‘Simple good fortune’ prevents even more fires at sea

THE Cargo Integrity Group has urged shipowners to be more diligent when transporting dangerous cargoes in the wake of several high-profile vessel fires recently.

The safety coalition, which includes members such as the World Shipping Council and insurer TT Club, has published a reminder of some of the more hazardous reactive cargoes.

Reactive cargoes seem inert but can pose huge risks to shipping when exposed to heat or friction.

Among the big culprits identified by the Cargo Integrity Group are charcoal and lithium-ion batteries. Recent guidance has called for charcoal to always be declared as a dangerous good, while the threat posed by lithium-ion batteries is familiar. The cause of the recent blaze on board vehicle carrier Morning Midas (IMO: 9289910) is still unknown, but lithium-ion batteries fitted to the electric vehicles it was carrying will be a major suspect.

There are, however, some cargoes that may seem harmless but which still pose risks. Cotton, wool, fishmeal and even seed cakes are all also self-heating, where a substance can warm without any exterior heat source thanks to slow oxidation.

The Indian Coast Guard understands the dangers posed by vessel blazes, after Singapore-flagged Wan Hai 503 (IMO: 9294862) on caught fire on June 9, leaving four seafarers missing and salvors battling to save the vessel and its cargo.

Lloyd’s List Intelligence data shows that since 2021, there have been 71 instances of fire on vessels that are understood to have started by cargo in containers on board. Between 2016-2020, that figure was 56, which is an increase of more than 25%.

The group highlighted a recent casualty litigation that said disasters were only infrequent thanks to a “lack of a similar perfect storm of events, and simple good fortune”.

All that was required for things to go wrong is an alignment of mistakes, oversights or failed controls, the group said.

It said it was “at pains” to emphasise the dangers of these cargoes and stressed that only “reliance on robust diligence or precise emergency response prevents many minor incidents becoming major casualties”.