News
Despite industry and government efforts, dangerous cargo that are not declared at all or incorrectly declared or labelled continues to cause fires and explosions, hurting and killing vessel crew and transportation staff. In response to such continued safety challenges, the World Shipping Council (WSC) is taking actions to strengthen cargo safety standards and protect the lives of the people working in the supply chain, the environment and the integrity of the global supply network. Eligible providers can download a full request for proposal (RfP) here. The deadline for submission of a proposal is Nov. 26.
The voluntary initiative, the Cargo Safety Program, will rely on a digital solution made up of a common screening tool, verified shipper database and a database of approved container inspection companies, provided and operated by an independent third-party vendor. The core functionality of the system will be to screen booking information against a comprehensive keyword library and risk algorithm. High-risk bookings will be flagged for further investigation and/or inspection, and lessons learned through experience will be used to continuously improve the screening tool. The emphasis is on identifying and correcting dangerous conditions before containers with dangerous cargoes are introduced into the supply chain. This common safety approach will significantly mitigate the risks associated with non-declared or improperly declared, labelled or packed dangerous goods across the supply chain. At the same time, the system will streamline the transport of compliant dangerous goods in line with national and international regulations.
Over the past decade, containership fires have seen a disturbing rise, with a notable number resulting in casualties and total losses. According to the 2023 Allianz Safety and Shipping Review, there have been 64 reported fires on containerships in the past five years. TT Club estimates that a serious ship fire occurs every 60 days. One of the key factors contributing to these fires is hazardous cargo that has not been declared, mis-declared or that has not been properly packed by shippers. In 2022, fire-related incidents at sea surged by over 17% compared to the previous year.
