APM Terminals has developed a cutting-edge online platform, the Hazardous Documentation Vault (HazDV), to streamline the management of hazardous cargo documentation for shipping lines.
In its initial release, this global tool significantly reduces the steps required for crucial safety tasks. The incorporation of auto-completion and drop-down fields featuring standard IMDG terminology enhances clarity, accelerates processes, and minimizes the likelihood of errors.
Annually, around 60 million TEUs travel the globe, with approximately six million containing hazardous cargo. The HazDV is particularly crucial in handling such cargo, which poses elevated risks if not managed correctly, especially with the surge in items like lithium-ion batteries.
A study conducted by the National Cargo Bureau, in collaboration with major shipping companies such as Maersk, Hapag Lloyd, and MSC, revealed alarming statistics. Of inspected containers, 55% were non-compliant, 43% failed due to insecure dangerous goods, and 6.5% carried mis-declared goods, often stemming from a lack of familiarity with the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code. APM Terminals’ HazDV incorporates logic checks to validate the application of correct IMDG codes, identifying and rectifying documentation mistakes.
Providing information about hazardous cargo to ports and terminals is imperative for Health, Safety, and Resilience teams. This data aids in emergency preparedness, yard planning, segregation, cross-checking in Terminal Operating Systems, and compliance with local regulations. The HazDV expedites and simplifies this information flow.
Mis-declarations can significantly impact Terminal Operations and customer supply chains, leading to truck delays during the gate-in process. Incorrect declarations heighten the risk of accidents in terminal yards due to unsafe storage practices and increase the potential for accidents involving carriers due to unsafe stowage.
APM Terminals has successfully implemented HazDV at its US terminals in Port Elizabeth, Mobile, and Miami. As part of APM Terminals’ global digital solutions, it can be rapidly deployed to other ports and terminals, with plans for expansion to four additional terminals shortly.
