London and Darlington, UK, 28 May 2013
It is no surprise that the correct packing of containers is high on the agenda for industry bodies, regulators and insurers, as the consequences of unsafe and badly secured cargo are serious. In fact of all freight transport insurer TT Club’s claims, some 65% feature cargo loss or damage and of these over one-third result from poor packing. Higher levels of training to maintain and improve the expertise of those employed by shippers, consolidators, warehouses and depots to pack containers is now a primary objective of a number of current industry initiatives.
It is timely therefore that TT Club and Exis Technologies have come together to develop CTUpack e-learning™, an online training tool for those involved in the loading and unloading of containers or Cargo Transport Units. By exhibiting at TOC Europe in Rotterdam (25th–27th June) both organisations hope to further focus industry attention on the significant and dangerous implications of bad packing and the training required to address the problem.
Designed and produced by Exis Technologies on the initiative of TT Club, and with its financial investment, the CTUpack e-learning™ course is aligned with IMO/ILO/UN ECE* guidelines for packing containers. Beginning with the foundation course, which will be launched later this year, it will comprise modules that include topics such as cargo or transport and elements that are the equivalent of lessons, covering areas like forces and stresses.
In the future the course will evolve to reflect developments and updates to the ILO guidelines and there is a capacity for additional modules to incorporate cargo specific and more advanced training elements.
The CTUpack e-learning™ foundation course will be available for the web or intranet, in both cases providing administrator functions for setting up and monitoring students’ records. There will also be a SCORM** compliant version for use within standard learning management systems.
Peregrine Storrs-Fox, TT Club’s Risk Management Director, commented “CTUpack e-learning™ follows the well established IMDG Code e-learning training course from Exis, which is also sponsored by TT Club. Both courses are relevant to the risk management approach that the Club has always fostered within the global freight transport community. As in other operational sectors of the industry, training is clearly the number one loss prevention measure and, if adopted as a core feature of an operator’s culture, can greatly reduce the number of claims that we see each year”.
* International Labour Organisation/International Maritime Organisation/United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
**The internationally recognised collection of standards and specifications for web-based e-learning
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Note for TOC Europe Attendees:
‘Challenge Your Skills’ at Stand #E100
There will be a intriguing and educational challenge at TT Club/Exis Technoloies stand at TOC Europe. The Container Packing Challenge – 16 pieces including drums and blocks with technical twists such as ‘fragile’ or ‘this way up’ and weights applied to every block.
A prize will be available every day of TOC for the fastest correctly packed container!
About TT Club:
The TT Club is the international transport and logistics industry’s leading provider of insurance and related risk management services. As a mutual insurer, the TT Club exists to provide its policyholders with benefits, which include specialist underwriting expertise, a world-wide office network providing claims management services, and first class risk management and loss prevention advice.
Customers include some of the world’s largest shipping lines, busiest ports, biggest freight forwarders and cargo handling terminals, to companies operating a handful of vehicles. TT Club specialises in the insurance of Intermodal Operators, NVOCs, Freight Forwarders, Logistics Operators, Marine Terminals, Stevedores, Port Authorities and Ship Operators.
About Exis Technologies:
Exis Technologies, headquartered in Darlington, UK, is the leading supplier of computerized systems for the management of dangerous goods in sea transport. For over 25 years major container shipping lines, ports and shippers have been relying on Hazcheck Systems for regulatory compliance, efficiency and safety in their global operations. They serve 80% of the top container lines.
Exis Technologies also develops e-learning courses. IMDG Code e-learning is a cost-effective training solution for shore side staff that has been implemented by half of the top 20 container lines as well as shippers and logistics operations worldwide. CTUpack e-learning is the latest addition to their training courses.