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TT Club

‘Beware the Big Ship Hype’ says TT Club

April 23, 2015 by

TT Club’s Phillip Emmanuel has put into perspective some of the sensationalism surrounding the recent growth trend in container ships.  Speaking during a plenary session of the TOC Asia Conference in Singapore on Tuesday, he advised ports and terminals to take a measured approach to the risk management of their operations, looking carefully at the ramifications to their own facilities of potential larger ship calls.

Singapore, 23 April, 2015

Phillip Emmanuel

TT Club is well-positioned as a leading insurer of risks for container lines and cargo handling facilities to advise on the type and extent of exposure.  Outlining the Club’s position, Emmanuel explained that the potential for damaging incidents to occur is generally more a factor of an individual operation’s adoption of best-practice, sound maintenance and the application of efficient safety measures than size of ships or volumes of cargo.

In addition, it is clear that the largest of the container ship newbuilds, now capable of carrying nearly 20,000TEUs, can’t and won’t call at the majority of the world’s terminals.  Their introduction onto the Asia-Europe trade will, however, displace smaller units, which in turn will be utilised on trades, and call at ports, where previously they have not been seen.

“As such,” commented Emmanuel, “Terminal operators should take precautions that are relevant to the specifics of their own operation.  Bigger ships and greater container volumes will only augment the exposures that are already inherent in their current operations.” As examples, Emmanuel highlighted the requirement in any location for upgraded – and expensive – technology represented by new cranes and more yard equipment that might be necessary to handle larger ships.

The type of risk and the more common causes of insurance claims, however, remain the same.  Emmanuel used his conference presentation to articulate some of these gleaned from extensive TT Club analysis of its own claims records, stating, “The direct interaction at the berth between ship and terminal facility accounts for 31% of the total cost of claims for ports and terminals over the last five years. Indeed, the most valuable asset of any terminal, the quay crane, unsurprisingly represents the biggest single element (some 25%)”.

These statistics serve as a reminder to ports and terminals to consider, not only berth length and depth, but also issues such as berthing and the capability of tugs, mooring lines and bollards. The analysis for ports and terminals highlights the impact and regularity of ship collisions with the crane booms, crane brake or structural failure, and hoist and spreader malfunctions, in addition to crane collapse due to windstorms. “These risks can all be minimised by efficient maintenance programmes, proper use of safety technology and adequate windstorm protection whatever the size of ship being worked,” concluded Emmanuel.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

TT Club

TT Club is the international transport and logistics industry’s leading provider of insurance and related risk management services.  As a mutual insurer, 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 on a smaller scale but whose operations face similar risks. TT Club specialises in the insurance of Intermodal Operators, NVOCs, Freight Forwarders, Logistics Operators, Marine Terminals, Stevedores, Port Authorities and Ship Operators.
www.ttclub.com

About Thomas Miller

Thomas Miller is an independent and international provider of insurance, professional and investment services.

Founded in 1885, Thomas Miller’s origins are in the provision of management services to mutual organisations, particularly in the international transport and professional indemnity sectors; where today they manage a large percentage of the foremost insurance mutuals. Thomas Miller also manages insurance facilities for all the self-employed barristers in England & Wales, as well as trustees of pension schemes, patent agents and housing associations.

Principal activities include:

  • Management services for transport and professional indemnity insurance mutuals
  • Investment management for institutions and private clients
  • Professional services
  • Building defects insurance

www.thomasmiller.com

Filed Under: TT Club

TT Club Warns Baltic Ports to Protect Against Reputational Damage

March 19, 2015 by

Huxley, AndrewSpeaking during Baltic Transport Week in Gdansk this week Andrew Huxley, Development Director at freight transport insurance specialist TT Club, warned port and terminal operators to be aware of the reputational damage that can be a serious consequence of uninsured incidents resulting from avoidable risks

Gdansk, 19 March, 2015

It is estimated that for every unit cost incurred in insurance claims it can cost between eight and thirty-six times that amount in direct and indirect uninsured losses for the business involved*. Such expenses may accrue from the emergency supplies required to normalise the situation, operational delays, increased maintenance and training requirements after the event but particularly reputational and commercial damage that can affect business for some time. For the port and terminal sector, Huxley highlighted that TT Club’s own claims analysis concludes that 88% of the cost of insured claims result from operational inadequacies or poor maintenance; the vast majority of such shortcomings being avoidable.

“Our research, covering over 7,000 claims of a value in excess of US$10,000 made over the last five years, has sought to be precise in identifying the root cause of claims, which gives us a significant advantage in advising on preventative measures. The overwhelming conclusion is that much can be done to reduce future claims, improve safety and security in Baltic ports and prevent erosion to the profitability of terminal operators in the region,” commented Huxley.

Though wide-ranging in its scope, Huxley chose to concentrate on the analysis’ findings regarding theft, cargo contamination and bodily injury. These types of claims are high on the list of the most damaging, not just in terms of financial loss but particularly, if they become repetitive, to the reputation of an operator. Consequent loss of custom and revenue can be ultimately more critical to a cargo handling business than the loss caused by the initial incident.

Theft from an operator’s premises (at 55% of all theft claims) and from sub-contractors while in transit (at 30%) are the two main areas of concern. “Physical security measures such as fencing, guards, alarms and CCTV are the most obvious preventions”, highlighted Huxley in his presentation, “But crime using the internet is an emerging risk with hackers accessing cargo release codes, changing delivery locations and altering inventory stock levels remotely”, he warned.

Perhaps not surprisingly nearly 80% of bodily injury claim costs involve mobile terminal equipment and vehicles in ports. The circumstances causing danger are often obvious to those that work in the environment and as such prevention should be higher on operators’ priority lists. “Employment of traffic management systems, anti-collision devices and good, regular driver training are not initiatives that require massive investment and state-of-the art technology, rather just sensible and practical operational management”, emphasised Huxley. Indeed, a key message from the TT Club is that training and review of systems often will not involve significant capital expenditure but can have a major impact on reducing incidents and improving productivity.
*UK Health & Safety Executive

ENDS

Notes to editors:
TT Club
TT Club is the international transport and logistics industry’s leading provider of insurance and related risk management services. As a mutual insurer, 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 on a smaller scale but whose operations face similar risks. TT Club specialises in the insurance of Intermodal Operators, NVOCs, Freight Forwarders, Logistics Operators, Marine Terminals, Stevedores, Port Authorities and Ship Operators.

www.ttclub.com

About Thomas Miller
Thomas Miller is an independent and international provider of insurance, professional and investment services.
Founded in 1885, Thomas Miller’s origins are in the provision of management services to mutual organisations, particularly in the international transport and professional indemnity sectors; where today they manage a large percentage of the foremost insurance mutuals. Thomas Miller also manages insurance facilities for all the self-employed barristers in England & Wales, as well as trustees of pension schemes, patent agents and housing associations.
Principal activities include:

- Management services for transport and professional indemnity insurance mutuals
- Investment management for institutions and private clients
- Professional services
- Building defects insurance

www.thomasmiller.com

Filed Under: TT Club

TT Club appoints Regional Claims Director EMEA

March 3, 2015 by

3 March 2015

 

TT Club, the leading international transport, freight and logistics insurance provider, has appointed Justin Reynolds as Regional Claims Director, Europe, Middle East and Africa. Based in London, he will be responsible for handling member’s claims across the EMEA region.

Justin Reynolds (low)

Justin Reynolds, Regional Claims Director, Europe, Middle East and Africa

Justin is a qualified solicitor and has over 20 years’ dispute resolution experience, having handled a diverse range of high profile claims in the cargo, transport, shipping and logistics arena.

Prior to joining the TT Club, Justin was a partner at the international law firm Holman Fenwick Willan LLP where he negotiated, mediated, arbitrated and litigated claims in the UK and around the world.

Charles Fenton, CEO of the TT Club, said: “Justin will be a strong addition to our experienced claims team across EMEA. His extensive expertise in claims management and his knowledge of the transport and logistics industry will be a pivotal asset for the TT Club.”

– End   –

 

For further details, please contact:

Roddi Vaughan Thomas/ Shelly Durrant/ Chiara Barreca – Broadgate Mainland

TTclub@broadgatemainland.com

+44 (0) 207 726 6111

 

Notes to editors

TT Club

TT Club is the international transport and logistics industry’s leading provider of insurance and related risk management services.  As a mutual insurer, 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 on a smaller scale but whose operations face similar risks. TT Club specialises in the insurance of Intermodal Operators, NVOCs, Freight Forwarders, Logistics Operators, Marine Terminals, Stevedores, Port Authorities and Ship Operators.
www.ttclub.com

 

 

About Thomas Miller

Thomas Miller is an independent and international provider of insurance, professional and investment services.

Founded in 1885, Thomas Miller’s origins are in the provision of management services to mutual organisations, particularly in the international transport and professional indemnity sectors; where today they manage a large percentage of the foremost insurance mutuals. Thomas Miller also manages insurance facilities for all the self-employed barristers in England & Wales, as well as trustees of pension schemes, patent agents and housing associations.

Principal activities include:

  • Management services for transport and professional indemnity insurance mutuals
  • Investment management for institutions and private clients
  • Professional services
  • Building defects insurance

 

thomasmiller.com

 

 

 

Filed Under: TT Club

TT Club warns of concentration of causes of claims in the transport industry

February 25, 2015 by

25 February 2015

The TT Club is alerting the supply chain industry globally to the stark fact that there is a persistence of claims in a handful of loss types. The leading international transport, freight and logistics insurance provider found that 66% of its claims by number and 62% by value over a five year period can be categorised into just five causes.

The analysis, which was conducted on 7,000 insurance claims each costing more than USD10,000 recorded between 2010 and 2014, totalling USD425 million, revealed that the same five generic causes identified in its previous five year analysis continue to disrupt and cost dearly. The TT Club particularly draws attention to the continuing concentration of these causes, rather than the ordering of each individual cause since these proportions can be volatile, especially in terms of headline claim value.

Peregrine Storrs-Fox, Risk Management Director at the TT Club, says, “Risk management and loss prevention initiatives really can be effective in reducing not only losses, but also the largely hidden costs of disruption that ensues. There are many prevention strategies and actions that can be put in place to reduce costs and occurrence of claims, and these should be of paramount importance for the transport industry”.

It is notable that traffic accidents and collisions are significant through the transport industry, firstly outside the port/terminal area, where the cost is USD68 million, but also similar incidents within the port/terminal operations, accounting for a further USD57 million in the statistics. Thus, the entire industry – represented by freight forwarders, logistics operators, container shipping lines, and ports and terminals – are exposed. The detailed causes may be varied, but it is striking that these broad causes dominate. The biggest issues for collisions within cargo handling operations continue to be quay crane boom to ship collisions and overall stack collisions. In these instances, emerging technologies can almost eliminate the risks, particularly where combined with automation.

As Peregrine Storrs-Fox expands, “Many traffic incidents and collisions are due to inappropriate speed, but detailed case review frequently demonstrates the impact that effective management culture can have on preventing losses. For example, technology solutions, such as the use of GPS tracking or anti-collision sensors, can only be effective when regularly enforced and integrated into staff management”.

The remainder of the top five causes reflect the old chestnuts of theft, fire and cargo packing, which the TT Club has repeatedly highlighted. Theft accounts for USD54 million, where the most vulnerable part of the supply chain, unsurprisingly, is whilst cargo is in transit, although standard site security measures continue to prove critical to reduce theft. A clear emerging risk is cybercrime as increasingly internet capabilities are used to identify, track and intercept cargo.

Fire is the fourth most costly area, currently accounting for USD44 million, although Peregrine Storrs-Fox comments, “This is a most volatile cost area, as evidenced by the disparity in proportion between the number and value of claims. By its nature fire can be devastating and threaten the very survival of a business. Its volatility in impact in the supply chain, however, relates to the fact that both on board ships and in warehouses there is concentration of value. In both these scenarios the impact of cargo mis-declaration is a real and continuing concern, although a significant number of fires can be traced to design or maintenance issues”. Building fires are mostly caused by electrical faults and mobile equipment fires by hydraulic faults.

Related to some fires, and currently subject of much international focus, was the issue of cargo packing, amounting to USD41 million in the analysis. The TT Club asserts that 65% of cargo damage incidents can be attributed in part to poor or incorrect packing. Peregrine Storrs-Fox adds, “The importance of the industry developing good practice guidance, such as the CTU Code, cannot be under-estimated; the challenge for the supply chain industry is to raise its game in terms of its understanding of good practice and awareness of global requirements”.

Concluding, Peregrine Storrs-Fox said: “Conducting a thorough claim analysis is an essential part of the TT Club’s risk management strategy. Advising the Members on incident prevention strategies and actions that can be put in place to reduce costs and occurrence is of paramount importance.”

Top five most costly insurance claims made by freight forwarders, logistics operators, container shipping lines, and ports and terminals *:

  1. Traffic accidents USD68 million (16.1%)
  2. Handling equipment collisions USD57 million (13.5%)
  3. Theft USD54 million (12.7%)
  4. Fire USD44 million (10.5%)
  5. Cargo packing USD41 million (9.8%)

*Analysis conducted on 7,000 TT Club claims over USD10,000 in the last five years from 2010 and 2014. Total claims worth USD425m

ENDS

Notes to editors

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 on a smaller scale but whose operations face similar risks. TT Club specialises in the insurance of Intermodal Operators, NVOCs, Freight Forwarders, Logistics Operators, Marine Terminals, Stevedores, Port Authorities and Ship Operators.

The TT Club is managed by Thomas Miller.

www.ttclub.com

About Thomas Miller

Thomas Miller is an independent and international provider of insurance, professional and investment services. Founded in 1885, Thomas Miller’s origins are in the provision of management services to mutual organisations, particularly in the international transport and professional indemnity sectors; where today they manage a large percentage of the foremost insurance mutuals. Thomas Miller also manages insurance facilities for all the self-employed barristers in England & Wales, as well as trustees of pension schemes, patent agents and housing associations.

 

Principal activities include:

Management services for transport and professional indemnity insurance mutuals

  • Investment management for institutions and private clients
  • Professional services
  • Building defects insurance

 

www.thomasmiller.com

Filed Under: TT Club

TT Club Urge Better Management Practices to Safeguard People at Ports & Terminals

February 12, 2015 by

Manila 12th February 2015

A detailed analysis of the root causes of insurance claims show 80% of bodily injuries at global ports and container terminals involve handling equipment or vehicles.  Speaking at the Philippine Ports and Shipping Conference in Manila today, TT Club’s Asia Pacific Regional Director, Phillip Emmanuel emphasised the statistic and urged operators to improve their management practices in order to reduce the incidents which result in injury and sadly sometimes death to workers and others at ports and terminals.

Phillip Emmanuel

Phillip Emmanuel

TT Club, a leading international provider of insurance to the freight transport and cargo handling sector, has carried out root cause analysis of nearly 7,000 claims valued at more than US$10,000 and totalling US$425 million.  The lessons to be learned for port and terminal operators in terms of minimising future risk to the workforce and third parties, equipment, ships and other property are numerous. TT Club executives, including Emmanuel, are committed to highlighting these, often avoidable, dangers and to promoting safer working practices across the sector.

During his Manila speech, Emmanuel drew his audience’s attention to a comprehensive catalogue of operational issues that require careful management to control potential risk, including quay crane boom collision and adequate crane braking systems, regular equipment maintenance regimes, fire prevention systems, adoption of best practice in packing and handling of cargo, and appropriate processing of dangerous goods.

In particular, however, Emmanuel addressed the risk profile of ports and terminals as it pertains to the occurrence of accidents resulting in bodily injury.  These are costly in the sense of both the human suffering and value of claims. “Similar to many preventable incidents, those involving the workforce and third parties can very often be minimised in the simplest of ways given careful attention and the employment of sensible management practices,” emphasised Emmanuel. “Strict limits to pedestrian access to yard stacks, well indicated one-way vehicle lanes, designated safe and secure areas for truckers, and regulated on-terminal induction procedures are all easily enforced and effective procedures.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

The 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 on a smaller scale but whose operations face similar risks. TT Club specialises in the insurance of Intermodal Operators, NVOCs, Freight Forwarders, Logistics Operators, Marine Terminals, Stevedores, Port Authorities and Ship Operators.

The TT Club is managed by Thomas Miller.

www.ttclub.com

About Thomas Miller

Thomas Miller is an independent and international provider of insurance, professional and investment services. Founded in 1885, Thomas Miller’s origins are in the provision of management services to mutual organisations, particularly in the international transport and professional indemnity sectors; where today they manage a large percentage of the foremost insurance mutuals. Thomas Miller also manages insurance facilities for all the self-employed barristers in England & Wales, as well as trustees of pension schemes, patent agents and housing associations.

Principal activities include:

Management services for transport and professional indemnity insurance mutuals

  • Investment management for institutions and private clients
  • Professional services
  • Building defects insurance

www.thomasmiller.com

Filed Under: TT Club

TT Club appoints Regional Director for Europe, Middle East and Africa

February 3, 2015 by

3rd February 2015

Kevin King (2)

TT Club, the leading international transport, freight and logistics insurance provider, has appointed Kevin King as Regional Director Europe, Middle East and Africa. Based in London, he will be responsible for overseeing Member service and business development across EMEA for the TT Club.

Kevin is a qualified US attorney having joined Thomas Miller in 1996 and has worked across both the TT Club and UK P&I Club operations in their New Jersey, San Francisco and former Houston offices. He joined Thomas Miller’s Americas regional headquarters in New Jersey in 2006 managing the UK P&I Club’s Americas regional claims team and the claims performance of the TT Club’s North American Chassis program.

Kevin replaces Andrew Kemp who has moved across to the UK P&I Club.

Charles Fenton, CEO of the TT Club, said: “Kevin’s expertise in the management of claims and legal matters and his understanding of the implications for the supply chain industry will be of particular benefit to the Club and its Membership”

 

Notes to editors

The 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 on a smaller scale but whose operations face similar risks. TT Club specialises in the insurance of Intermodal Operators, NVOCs, Freight Forwarders, Logistics Operators, Marine Terminals, Stevedores, Port Authorities and Ship Operators.

The TT Club is managed by Thomas Miller.
www.ttclub.com

 

About Thomas Miller

Thomas Miller is an independent and international provider of insurance, professional and investment services.

Founded in 1885, Thomas Miller’s origins are in the provision of management services to mutual organisations, particularly in the international transport and professional indemnity sectors; where today they manage a large percentage of the foremost insurance mutuals. Thomas Miller also manages insurance facilities for all the self-employed barristers in England & Wales, as well as trustees of pension schemes, patent agents and housing associations.

Principal activities include:

  • Management services for transport and professional indemnity insurance mutuals
  • Investment management for institutions and private clients
  • Professional services
  • Building defects insurance

www.thomasmiller.com

Filed Under: TT Club

TT Club Celebrates 25 Year Support of BIFA Awards

January 29, 2015 by

29th January 2015

At the British International Freight Association (BIFA) Annual Awards Lunch in London last week, the global freight insurance specialist, TT Club was itself presented with an honorary award in recognition of the Club’s twenty-five year support of the event. In addition the Club sponsored the European Logistics Award and played its part in selecting the winner from a wide-range of entries.

BIFA Special Award 2014

Event Host: Naga Munchetty, Financial Journalist & Television Presenter (left)
Recipient: Brian Sullivan, TT Club (centre)
Presenter: Becky Thurtell, BIFA Events Organiser (right)
(Photo courtesy of Philippa Gedge)

Brian Sullivan, TT Club’s Development Director in accepting the award said, “TT’s long-standing relationship with BIFA is based on a mutual interest in encouraging best practice in the international freight and logistics industry.  BIFA’s promotion of a strict code of conduct and the adoption of Standard Trading Conditions by all its Members is very much in line with TT’s advocacy for clear and precise contractual arrangements in the transport of goods internationally.  This provides a well defined understanding of liability in the event of loss damage or personal injury.”

Presenting the Award BIFA’s Event Organiser, Becky Thurtell said, “We are most grateful to TT Club for its ongoing support of the BIFA Freight Service Awards. The Club have provided sponsorship for one of the competition categories since 1990, making this their 25th year of continued support. It is only with the endorsement of industry leaders such as TT Club, that BIFA is able to produce such a high profile ceremony. On BIFA’s behalf, I was delighted to present Brian with a Special Award trophy as a token of appreciation of TT Club’s association with our flagship event.”

This year, as in the past TT Club sponsored the European Logistics Award, which was won by Freightex.  The winner specialises in managing European, cross-Channel road freight. Its large carrier network, which includes a dedicated fleet, provides a full range of vehicle types.

The judges selected Freightex for, in part, its aptitude for using technology at the sharp end to change its  distribution model so as to provide an optimum solution to the logistics challenges presented by customers. Equally important was the contribution made by the company’s own people, which was significant in the scale of the project.

TT Club’s Sullivan, who was part of the judging panel commented, “Freightex showed strongly the characteristics that are distinguishing successful companies in the sector these days.

Innovative IT solutions are employed in a tailored fashion to improve efficiency but critically, the human touch has not been abandoned.  In fact an emphasis on stable personal relationships and effective customer service is crucial to such success.”

In providing liability, cargo and property cover to freight forwarders and logistics companies for nearly fifty years, TT Club has consistently emphasised the importance of risk management or loss prevention to both minimise an operator’s claims but also to improve the efficiency of its operation. The creative use of technical advances in IT-driven processes is becoming almost a given in supply chain management, those transport companies which are marrying these skills with a genuine commitment …. not just lip-service …. to customer relations, are trending among the most profitable.

“As ever, the freight transport industry continues to feel pressure on rates, distracting customers on occasion from the worth of a myriad of value-added services that logistics operators are seeking to provide in order to distinguish themselves in a crowded market.  Perhaps the ‘human touch’ can become a modern day panacea for the operator searching for that elusive competitive edge,” concludes Sullivan.
ENDS

Note to Editors:
The TT Club is the international transport and logistics industry’s leading provider of insurance and related risk management services. Established in 1968, the Club’s membership comprises ship operators, ports and terminals, road, rail and airfreight operators, logistics companies and container lessors. As a mutual insurer, the 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. TT Club is managed by Thomas Miller. www.ttclub.com

Filed Under: TT Club

Maritime safety – two steps forward, but much still to be done

November 26, 2014 by

Last week saw the International Maritime Organization’s Maritime Safety Committee (IMO MSC) finalise work on two measures that are significant for standards of safety in the unit load industry, be it maritime or land-based.  International transport insurance provider, TT Club however, believes that while the IMO’s recent actions are significant, they are but two stakes that begin to mark out the ground for what needs to done in developing safety throughout the supply chain.

The adoption by the IMO of the amendment to SOLAS (the Convention for Safety of Life at Sea) concerning verification of gross mass for containers is welcomed.  Such verification will become mandatory in July 2016. The implications of this modest change are reverberating through the international transport community, emphasising as it does shippers’ responsibility to declare gross mass accurately and clarifying the means by which this can be done.

Much work remains to be done by the relevant governmental authorities worldwide to deliver uniform enforcement. Yet prior to this, consistency of both ways and means of carrying out either of the two methods of weight verification outlined in the amendment must be developed throughout the supply chain and across the globe.  Perhaps even more importantly, those contracting to carry or handle container cargo need urgently to identify how each will develop compliance.  The IMO’s move has implications for all parties involved in unit load transportation.

The second welcome ‘stake’ is the approval, with immediate global effect as a non-mandatory Code of Practice, of the CTU Code and its related ‘Informative Material’. While only some jurisdictions may enshrine the code in national legislation, the entire freight industry must recognise that this detailed guidance for the safe packing of unit loads may now be used in litigation to demonstrate good practice.  The TT Club wishes to stress forcefully that all parties need to develop ways to implement and encourage compliance with the CTU Code.*

TT Club’s Risk Management Director, Peregrine Storrs-Fox has for some time been drawing the industry’s attention to the consequences, including bodily injuries, of inappropriate load distribution and badly secured cargo within CTUs (Cargo Transport Units).  He asserts, “Increased levels of training of those employed by shippers, consolidators, warehouses and depots to pack containers, road trailers and other transport units is now essential.”

TT Club’s views are supported by both the International Cargo Handling Co-ordination Association (ICHCA) and developer of e-learning training courses for the transport industry, Exis Technologies.   ICHCA will be repeating its successful and informative CTU Roadshow, first held in Harwich earlier this year, in Hull in the New Year, the date of which will be confirmed shortly.  Exis Technologies was commissioned by TT Club to develop the CTUpack e-learning™ course**, which was launched in January 2014.  This foundation course provides lessons focusing on the issues most relevant to the packers of unit loads, including forces and stresses encountered during transport and how these impinge on the safe packing and securing cargo in a CTU.

Storrs-Fox advises, “Such training is clearly the number one loss prevention measure and, if adopted as a core feature of the operator’s culture, can greatly reduce the number of incidents incurred globally each year throughout the industry.”

These two elements begin to mark out new safety parameters and will undoubtedly, if adequately and consistently implemented, bring about some improvements through the supply chain. However more needs to be done particularly in the maritime mode.

TT Club is amongst those in the international shipping community who are urging attention to be focussed on the findings of the MARIN ‘Lashing@Sea’ investigation. While the issues highlighted in that report of cargo weight are in hand, others relating to ship planning, lashing, and dynamic ship-board information are extant. The recent initiative by ICHCA to hold a seminar on ‘Container Lashing and Securing’ in Rotterdam (10th December http://www.etouches.com/ichcacontainerlashingseminar ) *** is welcomed in this regard. The event will explore what the industry as a whole can do to reduce the risks and inefficiencies associated with current container lashing and securing practices.

While recognising the complexity of international supply chain logistics and infrastructure, TT Club urges the relevant entities at IMO to seize all the issues that give rise to ‘unknown variables … [that] erode or eliminate the safety margins in place,’ as succinctly described by the UK Maritime Accident Investigation Branch’s report on ‘MSC Napoli’ in 2008.

*The CTU Code can be downloaded from the UNECE website at http://www.unece.org/trans/wp24/guidelinespackingctus/intro.html

** CTUpack e-learning™ can be purchased directly from www.ctupack.com. There are discounts for courses purchased in quantity.  Exis Technologies also sells Hazcheck Systems for the management of dangerous goods in sea transport www.hazcheck.com and online IMDG Code training courses www.imdge-learning.com

*** http://www.ichca.com/press-releases/110-lloyds-register-bromma-and-german-lashing-robert-boeck-join-debate-at-ichca-container-lashing-securing-seminar

ENDS

 

About ICHCA International

Established in 1952, ICHCA International is an independent, not-for-profit organisation dedicated to improving the safety, productivity and efficiency of cargo handling and movement worldwide.

ICHCA’s privileged NGO status enables it to represent its members, and the cargo handling industry at large, in front of national and international agencies and regulatory bodies, while its ISP Technical Panel provides best practice advice and develops publications on a wide range of practical cargo handling issues.  Operating through a series of national and regional chapters – including ICHCA Australia, ICHCA Japan and ICHCA Canarias/Africa (CARC) – plus Correspondence and Working Groups, ICHCA provides a focal point for informing, educating, lobbying and networking to improve knowledge and best practice across the cargo handling chain.

www.ichca.com | www.ichca-australia.com

Follow ICHCA on Twitter @ICHCA2

 

About Exis Technologies

Exis Technologies, headquartered in Darlington, UK, is the leading supplier of compliance systems for the management of dangerous goods in sea transport and developer of e-learning training courses for the transport industry.  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. 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.  Exis will be launching a new range of courses for Amendment 37-14 training in December. CTUpack e-learning is the latest addition to their training courses. It is sponsored by the TT Club and approved by ICHCA.

www.existec.com

 

About TT Club

The TT Club is the international transport and logistics industry’s leading provider of insurance and related risk management services. Established in 1968, the Club’s membership comprises ship operators, ports and terminals, road, rail and airfreight operators, logistics companies and container lessors. As a mutual insurer, the 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. TT Club is managed by Thomas Miller

www.ttclub.com

About Thomas Miller

Thomas Miller is an independent and international provider of insurance, professional and investment services. Founded in 1885, Thomas Miller’s origins are in the provision of management services to mutual organisations, particularly in the international transport and professional indemnity sectors; where today they manage a large percentage of the foremost insurance mutuals. Thomas Miller also manages insurance facilities for all the self-employed barristers in England & Wales, as well as trustees of pension schemes, patent agents and housing associations.

Principal activities include:

  • Management services for transport and professional indemnity insurance mutuals
  • Investment management for institutions and private clients
  • Professional services
  • Building defects insurance

www.thomasmiller.com

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: TT Club

TT Club Pinpoints Contamination as Primary Cause of Tank Container Claims

November 6, 2014 by

Leading freight transport insurer TT Club reveals detailed results of its claims survey highlighting tank container incidents: contamination accounts for nearly half with damage to tanks adding another third

Shanghai, 6th November 2014

Speaking at the Asia Tank Container Organization’s General Meeting (@tco Asia) in Shanghai yesterday, TT Club’s Regional Director, Asia-Pacific Phillip Emmanuel outlined the major risk exposures facing the tank container industry.  Based on an extensive analysis of the Club’s claims experience resulting from incidents involving tank containers, Emmanuel pinpointed contamination as the leading danger, accounting for over 46% of the volume of incidents on TT’s books in the last nine years.

Revealing the more detailed dangers to the Conference delegates Emmanuel explained, “Contamination can result from any number of factors.  However, the incompatibility of the tank itself with the cargo concerned is the most common cause. This is often the result of insufficient cleaning, particularly of the discharge valves and baffle plates, following the carriage of the previous cargo.  Corroded or worn man lid seals, and issues occurring either at the origin land tank or during the loading procedure are also common contributory factors.”

The chart below provides further detail of the causation profile and highlights the role that damage to tanks plays in nearly a third of the cases analysed with leaks and spills adding a further 11% of the total.

 

ATCO Image

Causes of Claims involving Tank Containers: By Volume (2006 – 2014)

Emmanuel provided valuable insight into the nature of these incidents and the best forms of damage limitation and risk avoidance.  “In terms of impact damage, most tanks are built to highly robust standards and the incidence of leaks from such accidents is low.  Damaged or failure of valves, seals a gaskets are much more common in occurrence,” he reported.

Emmanuel went on to define the chief safety precautions recommended to avoid such risks:

  • Comprehensively interrogate and validate the Material Safety Data Sheet to ensure the tank and its components can fulfil all special requirements demanded by the cargo and the shipper
  • Perform regular outer shell and insulation inspections
  • Fit man lid gaskets and seals correctly and ensure the appropriate tightening of swing bolts on man lids
  • Assess the most appropriate selection of gaskets and seals for each cargo. Particularly invasive cargoes can simply destroy any exposed area of the gasket and/or seal.

“When there is a failure in any of the above control factors, something as simple as a change in ambient temperature through the supply chain can result in a sufficient build in pressure to cause a leak,” emphasised Emmanuel.

Looking to the future, Emmanuel concluded by outlining the priorities that TT Club consider noteworthy in bringing down both the cost and danger of tank container operation.  There needs to be wider industry analysis of incidents and accompanied by knowledge sharing, so that lessons can be widely learned.  There should be a continuous review and identification of risks together with greater transparency within the supply chain, as both its complexity increases and the nature of its environment evolves.  Finally, there must be a greater emphasis on training.

ENDS

Notes to editors

The TT Club is the international transport and logistics industry’s leading provider of insurance and related risk management services. Established in 1968, the Club’s membership comprises ship operators, ports and terminals, road, rail and airfreight operators, logistics companies and container lessors. As a mutual insurer, the 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. www.ttclub.com

Filed Under: TT Club

Winner of TT Club Sponsored Young Freight Forwarder Award Announced

October 21, 2014 by

The 2014 Young International Freight Forwarder of the Year (YIFFY) Award has been presented to South African forwarder Fortunate Nompumelelo Mboweni at the FIATA Annual Congress in Istanbul.

Each year at the FIATA Annual Congress the achievements of young freight forwarders from around the world are celebrated via an awards programme.  TT Club is proud to have sponsored this award, now in its sixteenth year, since its foundation.  The process of awarding the honour of Young Freight Forwarder of the Year (YIFFY) began earlier this year when entrants from all over the world submitted papers about a wide variety of transport and logistics projects.

These ranged from the transportation of tunnel drilling equipment to Bolivia to the delivery of a catamaran in Indonesia and from a project moving radioactive isotopes from South Africa to Namibia to the expedited deployment of a Disaster Assistance Response Team in the Philippines.

From this bewildering, yet highly professional array, the YIFFY Steering Committee selected a shortlist of four regional finalists.  These four young professionals were then invited to attend the 2014 FIATA World Congress this week in Istanbul, Turkey to make a presentation on their dissertation topic.

The four regional finalists who proudly represented the future of the international freight forwarding industry in Istanbul were  –

Africa/Middle East:   Miss Fortunate Nompumelelo Mboweni, South Africa

Americas: Mr Douglas Whitlock, Canada

Asia-Pacific: Mr Saiful Ridhwan Bin Zulkifli, Singapore

Europe:   Mr Christian Hensen, Germany

Ms Fortunate Nompumelelo Mboweni from South Africa was announced as the 2014 Young Freight Forwarder of the Year

Following a comprehensive judging process, Ms Fortunate Nompumelelo Mboweni from South Africa was announced as the 2014 Young Freight Forwarder of the Year at the FIATA Congress’ opening ceremony on 13 October.  Ms Nompumelelo Mboweni works as an Airfreight Import Controller at Bidvest Panalpina Logistics in Johannesburg.  Andrew Kemp, TT Club’s Regional Director for Europe congratulated her and presented the award.

“I have been honoured as TT Club’s representative to be part of the selection process, and I personally was engrossed by the finalists’ presentations, which showed a considerable depth of understanding of their individual projects.  I have to say all four finalists performed with flying colours at the recent final presentations; it was certainly a difficult decision to pick an overall winner.  However, Fortunate prevailed and deservedly takes this year’s award,” said Kemp.

The award is presented in recognition of forwarding excellence and was established by FIATA with the support of TT Club to encourage the development of quality training in the industry and to reward young talent with additional valuable training opportunities. The TT Club has been a sponsor of the award since its inception and remains firmly committed to the importance of individual training and development within the global freight forwarding community.

Speaking at the award ceremony, TT Club’s Kemp, said, “We are proud to have been able to continue our sponsorship of this unique award, now in its sixteenth year. Once again, the competition proved to be successful in terms of attracting outstanding candidates from across the globe. The quality of the dissertations and presentations were of the usual exceptional standard and it was clear that a lot of research, planning and hard work had gone into their preparation.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

The TT Club is the international transport and logistics industry’s leading provider of insurance and related risk management services. Established in 1968, the Club’s membership comprises ship operators, ports and terminals, road, rail and airfreight operators, logistics companies and container lessors. As a mutual insurer, the 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. www.ttclub.com

 

Filed Under: TT Club
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