China Warns About Transporting Dangerous Goods Properly
Following the explosion on a container ship in Ningbo this month, China’s Maritime Safety Administration (MSA) has reiterated warnings about the proper transporting of dangerous goods, which will likely lead to a tightening of controls.
A container of dangerous goods aboard the Yang Ming Mobility exploded in port sending debris 200ft into the air. Initially, the container was said to include just class 5.2 organic peroxide, but later reports have suggested that lithium batteries were also loaded in the container and that some items were not transported properly.
The products in question must be stored in temperatures not exceeding 30 degrees Celsius, but the temperature at the time in Ningbo was around 39 degrees. While the owner of the goods had used a reefer container, they had not requested that the temperature be controlled and it was not plugged-in to electricity.
The MSA’s reminded stakeholders that they must “fully understand the severe and complex situation of the safety of the transportation of dangerous goods on ships in the high temperature season”.
Incredibly, there were no fatalities during the incident, but the ship is out of action for three months and the port was closed leading to major delays. The responsible parties will more than likely be facing serious criminal charges.
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