As 2025 draws to a close, the International Cargo Handling Coordination Association (ICHCA) is reminding industry stakeholders of key safety lessons from this year’s campaign on the handling and transport of dangerous goods.
The initiative comes as Amendment 42-24 of the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code, currently applied on a voluntary basis, becomes mandatory in January 2026, sharpening the need for accurate, transparent declarations across global supply chains.
This latest element of the campaign centres on “How to Spot Potentially Hidden Hazards in Shipping Documentation”, supported by a dedicated awareness video that ICHCA is resending to stakeholders in the coming weeks.
The message is that safety does not begin at the terminal gate or on board the vessel, but at the point where cargo is classified, packed, described and declared. When information is complete and correct, millions of tonnes of packaged dangerous goods – from aerosols and bleach to solvent-based paints, pest control substances, charcoal, fireworks and lithium batteries – move safely in line with international regulations.
By contrast, misdeclared, poorly packed or inadequately documented dangerous goods can expose people, assets and the environment to unacceptable risk. If a road or rail operator, freight terminal, or ship’s crew is unaware that cargo poses a hazard, they cannot put suitable controls in place, increasing the chance of serious incidents.
Previous cases involving undeclared dangerous goods have led to fatalities, major fires and the total loss of ships and cargo, underlining the consequences of a single failure point in a complex supply chain.
READ: ICHCA launches new IMDG Code course for port safety
Estimates suggest that around 6 million containers each year carry dangerous goods, with a significant proportion – in the region of 1.3 million units – either mispacked or incorrectly classified. Some errors stem from misunderstanding or lack of training, while others are the result of deliberate attempts to circumvent regulatory requirements.
ICHCA stresses that identifying these risks begins with a careful review of documentation, including Bills of Lading, Shipping Notes, Dangerous Goods Notes and Customs Declarations. Certain broad or non-specific descriptions have been shown to conceal dangerous goods and therefore warrant extra attention.
Examples include:
- “Ship’s Spares”, which may encompass pyrotechnics, flares, paints, adhesives, gases, aerosols and fire extinguishers;
- “Household Goods”, which can hide corrosive cleaners, bleach, polishes, paints, adhesives, aerosols and matches;
- “Pharmaceuticals” and “Medical Supplies”, which may involve toxic substances, flammable liquids, oxidisers, organic peroxides or even radioactive material;
- and “Photographic Supplies”, which can include heat-producing devices, flammable liquids, oxidisers, organic peroxides, toxic or corrosive substances and lithium batteries.
Other descriptions carry similar potential for concealed hazards:
- “Automobile Parts” may include fuel-containing engines, wet batteries, compressed gases, fire extinguishers, air bag inflators or lithium batteries;
- “Battery-Powered Apparatus”, such as mobility aids, lawnmowers or golf carts, can involve wet batteries, lithium batteries, fuel cells or cartridges;
- “Machinery Parts” may conceal adhesives, sealants, solvents, batteries, compressed gases or mercury;
- “Show, Motion Picture, Stage & Special Effects Equipment” consignments may contain flammable substances and explosives;
- and “Tool Boxes” can hold power tools with cartridges, compressed gases, flammable adhesives, corrosive liquids or lithium batteries.
Even broad categories such as “Groupage Loads”, “Expeditionary Equipment”, “Sporting Goods or Team Equipment” and “Camping Equipment” can span a wide range of hazard classes, including explosives, flammable liquids such as kerosene or petrol, compressed gases, aerosols, flammable adhesives, flammable solids like hexamine, and matches.
READ: ICHCA urges early action on 2026 ammonium nitrate rules
ICHCA recommends that organisations put in place a systematic, risk-based policy for dealing with such descriptions, recognising that the wording itself is not inherently non-compliant but should trigger further scrutiny and clarification.
Competent, trained personnel are essential to ensure that cargo is correctly classified, packed, labelled and documented in accordance with dangerous goods rules.
In addition, various commercially available software tools can assist by screening documentation, flagging inconsistencies and highlighting consignments that may warrant follow-up checks.
The campaign reiterates that safe transport of dangerous goods is a shared responsibility spanning shippers, consolidators, forwarders, carriers and cargo handlers. Shippers and their intermediaries must provide accurate information and ensure packaging and labelling meet regulatory standards.
Carriers are encouraged to understand their customers and typical cargo profiles, building in appropriate due diligence, while terminals and cargo handlers are urged to work closely with other parties to receive, store and load goods safely.
ICHCA stresses that vigilance in documentation review, combined with proactive communication and coordination across the chain, remains central to preventing undeclared or misdeclared dangerous goods from causing the next serious incident.
For more information:
ICHCA – https://ichca.com/
