Mac Gregor decides to replace full automatic twist locks

Mac Gregor will replace the full automatic twist locks of its customers by the semi-automatic ones who proved reliable.

Free translation of information dated March 6th, 2006

semi-automatic twist-lock of "Container Technics nv", Antwerp

       About 400 to 500 containers recently failed over board in some twenty incidents according to various professional sources or information bulletins. Although investigations about these incidents are always in progress, a common factor seems to be the fact that all the implied ships used what one calls the FAT “fully automatic twist locks” between containers.

       Although there is no damage report of FAT Mac Gregor, a first examination seems to indicate that the system - fixing by one point - used by all the FAT on the market could, when it is used with containers under ISO tolerance and some other conditions, not be locked correctly, and thus contributing to damages.

       Germanischer Lloyd already gave instructions - in addition to its Container Securing Manual - to check visually that the 4 FATs are really locked on each container during the loading, which can be difficult or expensive to realize.

Given the recent incidents implying the FAT, Mac Gregor thinks that it is the interest of all parties concerned that:

Mac Gregor withdraw the FAT ALC-2 and ALC-2/1 from the market and

2. provide its customers and - according to the output capacities, all users around the world – with a quick transition program at a lower cost to change from FAT to semi-automatic twist locks.

The Mac Gregor partner All Set Marine Lashing is finalizing a new generation of automatic twist locks (C8A). It uses a symmetrical design and is designed to solve all the problems of the present generation of the asymmetrical FAT. The homologation and the availability of C8A are expected during the last quarter 2006.

Mac Gregor contacts its customers to discuss and replace the currently used FAT by semi-automatic twist-locks and the operational procedures to follow until the FAT are replaced.

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