TT Club urges supply chain stakeholders to address rise in container ship fires

In light of a recent increase in container ship fires, international freight and logistics insurance provider TT Club has called for urgent action from all stakeholders in the global supply chain to improve safety protocols for transporting dangerous goods.

The plea comes after four major incidents occurred within the last four months.

In TT Club’s opinion, the incidents, which involved container ships such as the Northern Juvenile in the South China Sea and the Maersk Frankfurt in the Indian Ocean, illustrate the dangers posed by mismanagement of cargo containing potentially explosive chemicals and fire accelerators, including lithium-ion batteries.

Peregrine Storrs-Fox, Risk Management Director at TT Club, emphasised that these incidents likely resulted from a combination of errors in the classification, packaging, and declaration of hazardous materials, leading to what he described as “perfect storms.”

According to TT Club, the frequency of such fires, reminiscent of a spike in 2019, remains a serious concern.

The insurance provider says the consequences of this can be devastating, particularly when fires occur at sea, as demonstrated by the Maersk Frankfurt incident, which resulted in the loss of a crew member and days of intense firefighting efforts.

TT Club have also highlighted ongoing challenges in accurately estimating the number of containers carrying dangerous goods due to widespread issues with mis- and non-declaration.

The insurance company says that the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has responded to these challenges by updating its guidelines in 2022, urging governments to enhance inspection programs.

However, TT Club claims its analysis of recent data from a limited sample of inspections reveals persistent deficiencies, particularly in the areas of cargo placarding, stowage, and documentation accuracy.

“In this regard, we applaud the recent statement by China’s Maritime Safety Administration (MSA) that underlined shippers’ responsibilities, in addition to those of the carriers’. Such warnings and encouragement by regulatory authorities are to be welcomed. However, TT would reiterate the statement that regulations merely set the baseline,” concluded TT Club’s Storrs-Fox, commenting on recent incidents.