A study of container ship safety covering 2013-2014, shows that more than a quarter of all serious incidents on board container ships are caused by misdeclared cargo.
More accurate cargo descriptions would improve safety by giving crews the information they need to handle and stow dangerous goods to prevent incidents. A common mistake which has been the cause of several fires on board container ships in the past few years, is the misdeclaration of calcium hypochlorite (used to sanitize swimming pools and disinfect drinking water).
With an estimated 10% of all container cargo being dangerous goods, it is vital for the safety of ship and crew that the cargos are declared by their proper shipping name as per the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code.
For more information, contact Debbie McGuire, Manager – Freight Solutions.