THESE PAGES OF HCB have for many years now brought regular warnings of the dangers of mis-declared and undeclared cargo in the global supply chain. Such hidden hazards have been identified as the cause behind a number of major fires aboard containerships, with consequent loss of life, property damage (both to cargo and the vessels themselves) and environmental pollution. Those reports have, sadly, repeatedly reported on the apparent failure of the supply chain to deal with the issue, despite efforts by ship operators, underwriters and national maritime administrators. But, as delegates to this year's Annual Forum of the Council on Safe Transportation of Hazardous Articles (COSTHA) heard, the problem is not unique to the maritime industry. COSTHA brought together some familiar names from the container shipping industry and inspection bodies but also introduced representatives from the airline sector and from retail distribution, which showed that all sectors of the supply chain have similar issues. There are lessons that all can learn from each other when it comes to identifying hidden dangerous goods - although there are fundamental reasons why such mis-declaration continues that are difficult to eradicate.
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