Ship operators therefore need to do everything in their power to avoid loading containers carrying dangerous cargoes – whether it may be intentionally and fraudulently misdeclared or due to a mistake.
How we got here – casualties
A cursory search on the internet for casualties arising from fires on board container ships will reveal lengthy accident reports and related news on the subject. On March 21, 2006 – M/V Hyundai Fortune suffered a major explosion about 43 miles off the coast of Yemen in the Gulf of Aden. An estimated 60 – 90 containers were blown overboard.
In July 1999, the CMA Djakarta was off the coast of Cyprus when there was an explosion on deck followed by a fire. Despite significant efforts, the crew could not control the fire and further explosions occurred. The vessel was abandoned and subsequently grounded off the Egyptian coast where salvors took over.
Hapag Lloyd’s ship ‘Yantian Express’ with its major fire, the ‘MSC Flaminia’ explosion in July 2012, and the ongoing investigation of the ‘Maersk Honam’ fire remain fresh in maritime memory. A team of German accident investigators examining the circumstances
of the fire on board the Yantian Express advised recently that they suspect a container was filled with coconut charcoal when it was supposed to be carrying coconut pellets. Coconut charcoal is also known as pyrochar, a dangerous substance often used in barbeques, is susceptible to self-combustion. This may yet be another case of cargo misdeclaration.
Why do these casualties occur? Many arise from the deliberate misdeclaration of cargoes as shippers strive to avoid the additional freight cost and/or the effort required to pack, label, store and handle the dangerous goods in the containers. This fraudulent and criminally dangerous behaviour frequently costs lives, millions of dollars in cargo losses and ship damage. It also causes significant delays in cargo supply chains amounting to major disruption across numerous industries in these ‘just-in-time’ days.
Unfortunately, it does not stop there. On 12 August 2015, a series of explosions killed 173 people and injured hundreds of others at a container storage station at the Port of Tianjin. An overheated container of dry nitrocellulose, a dangerous product that is flammable and explosive when dry, was the likely cause of the initial explosion.
Misdeclared cargo – how is it misdeclared?
Consider the case of calcium hypochlorite which is a product used for sanitising public swimming pools, disinfecting drinking water and can be used as a bleaching agent. Global production for both domestic and export markets is estimated at about 400,000 tonnes a year and it is normally shipped in granular or tablet form. The product is generally designated as an IMDG class 5.1 oxidising agent due to its high oxygen content. At normal temperatures, it slowly decomposes to release heat, oxygen and chlorine gas. At higher temperatures the rate of decomposition increases and, if the heat is not able to escape, a chain reaction can result in a fire and/or explosion. The quality of the product also determines the rate of decomposition.
Dangerous goods require special packaging and stuffing, with limits on package size and quantity per container. This explains the principal reasons for shippers’ fraudulent misdeclaration of dangerous cargoes. It saves them time and money – and because there is a good chance of getting away with it. Therefore, some shippers try to move calcium hypochlorite by describing it as, for example, calcium chloride, whitening powder, water treatment compound, bleaching powder, disinfectant, chloride of lime or chlorinated lime.
The Report • March 2020 • Issue 91 | 51
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