring and marine services at Karachi Port, Port Qasim and Gwadar, and across the Gulf, where the vessel, terminal, stevedore and agent each control part of the operation. We work across Karachi, Port Qasim, Gwadar, and in the Gulf.

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Over 80% of world trade moves by seaVerified container weights since 2016Lead investigator within 48 hoursFact-finding, not fault-findingFindings written for boards, insurers and regulatorsHiPO investigation within 48 hoursPort incident investigationCargo damage fact-findingHandover and mooring reviewOver 80% of world trade moves by seaVerified container weights since 2016Lead investigator within 48 hoursFact-finding, not fault-findingFindings written for boards, insurers and regulatorsHiPO investigation within 48 hoursPort incident investigationCargo damage fact-findingHandover and mooring review

Where it goes wrong

Six port events. And the handover that failed.

01Mooring or cargo-handling injuryWHAT WE USUALLY FINDA handover between ship and shore where each side assumed the other had checked.Marine & Port →02Cargo damage or lossWHAT WE USUALLY FINDOne handover in the chain of custody where goods move without being counted or sealed.Security & Cargo Loss →03Fumigated hold incidentWHAT WE USUALLY FINDExposure that was never measured, and controls switched off to save time or power.Occupational Illness →04Crane or equipment failureWHAT WE USUALLY FINDA warning in the logbook that was noted, and not acted on.Machinery & Equipment →05Oil or chemical releaseWHAT WE USUALLY FINDA drain or valve left open, with nobody who owned it.Environmental Release →06Marine insurance claimWHAT WE USUALLY FINDDeclared protections that were not what was found on site.Insurance support →

Illustrative, drawn from typical findings. Swipe on mobile, or use the arrows.

By the numbers

What every terminal manager should know.

0%+

of world trade by volume moves by sea.

UNCTAD

1900

the year verified container weights became mandatory before loading.

IMO SOLAS

0hrs

for a P3i lead investigator to be engaged after a serious port incident.

P3i service commitment

In Pakistan

Pakistan's ports handle almost all of the country's seaborne trade, with intense monsoon swell, round-the-clock operations and crews and shore staff of many nationalities.

Globally

Internationally, investigations of marine casualties repeatedly find that handovers between ship and shore are where controls fail.

Photographs illustrate typical settings; they are not from P3i cases.

One vessel, one port call

One port call. See where responsibility slips.

Responsibility moves between vessel, terminal, stevedore and agent. Most incidents start at a handover.

DRAG · HATCH OPEN

ArrivalDeparture

HATCH OPEN · HIGH RISK

Hold entry

Fumigated cargo, and nobody sure who tests the atmosphere.

RISK

Illustrative, drawn from the kinds of events we investigate.

How we help

Four ways we help the terminal. Ship and shore, one account.

01HiPO investigation within 48 hoursA lead investigator engaged within 48 hours of a high-potential event.Ask about this →02Port incident investigationVessel, terminal and stevedore records brought together.Ask about this →03Cargo damage fact-findingFor cargo owners and marine insurers.Ask about this →04Handover and mooring reviewThe berth, the lines and the handovers assessed.Ask about this →

Who calls us

Terminal manager

Handover gaps closed

Ship owner or manager

Independent facts in port

Cargo owner

How and when cargo was damaged

Marine insurer

Cause and circumstance

Something happened on your site this week? A first call costs nothing, and we will tell you what to preserve today.

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The P3i approach

How we investigate port & marine incidents. Fact-finding, not fault-finding.

Every P3i investigation is led by a senior investigator and supported by internationally qualified process specialists. You will not receive a list of people to blame, or a long list of generic actions. You will receive the facts, the proven causes, and a short plan that closes the gaps, in this case and across your system.

Independent

No products, repairs or contracts to sell you afterwards.

Senior-led

Thirty years of investigation, from the first call to the final briefing.

Beyond the event

Process specialists find the other cracks before they fail.

Ready to present

Written for boards, buyers, insurers and regulators.

How P3i does it for you

01
One confidential call
We tell you what to copy before the vessel sails.
02
Secure before it is cleaned up
Logs, mooring and lashing records, stowage plans and terminal CCTV.
03
Facts, not versions
Private interviews where nobody is pushed to name a culprit. The evidence decides.
04
Find what the system allowed
Handovers between ship, terminal, stevedore and agent.
05
A plan leadership can approve
Short, costed, owned actions, and a check that they worked.

What you receive

Port-call timelineResponsibility mapTechnical findingsHandover gapsAction planP&I and cargo report

Call us when

The vessel sails tomorrowA mooring line partedCargo damaged in portThe P&I club is asking

Free 30-minute case assessment.

Tell us what happened. In confidence, we will tell you what the investigation should cover, how long it will take and what to preserve today.

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How we work with you

What happens after you call.

For marine & ports, the first call covers what happened, what must be preserved, and who needs to be involved. From there, this is the usual pattern.

First hour
A call with a lead investigator. You leave it knowing what to preserve today and who to call next.
Day one
An investigator on site, anywhere in Pakistan. Scope and fixed fee agreed in writing.
Week one
A private briefing on early findings, so urgent risks are dealt with before the report is finished.
Weeks three to four
The final report, the wider system review and a remedial work plan, presented to your team.
After
We come back to check the actions were completed and actually worked.

Typical timings for a single-site event. Complex, multi-party matters take longer, and we tell you so on the first call.

What you receive

A full investigation report. This is only its first page.

The summary is what leadership reads first. Behind it sits the complete file: every witness heard, every document and record examined, and every finding tied to numbered evidence, so a board, an insurer, a buyer or a regulator can test it.

P3i Investigation Report · Summary Page 1 · Executive summary

1 · Established sequence

2 · Causes

Immediate

Underlying

Systemic

3 · Wider system findings

4 · Remedial work plan

ActionOwnerDateTest of effectiveness Fit personal locks for every operatorPlant Mgr30 daysSpot audit, 10 isolations

Illustrative summary page. Report length and structure depend on the scope of each case.

Inside the full report

01Executive summary SHOWNThe findings and actions leadership needs, on one page. This is the page shown here.
02Terms of reference & scopeThe questions asked, the boundaries of the investigation and who commissioned it.
03MethodHow evidence was gathered, and which analysis methods were chosen for this case, and why.
04Verified chronologyThe sequence of events, reconstructed from records, data and accounts, minute by minute where it matters.
05Site & technical examinationScene, equipment, failed parts, measurements and photographs, with specialists where needed.
06Witness evidenceInterview schedule, accounts in summary, and where the witnesses agree and where they conflict.
07Documents & recordsPermits, procedures, maintenance, training, rosters, CCTV, tracker and control-system data reviewed.
08Causal analysisImmediate, underlying and system causes, each one tied to numbered evidence.
09System reviewWhere the same weaknesses exist elsewhere in the operation.
10Findings & conclusionsWhat is proven, what is probable, and what remains open, stated plainly.
11Recommendations & work planTargeted actions, each with an owner, a date and a test of whether it worked.
12AppendicesEvidence register, photograph log, interview records, drawings and data extracts.

Every action has an owner, a date and a test of whether it worked. The evidence stays indexed, so any reader can check how each conclusion was reached.

Questions

What terminal managers ask us first.

The vessel sails tomorrow. What first?

Copy logs, mooring and lashing records and terminal CCTV before departure.

Do you have marine engineering expertise?

Yes, on the team.

Do you cover Gulf ports?

Yes.

Responsibility changes hands at the gangway. We find where it was dropped.

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