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posted hazcheck.com 6th April 2006 Firework embargo follows Hyundai Fortune loss
With the Hyundai Fortune stabilised, the consequences of the 20 March fire and explosions are becoming clearer. It is reported that the cargo claim could reach $300m, making this by far the most expensive loss. Because of the type of insurance, general average, it could take several years for the hundreds of cargo claims to be resolved. As reported in Haznews of 27 March, the cause of the fire may not have been the deck cargo of fireworks. It will take some time to establish what happened, but the following contribution from specialist consultant Charles Weeth is pertinent. "I am an independent fireworks expert and investigated the Hanjin Pennslvania (See www.pyro-pages.com/weeth/hanjinpenn.htm) incident. I also researched the tragedy at Enschede, The Netherlands in May 2000. My review of the information that I've been able to obtain so far indicates it is highly unlikely the initial explosion involved the fireworks aboard the Hyundai Fortune. Modern fireworks formulas are very stable and only a series of packing, handling or other mistakes could possibly lead to their ignition onboard a ship. The most likely scenario given the hole in the port side above the water line near the engine compartment is a fire and explosion below decks, which then ignited the cargo - including the fireworks - above decks. The idea the fireworks might have functioned because of tropical heat is also unlikely. All Class 1 goods must pass a thermal stability test as part of the classification process. UN Series 4 (a) requires no functioning or significant degradation of the product when placed in an oven at 75 C for 48 hours. I also question stowing DG above the engine compartment and in proximity to the accommodation. The aft portion of a ship with all of the machinery and human activity is the most likely place for fires to start, and thus the last place DG should be stowed. Finally, as a result of this incident, Hyundai Marine has placed a worldwide moratorium on all fireworks shipments. Containers of fireworks are piling up in China at the peak of the shipping season for the summer festivals in Europe and North America. Other carriers' schedules and capacity limit options - especially for 1.3G fireworks - so this may have a negative impact not only on the fireworks trade, but the many events that rely on fireworks to attract patrons." London container insurers The TT Club have expressed concern that with lines now refusing potentially unstable cargoes, shippers may be misdeclaring the contents of containers and putting ships and crews in danger. | |||||||
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