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Last week, the World Shipping Council, announced the launch of an initiative aimed at developing a software tool to detect undeclared (or misdeclared) dangerous container cargos and prevent deadly ship fires.

WSC notes that containership fires have incredibly risen, resulting in increasing casualties and total losses. According to the 2023 Allianz Safety and Shipping Review, there have been 64 reported fires on containerships in the past five years. TT Club estimates that a serious ship fire occurs every sixty days. One of the key factors contributing to these fires is hazardous cargo that has not been declared, mis-declared or that has not been properly packed by shippers.

In an effort to stem the numbers of fires the WSC is developing a shared industry process to screen and inspect cargoes. Named the Cargo Safety Program, the initiative will rely on a digital solution comprising a Common Screening Tool, Verified Shipper Database, and a Database of Approved Container Inspection Companies. The core functionality of the system will be to screen booking information against a comprehensive keyword library and risk algorithm. High-risk bookings will be flagged for further investigation and/or inspection, and lessons learned through experience will be used to continuously improve the screening tool. To this end, WSC has launched a request for proposal for a third party to develop the digital tools required and manage the programme.

Source: World Shipping Council