Misdeclared cargo and leakage represented four of each five maritime incidents related to hazardous cargo in the year 2015, according to the Argentinian firm OMNIA, specialized in maritime affairs. 
The information comes from a study performed by the Cargo Incident Notification System (CINS) an organization that stores data from maritime incidents provided by the largest shipping lines: Maersk, MSC, Evergreen, Hapag-Lloyd, among others, in order to develop strategies to improve safety.
Misdeclared cargo is not the only cause of maritime incidents
The document also reports less frequent causes such as fire, bulk container structural failure, and Illegal waste transport. In the most cases, the substance type of the incidents was inert (solid or liquid), followed by corrosive materials (13%) and with less frequency, flammable substances, solid or liquid.
This data means that the state of the cargo and how is packed directly affects the safety of the travel, the crew, and the vessel.
The stored information helps the maritime industry and shipping lines to develop better security procedures and create regulations that will benefit the whole sector. That´s the case of the new SOLAS regulations about container weight, effective from July 1.
As long as maritime transport remains the most effective way of move hazardous cargo, there will be high risks associated with this activities. The best way to face this challenge is to be backed by the best container and cargo insurance. ICI offers the best coverage and programs that adjust to each client needs.
More about ICI:
International Container Insurance is a dynamic corporation dedicated to worldwide container insurance, backed by first class international reinsurers that offers risk management programs on a global scale. ICI is focused on providing a quick response for claim analysis and inspections, as well as cutting-edge technology to ensure the high-quality services to their clients expectations. As a leader in its category of intermodal insurance, ICI is continuously developing and optimizing programs.
For more information, please visit: https://www.icicoverage.com/
Sources:
http://www.cinsnet.com/resources/analytics-2015/
