Shipping By Sea
The marine insurance sector saw a huge drop last year in the number of total shipping losses but the industry continues to have a problem with shippers trying to sneak hazardous and flammable cargo on board without declaring it.
“Dangerous goods must be appropriately handled and stowed, which is not possible when the contents of containers are mis-declared. In some cases, when flammable or hazardous cargo is put on a ship without properly declaring it, that’s not an oversight but rather a deliberate attempt by the shipper to hide the hazardous nature of the cargo.
One thing we press with our insureds is to make sure that the people involved in the stowing and booking have the proper dangerous cargo training that is required by law, so they understand what is needed to properly document it and what needs to be done so it is properly secured.