Safetytech Accelerator, a non-profit established by Lloyd’s Register, has confirmed that UK maritime insurers, the UK P&I Club and TT Club, have signed up for its Cargo Fire & Loss Innovation Initiative (CFLII).
The Initiative, launched in February 2023, is a multi-year collaborative know-how acceleration program targeted on decreasing cargo fires and loss in maritime and its influence. It is already supported by anchor companions COSCO Shipping Lines, Evergreen Line, HMM, Lloyd’s Register, Maersk, the Offen Group, ONE and Seaspan, which characterize round 50% of the overall liner delivery market.
The program will assist expedite the uptake of know-how and greatest apply by figuring out particular alternatives the place know-how could make a distinction, shaping joint necessities, figuring out know-how options, enterprise trials and creating greatest practices and suggestions. It has already began engaged on answer for early hearth detection in cargo maintain.
The initiative has a broad know-how scope, encompassing three vital matters of concern. The first pertains to onboard cargo management, together with whether or not cargo has been correctly loaded, secured and monitored throughout transit. The second space covers onboard hearth, the power to quickly detect fires and forestall propagation by means of efficient onboard response, notably on cargo vessels reminiscent of container ships and automotive carriers. The third subject of concern pertains to the challenges created by the growing scale of vessels.
Stuart Edmonston, Loss Prevention Director at UK P&I Club, mentioned: “Fires on board container ships keep happening, with depressing regularity, often resulting in tragic loss of life and catastrophic damage to ship and cargo. A large proportion of these fires are completely preventable, and we find that losses could have been mitigated by better practices. This is an industry-wide problem that requires collaboration. The only way to improve safety is to work together, share ideas, and identify and utilise modern technological solutions.”
Mike Yarwood, Managing Director of Loss Prevention at TT Club, mentioned: “As an insurer of many elements of the container supply chain, we have long campaigned for improved certainty for classification, declaration and packing of cargo in containers. We look forward to engaging with fellow partners to improve safety and certainty of outcome in the supply chain.”
