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local in nature, with relatively light or even non-existent oversight by enforcement agencies. In the event of an accident, investigations are seldom made public, as they too are often the responsibility of a local agency. According to those involved in the containerised chain, though, a common cause of incidents in warehouses is incorrect handling and storage, including improper or ineffective segregation, as well as issues relating to the prolonged storage of material that can affect its stability. Both of these factors were at play in the Tianjin and Beirut disasters, with too much ammonium nitrate being stored for too long in a facility that also contained material with the potential to initiate a major explosion. When such accidents happen, those involved in the transport chain, including the container lines and freight forwarders, are often called in to help handle the response and to provide subject matter expertise on the dangerous goods involved. It has become clear to industry that there is a need for more guidance on dangerous goods warehousing in port areas, despite the plethora of existing regulation and standards.
THERE HAS BEEN an increase in the number of incidents involving containerised dangerous goods at sea in recent years, as the pages of HCB have frequently reported. At the same time, though, there has been a similar level of
concerned that any of the many other smaller incidents taking place around the world could have a similarly catastrophic outcome if rules and procedures are not followed. There is, though, a problem. The transport
GET IT TOGETHER In response to that need, four industry organisations have developed a guidance document. The Dangerous Goods Warehousing White Paper is co-authored by the International Cargo Handling Coordination Association (ICHCA), the International Vessel Owners Dangerous Goods Association (IVODGA), the National Cargo Bureau (NCB) and the World Shipping Council (WSC). The contents of the white paper have been shared with relevant maritime regulators and the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) with an invitation to consider including the white paper and associated checklist in its various instruments, codes and circulars, as appropriate.
occurrences on shore in warehouses, especially in port areas, where dangerous goods are prepared for or stored after sea transport. Some of these incidents, such as those in Tianjin in 2015 and in Beirut in 2020, have hit the headlines but, as ever, these are only the tip of the iceberg. Industry is
of dangerous goods, whether packaged or in bulk, is well regulated, with consistent rules in place around the globe and, to a large extent, across transport modes. The storage of packaged dangerous goods in warehouses, on the other hand, is not subject to a consistent set of rules; such regulation as exists is often
IMO revised its Safe Transport of Dangerous Cargoes and Related Activities in Port Areas (MSC.1/Circ.1216) in 2007 but, the authors say, while this does contain valuable advice and recommendations, it is very much a ‘highlevel’ document. In contrast, the white paper contains practical guidance on the systematic
FIXING A HOLE WAREHOUSING • INDUSTRY IS LOOKING TO PLUG A GAP IN THE SAFE TRANSPORT OF DANGEROUS GOODS WITH GUIDANCE ON DEALING WITH THE HAZARDS THAT EXIST IN INTERMEDIATE STORAGE
HCB MONTHLY | JANUARY 2022
