In view of a spate of incidents involving Lithium and Ni-MH Battery shipments, OOCL have strengthened their cargo acceptance policy for shipments containing non-DG Batteries to ensure safe carriage, reports Ajot.
- Cargo will be classified as dangerous goods (DG) or non-DG Depending on the battery type and capacities,
- Cargo will be treated as a Fire Risk item and shall be stowed on deck away from heat even non-DG Lithium and Ni-MH Battery.
OOCL cargo acceptance policy
Declaration of cargoes with batteries are subject to booking acceptance review, and special cargo application and stowage arrangements will be necessary. To ensure smooth handling, any booking party/shipper whose shipment contains batteries should make the relevant declaration before tendering goods for transportation, at the earliest opportunity, and preferably at the time of booking. In some cases, the booking party/shipper will need to submit additional information during the booking process or the BL preparation stage, e.g., MSDS, test report, Lithium content for Lithium Metal Batteries or Watt-hour for Lithium-Ion Batteries, product picture, etc.
If cargo with batteries is received under Carrier’s custody or loaded on board without proper declaration, it will be treated as a mis-declared shipment. Any consequences arising from misdeclaration, including but not limited to yard shift, re-stowage on board, or removal from the loading list and rolling to a later sailing, are entirely for the account of the booking party/shipper.
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Source: Ajot
