Container Safety

How to safely handle containers is described in detail in the IMO/ILO/UNECE Code of Practice, known as the CTU Code. But despite this, there have been several widely reported fires aboard containerships, where containerised cargoes may have been the cause. Container stack failures, vehicle roll-overs, train derailments and internal cargo collapses, can all too often be traced to poor packing practices. 

To drive the adoption of crucial safety practices throughout the global supply chain, WSC has joined with four international freight transport and cargo handling organisations to provide accessible guidance on packing and handling standards for freight containers and other cargo transport units.

The group have published handy guides, the CTU Code Quick Guide and Checklist, in several languages and are driving awareness through on-line information sessions and promotion. Download here and use free for training and reference. Help spread the word and save lives!

It is also crucial for safety that the contents and weight of a packed container are correctly declared, to ensure it is loaded and secured in a safe way. WSC has supported the amendment to the IMO Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) convention which requires that the gross mass (VGM) of a packed container is verified before it can be loaded on board a vessel. These VGM FAQs, together with the supplementary FAQs, developed by WSC and supply chain partners are a good guide to the mandatory rules. Without a verified gross mass the packed container shall not be loaded aboard ship.

How a container should be secured aboard ship is governed by the IMO Revised Guidelines for the Cargo Securing Manual, which prescribes how containers are to be loaded, stowed and secured throughout the voyage.

Before and after transport, containers are stored in warehouses and on terminals. For safe storage of dangerous goods, proper handling and packing is the best way to avoid fire or other incidents that could damage health or the environment. WSC has together with a number of other organisations put together a Dangerous Goods Warehousing White Paper and Checklist with best practices around the handling of dangerous goods. Please download and share in your network to help prevent incidents.