Charcoal is a widely traded commodity that is commonly used in industrial and chemical processes (e.g. smelting, filtration) and for recreation purposes (e.g. cooking, smoking shisha). However, despite many cautionary warnings, fires involving containerised cargoes of charcoal continue to occur. Records created by the Cargo Incident Notification System’s (CINS) members show that there were at least 68 fire incidents on board ships across a seven-year period that were caused by charcoal. It was found that most of the incidents arose from consignments that had been misdeclared, and one of the main reasons for this is due to the wide range of trade names under which charcoal may be presented for shipment.
Marine Cargo Spoilage and Marine Fire specialist, Jessica Ng, is featured in the Hong Kong Maritime Hub. In her article ‘Charting New Waters: Navigating Code Changes in Shipping Containerised Cargoes of Charcoal’, Jessica discusses some of the risks associated with shipping containerised charcoal as well as the recent updates to the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code. Jessica explains that to address the risks of fire, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has tightened regulations under the IMDG Code, classifying charcoal as a Class 4.2 substance, which is prone to spontaneous combustion. Jessica adds that the new code changes aim to improve safety by mandating better handling and transport conditions for charcoal. Jessica’s article is available to read in full now.
Since joining Hawkins, Jessica has investigated the cause of many fire and explosion incidents in both Hong Kong and overseas including residential and commercial premises, as well as marine and vehicle fires. If you have an incident relating to a fire or cargo failure and would like Jessica to investigate, please get in touch.
