News

How to Spot Potentially Hidden Hazards in Shipping Documentation

Today we look at the potential for simple phrases used in shipping documentation that through error or omission might mean there are unexpected dangerous goods involved. We are also developing a video on this topic which we will release in the coming months to help raise awareness of the potential for hidden dangerous goods. According to TT Club, millions of tonnes of packaged dangerous goods are safely transported each year. These include everyday items such as fireworks, propane, gasoline, lighters, bleach, solvent-based paint, aerosols, pest control substances, charcoal, and lithium batteries. When properly packed, labelled, and documented, these goods can be transported safely in compliance with international regulations. However, when dangerous goods are misdeclared, improperly packaged, or inadequately documented, the risks to people, cargo, infrastructure, and the environment can be severe. Ensuring that shipping documentation accurately reflects the nature of the cargo is essential for managing these risks and [...]

Invasive Pests on Shipping Containers – International Conference, 7 and 8 October 2025, Copenhagen

Following on from our member briefing on Custodial Responsibility last week by Global Shippers’ Forum and World Shipping Council, please find below a link to register for the Copenhagen IPPC Symposium. https://www.ippc.int/en/core-activities/capacity-development/sea-containers/working-together-clean-containers-and-safe-trade-symposium-on-plant-and-biodiversity-protection-mitigating-risks-of-pest-contamination-in-the-international-containerized-supply-chain/ This contains a link to the separate registration page. The Symposium is free to participate and will address how the entire cargo handling supply chain will be expected to take on the challenge of preventing the transfer of invasive pests. It is an opportunity for industry to have a voice. One of the topics on the agenda is Custodial Responsibility. Members will recall that this model was developed by industry. It requires each part of the cargo supply chain from the container depot to the packer to the transporter and carrier to take action to identify if invasive pests are present on the container when they receive it and to hand it over to the next part [...]

ICHCA Member G2 Ocean, latest Safety Bulletin – Sparks start fire (also available in Portuguese)

The latest edition is about hot work. One of G2 Ocean's customers notified them about three fires damaging cargo, all caused by uncontrolled hot work. While these incidents did not happen on G2 Ocean vessels, G2 Ocean have experienced a similar incident recently on one of their vessels. CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL SAFETY BULLETIN IN ENGLISH CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL SAFETY BULLETIN IN PORTUGESE Message from G2 Ocean: "We in G2 Ocean work with stevedores all over the world. By sharing lessons learned on safety between companies and ports, we believe we can reduce the number of incidents and personal injuries in our industry. It is part of G2 Ocean’s desired safety culture to always seek and share insights on safety. We thank all stevedore companies who have signed up for our monthly Safety Bulletin! All our vessels receive a copy. The crew work closely together with [...]

Amendment 42-24 update on vehicles in containers/fully enclosed packagings

This focused update, helpfully pointed out by a member, notes a practical change that may already be in effect with early adopters of IMDG Code Amendment 42-24 and will be in force from January 2026. Following changes to IMDG Code Special Provision 962 For Class 9 vehicles Amendment 41-22 42-24 provisions of the IMDG Code relevant to marking, labelling, placarding and marine pollutants ‘shall not apply’ does apply ‘to vehicles that are fully enclosed by packagings, crates or other means that prevent ready identification (e.g., overpack)’ Applicable until Jan 2026 voluntarily now; in force Jan 2026 A practical consequence of this is that placarding of containers of petrol and electric vehicles will be mandatory as of January 2026. The member noted that this would be a major change for them and that it could be useful to highlight it to other members.

Current Awareness Bulletin – for IMO themes and news – June 2025

The latest edition of the Current Awareness Bulletin is attached. The Bulletin provides a monthly digest of news and publications focusing on subjects and themes related to the work of IMO with each edition presenting headlines from the previous month. Links to complete articles or abstracts on publishers' sites are included, although access may require payment or subscription. The Bulletin itself is free to download and to redistribute. CLICK HERE FOR THE CURRENT AWARENESS BULLETIN - June 2025 This edition along with the back catalogue is available at:https://www.imo.org/en/KnowledgeCentre/Pages/CurrentAwarenessBulletin-Default.aspx The Current Awareness Bulletin is compiled by the IMO Maritime Knowledge Centre but is not an official IMO publication. Inclusion does not imply any endorsement by IMO.

TT Club Innovation in Safety Award – Coming Soon!

The TT Club Innovation in Safety Award, presented in partnership with ICHCA, celebrates cutting-edge improvements in health and safety across the cargo handling and logistics sectors. Now in its ninth year, the award shines a spotlight on organisations and individuals that are making a tangible difference—whether through new technology, processes, or culture-changing initiatives. With entries for the award opening on 1 September, now is the time to start thinking about how your innovation could inspire others and contribute to safer supply chains worldwide. From ports and terminals to transport operators and technology developers, all are welcome to enter. Past winners have ranged from global giants to grassroots inventors—what matters is impact. Learn more at Entering the TT Club Innovation in Safety Award - ICHCA International and get ready to showcase your commitment to safety.

ICHCA Insights – July 2025

Latest edition of "ICHCA Insights" available For the latest edition of our monthly newsletter “ICHCA Insights” please Click here For previous newsletters click here: https://ichca.com/newsletters

Powering Progress: ICHCA and Industry Unite for Safer Operations

The TOC Safety Village, held from 17–19 June 2025 at the Ahoy Centre in Rotterdam, proved a tremendous success, showcasing a wealth of innovative ideas, practical tools and inspiring presentations all dedicated to improving safety across the global cargo handling sector. ICHCA was proud to contribute to this vibrant hub of knowledge exchange, which brought together industry leaders, technology pioneers and frontline professionals to explore solutions that drive continuous improvement in health and safety. We extend our sincere thanks to all the expert speakers, exhibitors and participants whose insights and commitment made the Safety Village such a valuable experience. Large-scale events like this underline ICHCA’s mission to broaden its reach and share vital learning, helping to raise safety standards for everyone working in our industry.

Latest “TT Talk” Articles Available – July 2025

The TT Club regularly provides informative, timely material on critical health, safety, security and environmental matters designed to help industry continually improve its performance. We are delighted to share the latest from TT Club in the TT Talk series. New TT Talk articles available below: TT Talk - A zero-tolerance approach to worker dehydration Workers in ports, terminals and warehouses need to maintain a high degree of concentration to cope with the complex physical hazards of operating in a busy cargo-handling environment. But simply not drinking enough water can impair their mental abilities in a similar way as consuming alcohol, which may lead to accidents and injuries. Transport and logistics operators need to take the same zero-tolerance approach to worker dehydration as they do for consuming alcohol. TT - How to improve loading dock safety Loading docks in warehouses and terminals are high-risk environments where people, vehicles [...]

UNCTAD Transport and Trade Facilitation Newsletter N°106

The UNCTAD Transport and Trade Facilitation Newsletter is a quarterly bulletin on current topics and projects in trade facilitation and international transport. We provide a copy to members for their convenience. Click here for the newsletter: UNCTAD Transport and Trade Facilitation Newsletter N°106 After nearly 30 years and 105 editions of the UNCTAD Transport and Trade Facilitation Newsletter is moving to a new format single newsletter covering all areas of their work. UNCTAD Insights This will be a fresh, unified newsletter “delivering expert analysis, timely data, publications, and event updates across a broad spectrum of UNCTAD’s work on trade, development, and the global economy.” This is where they will continue to provide relevant transport and trade facilitation insights and much more. If you wish to register for your own copy, you can find the link at: https://unctad.org/topic/transport-and-trade-logistics/transport-newsletter

Member Benefit: Complimentary Delegate Places at Intermodal Africa 22 – 24 July 2025, Beira, Mozambique

We are delighted to announce the latest member benefit in partnership with Transport Events: Intermodal Africa 2025. We have secured an exclusive opportunity for five complimentary ICHCA Member delegate places, each valued at €1,995, for this prestigious event. If you would like to attend, please email secretariat@ichca.com to secure your spot. We need your confirmation as soon as possible, subject to availability, so don’t miss out! The 33rd edition of Intermodal Africa 2025, recognised as the largest annual Ports and Logistics Exhibition and Conference in Africa. This event is proudly hosted by Cornelder de Moçambique (CdM) in collaboration with our Strategic Partner Port Management Association of Eastern and Southern Africa (PMAESA) taking place from Tuesday 22 to Thursday 24 July 2025 at the Lunamar Hotel Beira, Mozambique. On Tuesday 22 July, there will be a comprehensive tour to the port for all registered delegates to visit every aspect of [...]

Member Invitation: Custodial Responsibility Briefing – 14 July 2025 – 15:30 to 16:30 (UK time)

We are writing to invite you to join a Teams call for a Custodial Responsibility Briefingfrom Global Shippers’ Forum and World Shipping Council. Members will recall that theCustodial Responsibility model was developed by industry to address the risk of transfer of invasive species by sea container. The model requires each part of the cargo supply chain from the container depot to the packer to the transporter and carrier to take action to identify if invasive pests are present on the container when they receive it and to hand it over to the next part of the supply chain free from visible pests.In the model, ports and terminals will also have these obligations. The briefing will describe the proposed responsibilities of ports and terminals in the process. We also envisage an opportunity at the meeting to discuss and contribute to the refining of port and terminal responsibilities. This is an [...]

Current Awareness Bulletin – for IMO themes and news – May 2025

The latest edition of the Current Awareness Bulletin is attached. The Bulletin provides a monthly digest of news and publications focusing on subjects and themes related to the work of IMO with each edition presenting headlines from the previous month. Links to complete articles or abstracts on publishers' sites are included, although access may require payment or subscription. The Bulletin itself is free to download and to redistribute. CLICK HERE FOR THE CURRENT AWARENESS BULLETIN - May 2025 This edition along with the back catalogue is available at:https://www.imo.org/en/KnowledgeCentre/Pages/CurrentAwarenessBulletin-Default.aspx The Current Awareness Bulletin is compiled by the IMO Maritime Knowledge Centre but is not an official IMO publication. Inclusion does not imply any endorsement by IMO.

ICHCA Member G2 Ocean, latest Safety Bulletin – The heavy lifting (also available in Portuguese)

The latest edition is about an incident which highlights why lifting awareness and never working under a suspended load remain essential in all cargo operations ashore and afloat. CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL SAFETY BULLETIN IN ENGLISH CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL SAFETY BULLETIN IN PORTUGESE Message from G2 Ocean: "We in G2 Ocean work with stevedores all over the world. By sharing lessons learned on safety between companies and ports, we believe we can reduce the number of incidents and personal injuries in our industry. It is part of G2 Ocean’s desired safety culture to always seek and share insights on safety. We thank all stevedore companies who have signed up for our monthly Safety Bulletin! All our vessels receive a copy. The crew work closely together with the stevedores in port, and the topics are relevant also for them. The bulletin is also sent to the G2 [...]

Introduction to how the IMO works – Seminar 22/23 September 2025

The IMO is hosting a seminar for people who are new or would like to refresh themselves on how the IMO works, its committees, structure, processes etc. This Orientation Seminar is designed for member states, international governmental organisations and non-governmental organisations like ICHCA. The provisional syllabus is attached. If you would like to know more, places are available in-person and virtually. Please contact Amanda secretariat@ichca.com to register. For further details click HERE

Latest “TT Talk” Articles Available – June 2025

The TT Club regularly provides informative, timely material on critical health, safety, security and environmental matters designed to help industry continually improve its performance. We are delighted to share the latest from TT Club in the TT Talk series. New TT Talk articles available below: TT Talk - Benefits of smart mooring systems Traditional mooring lines and bollards have been used to secure ships in ports for thousands of years. But when they fail, the consequences can be catastrophic. In the five policy years leading up to 2021, the International Group of P&l Clubs members were notified of 858 injuries and 31 fatalities that occurred during mooring operations. TT - Project cargo risks for ports Project cargoes, particularly offshore wind components, are a growing business opportunity for ports around the world. But the typically large size and weight of these unusual loads also expose port operators to [...]

ICHCA Severe Risks Dashboard – June 2025

ICHCA has updated its uniquely wide-ranging research on historic worldwide cargo related workplace fatalities covering the period 2000 to the present day. We aim to learn from what has happened in the past to better understand the most severe outcome risks in our industry; helping leaders at all levels to continuously improve how they do safety. By demonstrating the severity potential of these hazards we believe that organisations can: re-test existing management controls for focus, completeness and robustness re-affirm that work as imagined in procedures designed to address these essential risks actually translates into work as done on the ground engage with workforces and other stakeholders to seek well-managed, cooperative change and innovation The dataset covers over 500 fatalities involving port workers, contractors, visitors and other third parties from 2000 to June 2025. What the dashboard is telling us Crush by cargo is the leading historic cause of [...]

Hidden Dangers of Fire Initiating Cargoes Explained

The industry bodies of the Cargo Integrity Group expand on their concerns relating to cargoes that can catch fire and cause significant damage and casualties under certain conditions. Circumstances created by an alignment of mistakes, oversights, or failed controls can turn a minor incident into a major event. Following its identification of ‘cargoes of concern’*, the Cargo Integrity Group (the Group) now focuses on the issues that may commonly compromise safety by initiating or proliferating fire under certain conditions. It is recognized that many of the cargoes in this category, labelled ‘reactive hazards’ already fall within the scope of Dangerous Goods regulations. These regulations start from the premise that the transport of Dangerous Goods is prohibited – except in accordance with the details of the regulations. However, incidents still occur too frequently; as the judge in one casualty litigation explained, disasters are only infrequent due to a “lack of [...]

ICHCA Insights – June 2025

Latest edition of "ICHCA Insights" available For the latest edition of our monthly newsletter “ICHCA Insights” please Click here For previous newsletters click here: https://ichca.com/newsletters

ICHCA May 2025 Press Clippings

We are delighted to share with you the press clippings for May 2025. By working with the media we can be the voice of our sector, raising awareness and sharing learning with industry and other stakeholders. The press clippings have been collated by Portcare International. CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE PRESS CLIPPINGS

ICHCA Supports Global Lifting Awareness Day 2025 – Lifting Safety Into Focus

ICHCA International is proud to support Global Lifting Awareness Day (GLAD) 2025, led by the Lifting Equipment Engineers Association (LEEA) on Thursday 12 June. GLAD 2025 Insights Webinar: "Turning Industry Voices into Action" 12 June 2025 Register Now ICHCA is once again proud to support Global Lifting Awareness Day (GLAD) alongside our partners at the Lifting Equipment Engineers Association (LEEA). As a global campaign, GLAD aims to promote safe lifting practices, awareness, and leadership throughout the industry. As part of our contribution to this international effort, ICHCA is pleased to spotlight essential guidance, tools, and training materials to help advance lifting safety in ports and cargo operations worldwide.  We encourage you to explore ICHCA’s resources on lifting safety such as: Safe Lifting of ISO Containers and Tanks Using Hooks and Wires and Members’ Area content developed jointly with LEEA such as: Organisation of Gear Stores and Guidance on the [...]

Member Benefit: Complimentary Delegate Places at Asean Ports & Logistics 2025 – Jakarta, Indonesia

We would like to announce the latest member benefit in partnership with Transport Events: Asean Ports & Logistics 2025. We have secured an exclusive opportunity forfive complimentary ICHCA Member delegate places, each valued at €1,995, for this prestigious event. If you would like to attend, please email secretariat@ichca.com to secure your spot. We need your confirmation by 19 June 2025, subject to availability, so don’t miss out! Transport Events are delighted to announce that ASEAN Ports and Logistics 2025Exhibition and Conference hosted by PELINDO and supported by The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport Indonesia (CILT-ID) will take place from Tuesday 1 July to Thursday 3 July 2025 at the luxurious 5 star JW Marriott Hotel Jakarta, Indonesia. Jakarta is a vibrant city with a rich cultural heritage and dynamic economic landscape as the largest annual Ports and Logistics trade event for the ASEAN region, this presents an unmissable [...]