Several changes to dangerous goods regulations will be effective from January 1st, which includes changes for some UN numbers and new rules for the transporting of lithium and sodium batteries.

Hyundai has designed a device for its car carrying fleet that suppresses fires that break out during the movement of electric cars powered by lithium-ion batteries.

Four people have been arrested in Poland, and are set to be charged for endangering aircraft and crew, as concerns deepen over suspected attempts to plant explosives in European supply chains.

The US has settled a civil case this week against the owner and operator of the vessel that collided with a Baltimore bridge causing its collapse in March.

In its Safety Alert for Operators (SAFO) last week, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) warned airlines to review their procedures as ecommerce shipments containing electronics start to ramp up for Christmas.  

Dangerous goods shipments from Ningbo port are now subject to stricter controls, following the explosion aboard the Yang Ming Mobility at the end of August.

Ocean freight carriers are starting to tighten up on the shipment of lithium batteries, which can no longer be loaded together with other dangerous goods.

A major port strike is set to impact 36 ports on the US East Coast and Gulf Coast ports, which could have a devastating effect on US ocean freight services from October if an agreement cannot be reached in the next week.

Owners of the cargo ship ‘Ruby’ seem to be desperately trying to find a place to dock and repair, after the vessel was damaged in a storm, but are being refused entry to several nearby ports.

Sailing around the Cape of Good Hope was considered extremely dangerous during ‘The Age Of Sail’, and the route is not without jeopardy even for today’s modern container ships.

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.

South Korean ocean freight carrier, HMM, have recently confirmed a clampdown on lithium-ion batteries moving on their ships, after a fatal fire at a battery makers plant in June.

Dangerous goods products and perishable cargoes have been blocked from travelling on Canadian railway routes recently, due to the ever-growing threat of a national rail strike.    

A large explosion on a container ship shook Ningbo Zhoushan Port in China last week, which has been directly attributed to dangerous goods products. 

The past couple of weeks have been a disastrous period for ocean freight as a number of crew members have tragically lost their lives, highlighting the apparent increasing risk to merchant shipping crews.  

The British International Freight Association (BIFA) are warning its members that they must update their dangerous goods certificates immediately, or face being struck-off the IATA agent roster.

A fire broke out on the Maersk Frankfurt container ship in the Arabian Sea near India, which led to explosions on board and the tragic death of one Filipino crew member.

Over 70 containers were lost or damaged during a voyage from Asia to Europe, as extreme weather conditions battered sailings around the Cape Of Good Hope, South Africa.

To meet your obligation, if you are involved in the handling, receiving or transport of dangerous goods, then training is the key.

A bulk carrier has become the second cargo ship to sink in the Red Sea, following an attack from Houthi Rebels earlier this month, which resulted in the loss of one crew member.

There are currently several labour disputes building in Europe and North America, that could disrupt ocean freight during the next few weeks.

A recent report by the Cargo Integrity Group, a body that focuses on improving safety in the global supply chain, has identified 15 cargo types that cause dangerous goods incidents.

The containership ‘Dali’, which collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge leading to its collapse, has finally been refloated in the past this week, almost two months after the tragic incident.

The issue with moving lithium batteries has been a hotly debated dangerous goods topic and rule changes are incoming for air cargo following the ICAO dangerous goods panel’s meeting in December. 

Recent data suggests that major airports and ports are being used as entry points for the UK’s illegal vaping epidemic, with London, Manchester and Dover recording the highest number of illegal devices seized in 2023.

Market conditions for ocean freight imports from Asia have seemingly returned to the dark days of the post-pandemic period, with little space on vessels, container shortages, and freight rates spiralling upwards.

Lithium-ion batteries overheating incidents on aircraft are now being reported once per week on average, as they continue to pose a major airline safety risk.  

If your business is involved in the handling, receiving or transport of dangerous goods, then these two steps are essential for you to meet your legal requirements.

The Middle East conflict is having an immediate impact on air freight rates and services to and from the region, along with other areas in Asia.

Following the tragic collapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore recently, it has been widely reported that hazardous material have been leaking into Baltimore harbor from containers that were aboard the vessel Dali.

A multi-agency rescue operation is currently underway in Baltimore after a containership crashed into a bridge overnight, collapsing it into the Patapsco River along with several vehicles. 

Steering large container ships is not an easy task, as we saw when the Suez Canal was blocked for a month not too long ago, but this past week saw the master of a Yang Ming chartered vessel make a real hash of it in a Turkish port.

Zombie lithium batteries continue to be the main causing of fires at waste and recycling parts, with the issue leading to hundreds of fires each year.

A bulk cargo ship believed to be carrying class 5.1 ammonium nitrate fertilisers sank in the Gulf Of Aden this week, days after being targeted by Houthi missiles, leading to fears of an environmental disaster in the Southern Red Sea.

The UK government’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency are in the process of reviewing the Merchant Shipping (Dangerous Goods and Marine Pollutants) Regulations 1997 with a view to replacing them with revised regulations.

The European Union have set up a new naval mission this week, aimed at protecting commercial shipping in the Red Sea region from Houthi attacks.

A UK registered cargo vessel was attacked this week, which is perhaps the most damaging incident since the Houthi rebel campaign started, as the crew had to to abandon ship.

When non-declared or mis-declared dangerous goods enter the international supply chain, there is a significantly  greater risk to property, the environment and the safety, and lives, of the people handling goods.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has reportedly been used by Microsoft to find a new substance which could serve as a replacement to lithium in batteries.

During recent weeks, truckers and farmers from all over Europe have been holding protests, which has started to have an impact on some logistics routes.