The Union Customs Code (UCC) was adopted by the European Parliament and Council on 9 October 2013 as Regulation (EU) No 952/2013. Its provisions will start coming into effect on 1 May 2016. There will be a phased implementation period lasting until 31 December 2020, to allow the necessary time to develop the complex IT infrastructure to support EU wide simplifications.
Following from the early 'noughties' developments relating to security and the WCO SAFE Framework, the European Union responded with the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) certification process. This is now moving 'centre stage'; are you prepared or engaged?
Working at height remains one of the biggest causes of fatalities and major injuries. A common fallacy is that 'working at height' is confined to activities several meters from the ground. However, 'working at height' is defined as work completed at any height above ground level where a hazard might present itself.
The 73rd meeting of the International Cargo Handling Coordination Association's (ICHCA) ISP Technical Panel was held recently, kindly hosted by Puertos de Las Palmas. Whilst a number of key risk areas were considered in detail by the panel, bodily injury and pedestrian safety was confirmed to be a key risk in ports.
Over the past year much has been written about changes to Maritime legislation to improve safety and to minimise the risk of containers being damaged or lost at sea. There is also work on amendments to international standards concerning containers. What's the impact?
Cargo fraud and theft impacts everyone in the international supply chain. A buyer of cargo needs the same assurances as the provider of logistics services, who relies on others for contract fulfilment. These risks consistently are amongst the top five incidents seen by the TT Club that collectively account for about 2/3 of claims through the supply chain.
When one looks at Road and Rail Risks in North America, there are many different regulations and time limits to be aware of depending on the type and location of transport.
The founding vision for the CINS Organisation, to highlight risks posed by certain cargoes and packing failures in order to improve safety in the liner shipping industry, has continued to demonstrate value through 2014. The last year has proved to be one of substantial consolidation of the data capture capability, increasing the authority with which the organisation can address issues arising in the industry.
The ports of Long Beach, Los Angeles and Oakland are jammed with ships waiting to unload containers. The US Coast Guard warned shipping lines 10 days ago that they should be prepared to make alternate mooring arrangements or expect that the ship will need to remain at sea until safe anchorage space becomes available. There are currently some 19 container ships in the Long Beach harbour waiting for a berth.
The International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code governs the processes by which classified cargoes may be transported by sea. It is updated every two years and each amendment may, effectively, be used for a maximum period of three years. All amendments prior to Amendment 36-12 are no longer valid - if you are using an older amendment, it is strongly recommended that you upgrade to Amendment 37-14 which entered transitional effect on 1 January 2015.
A fundamental building block for safety at any site is enforcing good site induction procedures. No visitor should enter a facility without receiving a proper safety induction. Further, employees and contractors deserve parallel safety treatment and enforcement. Following on from TT Talk 186 on this topic, one port here recounts its experience. The TT Club welcomes this contributed article from Port Otago Limited, who have insured with the Club for three decades.
