Following a recent series of fires aboard container ships, TT Club, an international freight and logistics insurance provider, has emphasized the urgent need for all participants in the global supply chain to ensure accurate and effective communication when transporting dangerous goods.
The past four months have seen four major incidents involving container ships—two in port and two at sea—which have led TT Club to reinforce its longstanding call for shippers and supply chain facilitators to exercise greater diligence in the classification, packaging, declaration, and handling of cargo.
The list of recent incidents, which includes explosions and fires on the ‘Northern Juvenile’ in the South China Sea in May, the ‘Maersk Frankfurt’ in the Indian Ocean, and more recent occurrences involving the ‘MSC Cape Town III’ in Colombo and the ‘YM Mobility’ in Ningbo, underscores a troubling spike in container ship fires.
“The causes remain under investigation,” stated TT’s Peregrine Storrs-Fox. “However, there are strong indications that potentially explosive chemicals and fire accelerators, such as lithium-ion batteries, may be involved in at least two of the cases. As with historic incidents, it is likely that various errors occurred as the shipments were initiated and the exact nature of the cargoes was communicated to supply chain counterparties, giving rise again to ‘perfect storms’. Every participant in the process needs to act in the best interests of safety at every point in these cargoes’ journeys.”
This increase in incidents echoes a similar surge in 2019, though the 30-year average frequency remains approximately one every 60 days. Nonetheless, each life-threatening event is a grave concern. In two of the recent incidents, the fires occurred while the ships were docked, allowing shore-side emergency services to respond swiftly, though risks of pollution and port disruption remained.
In contrast, fires at sea, like the one on the ‘Maersk Frankfurt’, can have far more severe consequences, including loss of life, prolonged fires, and significant salvage operations.
Estimating the number of containers carrying dangerous goods annually is challenging due to issues with mis- and non-declaration.
In response, the IMO updated the ‘Guidelines for the implementation of the inspection programmes for cargo transport units’ in 2022, recommending that governments inspect all types of cargo units, regardless of declared contents. Recent results from just eight countries—representing only 5% of signatory states—reveal ongoing safety concerns.
Despite a slight improvement in ‘placarding and marking,’ which serves as a crucial initial alert for many stakeholders and emergency responders, deficiencies remain high, above 40%. Furthermore, issues with ‘Stowage and Securing’—a key aspect of the CTU Code—are worsening, with the current state the worst recorded since monitoring began in 2001.
Additionally, there has been a five-year decline in the accuracy of shipping documentation. These trends highlight the need for diligent communication throughout the supply chain, thorough due diligence from all parties, and a culture of understanding one’s customers and operational partners.
