The World Shipping Council (WSC) is moving to develop a tool meant to identify misdeclared container cargoes.
It noted that despite industry and government efforts, dangerous cargo that has not been declared or that has been incorrectly declared or labelled continues to cause fires and explosions — hurting and killing vessel crew and transportation staff.
In response to this continued safety challenge, the WSC, representing liner carriers, is taking additional action to strengthen cargo safety standards and protect the lives of the people working in the supply chain.
In a statement, it noted that over the past decade, containership fires have seen a disturbing rise, with a notable number resulting in casualties and total losses. Citing data from the 2023 Allianz Safety and Shipping Review, WSC said there have been 64 reported fires on containerships in the past five years.
TT Club also estimates that a serious ship fire occurs every 60 days.
WSC noted that 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.
The primary industry trade association representing the international liner industry added that despite comprehensive and clear international and national regulations on the transport of dangerous goods, these goods continue to be mis-declared or not declared at all, which complicates detection, may result in ship fires and make firefighting much more challenging.
"Recognizing the urgent need for enhanced safety measures, the WSC is spearheading a comprehensive approach to safeguard lives, protect the marine environment, and secure cargoes and vessels," WSC said.
"Building on screening processes and policies already in use by member carriers, the WSC is developing a shared industry process for cargo screening and inspections," it added.
WSC went on to say that in 2022, fire-related incidents at sea surged by over 17% compared to the previous year.
"A common industry approach to cargo safety will create a safer working environment not only for ship crews but for everyone involved in inland transport or working in ports and terminals, as well as for the communities around us. For shippers, it will make ocean transport more efficient and dependable by stopping dangerous shipments that can disrupt the supply chain," said John Butler, president & CEO of the WSC.
Request for proposals for digital tools and operation
WSC said this 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.
WSC said 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.
"Today, the WSC starts the process of finding an independent third-party provider with high integrity to develop the digital tools and manage the Cargo Safety Program process for cargo screening and inspections," it said.
The deadline for submission of a proposal is Sunday, November 26.
WSC said 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.
