[140217.EN.BIZ] Poor Container Packing Leads to 65pc Of Damaged Cargo: TT Club

AN analysis of TT Club's insurance claims records shows that 65 per cent of damages to cargo result from poorly packed, blocked or secured cargo in Cargo Transport Units (CTUs), particularly freight containers.

"Yet this points to only a fraction of the extent of a significant safety problem surrounding poor packing" states TT Club's risk management director, Peregrine Storrs-Fox. "TT Club, along with our fellow industry representatives are concerned that preventable incidents, both on land (road and rail) and at sea, arise from badly packed CTUs.

"The safety of workers, particularly those unloading units at destination, is also at considerable risk. Safe industry packing and securing guidance must be disseminated and followed."

A seminar, entitled, 'Safety in the Intermodal Supply Chain: Promoting IMO/ILO/UNECE Code of Practice for Packing of Cargo Transport Units (CTU Code)' is to be held during the European Shipping Week in Brussels from 27 February to 2 March with delegates focusing on the correct packing of CTUs and the safety issues that result from poor work practices.

The Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Kitack Lim, and Magda Kopczynska from the European Commission's DG MOVE, which is the directorate responsible for freight transport safety within the EU, will join industry leaders to speak on the first day of the seminar.

The event has been arranged by the the Global Shippers Forum (GSF); the cargo handling group ICHCA; international freight insurer TT Club and liner shipping organisation World Shipping Council (WSC).

The importance of awareness across the entire supply chain of these dangers is a point emphasised by Chris Welsh secretary general of GSF.

"The responsibility of all those working in the supply chain, shippers, packers, forwarders, warehouse operators and transport providers of all modes and in all countries is clearly set out in the Code. This responsibility for the safety of cargo loads and those handling them does not cease when the doors of the trailer or container are closed", Mr Welsh emphasised.

Source : HKSG.