Letter from the Editor

EDITOR’S LETTER

When Hazardous Cargo Bulletin was first published, way back in 1980, one of the first things we had to do was to define just what we meant by ‘hazardous cargo’. It seems fairly obvious: these are goods that, during transport, present a hazard. We could stretch it a little, as most of those goods are also hazardous during handling and storage.

The simplest way to define the universe of ‘hazardous cargo’ is to look at the goods (substances, articles, mixtures, etc) defined by the UN as ‘dangerous’. Those initially presented one or more of the three main hazards: flammability, toxicity and corrosivity, or the other two biggies, explosives and radioactives. You could add to that list those that are not explosive themselves but can explode or catch fire – such as gases under pressure, certain substances that develop hazardous properties when in contact with water, organic peroxides, and so on. In the 60 years since it was first formulated, the UN Dangerous Goods List has multiplied; ‘miscellaneous’ hazards cover a wide range of products, not least lithium batteries and those goods that present a hazard to the aquatic or wider environment.

Then there are those goods that present hazards in the workplace or in the home – ‘supply and use’, to use the official lingo. Since the arrival of GHS and its globally harmonised (stop tittering) approach to the classification of hazards in these applications, supply and use considerations have become more significant, especially for those with responsibilities in terms of hazard communication.

In this issue we take our remit a step further and take a look at the pharmaceutical supply chain. Some pharmaceutical products and their active ingredients do certainly present a hazard (usually toxicity, occasionally radioactivity) that can, in certain transport scenarios, see them regulated as dangerous goods. More generally, though, they demand a similar level of care to high-hazard chemicals, particularly in area such as temperature control, security and traceability.

As a result, the pharmaceutical supply chain mirrors the speciality chemicals supply chain, with the involvement of very similar players. We have, for instance, noted in recent years a trend towards the design of warehouses that have separate temperature-controlled zones, some dedicated to temperaturesensitive chemicals and some to pharmaceuticals. Many of the larger transport companies that undertake the distribution of packaged chemicals do a similar job in the pharma sector.

More interestingly for our regular readership, perhaps, the distribution of pharmaceuticals sits at the leading edge of emerging trends. Pharmaceuticals tend to be comparatively high-value products and their supply chain can be time- as well as temperature-sensitive. As such, not only consignors but also their logistics partners are keen to adopt new technologies and services that can enhance the reliability of the supply chain and maintain the quality of the goods being moved.

Pharmaceutical shippers make special use of the air mode and readers from other sectors may well be interested to consider how they could leverage new ideas for temperature control during air transport and for dedicated handling on the ground.

Increasing use of battery technologies in all manner of articles, together with the ever-expanding Dangerous Goods List, may one day mean that HCB can justifiably cover every item in the world. For now, though, we are content with this limited expansion of our scope.

Cargo Media Ltd Marlborough House 298 Regents Park Road, London N3 2SZ www.hcblive.com

Editorial Editor–in–Chief Peter Mackay Email: peter.mackay@hcblive.com Tel: +44 (0) 7769 685 085

Managing Editor Stephen Mitchell Email: stephen.mitchell@hcblive.com Tel: +44 (0) 20 8371 4045

Associate Editor Brian Dixon

Designer Natalie Clay

Commercial Managing Director Samuel Ford Email: samuel.ford@hcblive.com Tel: +44 (0)20 8371 4035

Commercial Manager Ben Newall Email: ben.newall@hcblive.com Tel: +44 (0) 208 371 4036

Production Coordinator Sam Hearne Email: sam.hearne@hcblive.com Tel: +44 (0) 208 371 4041

HCB Monthly is published by Cargo Media Ltd. While the information and articles in HCB are published in good faith and every effort is made to check accuracy, readers should verify facts and statements directly with official sources before acting upon them, as the publisher can accept no responsibility in this respect.

ISSN 2059-5735

CONTENTS

VOLUME 39 • NUMBER 04

UP FRONT Letter from the Editor Learning by Training 30 Years Ago View from the Porch Swing 01 04 05 06

PHARMA LOGISTICS The third party Keeping tabs on medicines 08

In-flight service Latest ideas on temperature control 10 Flying down to Rio World Courier connects South America 14 Standard setter Bolloré pursues IATA CEIV Pharma 15 Know your onions Latest data logger from Onset 16 Liner trades Latest cold chain trucks from Krone 18

CHEMICAL DISTRIBUTION The heritage factor Brenntag expands worldwide 20

Turnaround time Univar reports recovery 22 News bulletin – chemical distribution 24

TANKS & LOGISTICS A family affair Huktra acquired by H Essers Swift and secure Emergency shutdown by Wiegel Platform alteration Imperial standardises systems Turbocharged results XPO enjoys boom year 26

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Pick the bud BDP expands in Africa 34 News bulletin – tanks and logistics 36

CHEMICAL TANKERS Irrational behaviour Still building chemical tankers 38 Major chemical tanker fleets The transfer window opens Team kick-starts consolidation Riverboat shuffle Kirby acquires Higman fleet 46

Cover the Waterfront More interest in methanol-fuelled ships 47 News bulletin – chemical tankers 48

COURSES & CONFERENCES Training courses Conference diary

SAFETY Incident Log 54

Open the box Sharing container inspection results 56 Excuse your dust Newson Gale on dust hazard management 58 News bulletin – safety 60

REGULATIONS The long march begins Moving China’s chemical industry 61 Don’t get side-tracked Working towards RID 2019 62 Get it right and win Labelmaster promotes the DG professional 68 Change brings challenge Looking forward to COSTHA meeting 70

THE BACK PAGE Not otherwise specified 72

NEXT MONTH Annual LPG tanker fleet survey What’s new in telematics New ideas in trailers Latest from the UN regulators