Our colleagues at the UK P&I Club have recently published edition No. 7 in their loss-prevention series "Carefully to Carry". It looks at the problems encountered in shipping containers - particularly the stresses caused to stacks in heavy seas - and contains much useful advice on lashing and securing systems. It also considers the difficulties that arise when the careful vessel planning is disrupted because a heavily loaded container - planned for a lower tier - arrives late and therefore has to be stowed higher up than is really advisable.
Non-vessel-operators will also find items of interest: the problems of shipping thiourea dioxide and the risks associated with the carriage of apparently innocuous expandable polymeric beads are discussed; and the editors also provide useful information about the carriage of pharmaceuticals in temperaturecontrolled conditions.
Both the extent and pace of growth in container volumes have put strains on a wide range of operational procedures and the physical hardware employed to handle the steel boxes, particularly onboard ships. Attention to numerous factors is needed to avoid repeated casualties.
Coinciding with the international launch of 'CTU Code - a quick guide', the Safe Container Loading Practices and Heavy Vehicle Safety campaign was launched in Australia, following an award of government funding. While the emphasis is on road safety in Australia, the messages are consistent with those of the Cargo Integrity Group.
