There have been many calls for reform, with appropriate punishments, of the dangerous goods regulations, following numerous outbreaks of containership fires in 2019.

Concerns amongst professional bodies, carriers and authorities have been continuously published following nine major fires last year, and the latest body to weigh-in are the US National Cargo Bureau (NCB).

They stated that the risk of casualties from misdeclared dangerous goods has not gone away and that the problem is actually increasing.

Their recent inspection initiative revealed an ‘alarming’ number of containers carried by sea included misdeclared dangerous cargo, which represented a ‘serious safety risk’ to crew, passengers and the environment.

In most of the nine major incidents last year, misdeclared dangerous goods were confirmed to be the issue, although they are ‘suspected’ to have been the cause of all.

With so many calls for reform from respected industry leaders of late, we expect there to be new legislation incoming over the next few months.

Not declaring or misdeclaring dangerous goods is a serious offence that can lead to imprisonment, therefore it may be a good time to make sure you are compliant.

Evolution offer a range of dangerous goods consultancy, training and compliance solutions that will ensure your peace of mind.