Loss Prevention Advice
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Enclosed spaces aboard ships—such as cargo holds, ballast tanks, cofferdams, double bottoms, and duct keels—are routinely cited as major causes of fatalities in the maritime sector. The atmosphere within these spaces can rapidly become lethal due to a host of hidden hazards, most critically: oxygen depletion (often caused by oxidation, rust, or biological activity), oxygen enrichment, or the presence of toxic (e.g., hydrogen sulphide, carbon monoxide) or flammable gases. Tragically, a large percentage of these accidents involve not the original entrant, but the subsequent rescuers who attempt to retrieve the initial casualty without following proper safety protocols, highlighting the paramount need for stringent, updated procedures. The IMO's revision of these recommendations is a direct response to the continued, preventable loss of life that results from these dangerous environments.
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A single loose wire on the containership Dali caused an electrical blackout that led to the giant vessel veering and contacting the nearby Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, which then collapsed, killing six highway workers.
At a public meeting at NTSB headquarters, investigators said the loose wire in the ship’s electrical system caused a breaker to unexpectedly open - beginning a sequence of events that led to two vessel blackouts and a loss of both propulsion and steering near the 2.37-mile-long Key Bridge on March 26, 2024. Investigators found that wire-label banding prevented the wire from being fully inserted into a terminal block spring-clamp gate, causing an inadequate connection.
After the initial blackout, the Dali’s heading began swinging to starboard toward Pier 17 of the Key Bridge. Investigators found that the pilots and the bridge team attempted to change the vessel’s trajectory, but the loss of propulsion so close to the bridge rendered their actions ineffective. A substantial portion of the bridge subsequently collapsed into the river, and portions of the pier, deck and truss spans collapsed onto the vessel’s bow and forwardmost container bays.
A seven-person road maintenance crew and one inspector were on the bridge when the vessel struck. Six of the highway workers died. The NTSB found that the quick actions of the Dali pilots, shoreside dispatchers and the Maryland Transportation Authority to stop bridge traffic prevented greater loss of life.
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As years go by, serious incidents caused by or involving dangerous goods continue to occur, not only on ships but also in ports.
Errors, misunderstandings, misdeclarations and inadequate packing and securing lie at the heart of many incidents. As ultra-large container ships and the marine terminals they call at increase in size and capacity, the potential for economic, human and environmental accidents rise in proportion.
The guide has provided an overview on the key provisions and considerations of the IMDG Code when shipping dangerous goods by sea, and provides guidance if common errors are to be avoided.
Much depends on the skill and awareness of the personnel packing the shipping containers – skills that are often under-rated and under-valued. Any person or organisation offering dangerous goods or packing cargo transport units that do not comply with the IMDG Code, or follow the guidance provided in the CTU Code, is in a precarious position if that non-compliance leads to an incident.
It can put lives at risk, and lead to property and environmental damage. The party responsible will be liable to prosecution, fines by national maritime enforcement agencies and to civil court actions to compensate other actors for costs incurred arising from damage to the ship, cargo and environment, injury and loss of earnings, etc.
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Below you will find ARC’s weekly report dated 19 November 2025, covering the period of 13 to 19 November 2025, where the following incidents were reported:
- 1 maritime security incident in West Africa in the last 7 days
- 1 maritime security incident in the Indian Ocean/Middle East in the last 7 days.
Full advisory at the following link.
https://britanniapandi.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ARC-Weekly-Report-19.11.25.pdf