Monday, 25th November 2019
The International Group is pleased to announce that new safety guidance for the stowage of dangerous goods on board containerships has been published by the Cargo Incident Notification System (CINS). The new publication – entitled “Safety Considerations for Ship Operators Related to Risk-Based Stowage of Dangerous Goods on Containerships” (that can be downloaded from this article as well as the CINS website www.cinsnet.com) - has been prepared by CINS, the international container shipping line organisation established with the remit of increasing safety in the supply chain, reducing the number of cargo incidents on-board ships and highlighting the risks caused both by certain cargoes and by packing failures. The International Group welcomed the opportunity to have an active and constructive role in the development of these guidelines that represents the first in one of a series of initiatives – undertaken both by ship operators and by regulators – aimed at enhancing safety on board container ships. The publication has been created in response to a number of serious fire incidents in recent years, often caused by deficiencies in cargo declaration and cargo packing, and recognises - and also takes into account - the significant complexities involved in achieving effective and compliant stowage of containers on board ships.
These new safety considerations complement - but do not replace – the existing measures already developed and implemented by ship operators for the carriage of dangerous goods. Likewise, they do not replace the SOLAS and IMDG requirements for stowage and segregation – in fact, they will enhance the requirements of these regulations.
