Rising costs from cargo losses are increasingly focusing on the transportation of perishable goods, with a particular emphasis on contamination and transportation of pests either on a container or buried within a cargo.
[s2If is_user_logged_in()]While the pests in a container may not destroy the particular cargo, their presence in an alien environment can lead to massive environmental damage for crops and other wildlife, with knock-on effects.
In an analysis of cargo incidents by insurance mutual, the TT Club, has concluded that 66% of incidents where cargo is damaged are caused by poor practices during the packing process of containers.
According to the TT Club cargo losses amount to US$6 billion annually and these losses could be significantly reduced if containers were correctly packed, labelled and declared.
“Cargo interests, whether retailers, manufacturers, traders, exporters and particularly importers, which rely so heavily on the global supply chains that transit thousands of miles of ocean and land transport need to take responsibility to ensure the risks are mitigated,” said a TT Club announcement today.
Analysis shows that cargo losses from such cargoes as chemicals used in cleaning products and paints are not the only culprits, but there are some surprising shipments that have posed significant danger to crew, vessel, environment and other cargoes. These include such consumer items as BBQ charcoal, battery powered electronic devices, fireworks, hand sanitizer, wool, cotton, vegetable fibres, marble, granite and other building materials, fishmeal, seed cake amongst others.
“A wide variety of consumer goods, as well as components used in the manufacture of industrial products, domestics white goods and automobiles, if incorrectly handled in transit can cause major disasters,” comments Michael Yarwood, managing director, loss prevention at the TT Club.
Yarwood went on to say that increasing attention is also being directed at phytosanitary risks including, “The avoidance of visible pest contamination in the movement of freight. Since not every responsible actor will physically see the potential contaminants, it is a matter of considering the origin of the goods being sourced, the location for packing, the season and biology of pests (when eggs or seeds are most likely), the compliance of the required packaging and the prevailing conditions at the time of packing the container(s),” said Yarwood.
Industry standards are available in the Code of Practice for Packing of Cargo Transport Units (CTU Code), advises Yarwood, adding this is a joint publication of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the International Labour Organization (ILO) and UNECE, which provides information packing and securing of cargo in freight containers.
The CTU Code not only guides those packing and unpacking containers, but also “Addresses the vital issue of correct description and declaration of the goods, including any specific information about the treatment of dangerous goods.”
TT Club and its partners in the recently formed Cargo Integrity Group, compiled a ‘Quick Guide’ to the CTU Code, which includes a Checklist of actions and responsibilities for packing cargoes in containers, with the of making the CTU Code accessible to as many users of the supply chain as possible.[/s2If]
[s2If !is_user_logged_in()]Please login or register to read the rest of the story[/s2If]
