Freight transport insurer TT Club is calling for a concerted industry campaign to ensure good practice in all aspects of cargo care. The move follows the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) revision, which mandated a verified gross mass for every packed unit.
TT Club said that an verified gross mass (VGM) was only the first step in achieving ‘Cargo Integrity’ throughout the entire supply chain.
Speaking at Intermodal Europe industry conference in Rotterdam, TT Club risk management director Peregrine Storrs-Fox said: “By increasing the visibility of Cargo Integrity we hope to draw attention to other vital aspects of secure and safe cargo transport. This will include the proper packing of cargo within a unit; transparent data regarding contents – particularly classification of regulated goods – and the appropriate safe handling of such commodities; the highest standards of container construction and maintenance and the most advanced methods of stowing and lashing containers on board ships”.
TT Club said that it was committed to reducing the incidence of unstable loads causing traffic accidents and injuries when unpacking, dangerous goods causing fires both at warehouse facilities and at sea and poorly handled cargoes causing serious, sometimes fatal incidents at ports and terminals.
Storrs-Fox said that in the immediate future TT Club was anxious to promote awareness of, and adherence to the Cargo Transport Units (CTU) Code, which “legitimizes the chain of responsibility for all stakeholders, providing a comprehensive framework to ensure cargo can complete the entire journey safely and successfully.”