An officer or rating on a tanker or bulk carrier who monitors and controls cargo loading, discharging, and ballasting operations from a centralised control room.
Quick facts
Regulation
MARPOL Annex I
In practice
MARPOL Annex I and the IBC Code prescribe specific operational requirements for cargo transfer — including cargo log entries, pre-transfer checklists, and monitoring of high-level alarms — that the CCR operator implements during each operation. OCIMF's SIRE Vessel Inspection Questionnaire (VIQ) includes detailed criteria for CCR equipment condition, record-keeping, and operator competence. The role demands sustained concentration over long operational periods, familiarity with the vessel's specific cargo system, and the ability to respond quickly and correctly to pump trips, pressure surges, or valve malfunctions that could lead to cargo overflow or structural overpressure.
Regulatory detail & full definition
A Cargo Control Room (CCR) operator is an officer or experienced rating stationed in the ship's cargo control room during loading and discharging operations on tankers, product carriers, and sophisticated bulk carriers. From the CCR, the operator monitors and controls cargo pumps, ballast pumps, inert gas systems, vapour return lines, and all associated valves through a centralised panel equipped with flow meters, pressure gauges, tank level gauges, and alarm systems. The CCR operator communicates continuously with the pumpman in the pump room, the deck officer at the manifold, and the terminal operator ashore.
MARPOL Annex I and the IBC Code prescribe specific operational requirements for cargo transfer — including cargo log entries, pre-transfer checklists, and monitoring of high-level alarms — that the CCR operator implements during each operation. OCIMF's SIRE Vessel Inspection Questionnaire (VIQ) includes detailed criteria for CCR equipment condition, record-keeping, and operator competence. The role demands sustained concentration over long operational periods, familiarity with the vessel's specific cargo system, and the ability to respond quickly and correctly to pump trips, pressure surges, or valve malfunctions that could lead to cargo overflow or structural overpressure.