GLOBAL freight insurance provider TT Club has released the latest in its series of publications focusing on the increasingly popular flexitank unit used to ship bulk liquid cargoes.
In collaboration with the Container Owners Association (COA), Flexitanks in the supply chain – defining safe operations seeks to identify the applicable risks, highlight good practice, and provide practical risk mitigation guidance for those in the supply chain involved with cargoes being shipped in flexitanks.
TT Club said steady growth in flexitank usage around the world prompts the creation of safety guidelines to assist shippers, forwarders, carriers, and terminals to handle cargo carried in these units with minimal risk.
The transport and logistics insurer said the guidance is intended to be consulted and used in conjunction with the IMO/ILO/ UNECE code of practice for packing cargo transport units and the COA’s flexitank code of practice.
Mike Yarwood, TT Club’s managing director of loss prevention said an increasing number of shippers recognise the benefits of shipping their bulk liquid cargoes in flexitanks.
“The demand continues to grow globally and both TT and the COA consider our publishing of these guidelines timely in order to maintain the safety of the process,” Mr Yarwood said.
As in essence a large single use bladder with valves that fits inside a general purpose freight container, the flexitank operates as part of a system which includes the container, its fittings, and restraining equipment.
TT Club said while there are advantages to their use in transporting liquids, the context of the system as a whole requires additional considerations at various stages of the supply chain, including cargo compatibility and transit circumstances.
Various liquids are commonly carried in flexitanks from fruit juices to molasses, and from edible oils to pharmaceutical products.
Each commodity has considerations for the material from which the flexitank is made, the nature of valves and pipework, and serious reflection on the potential damage caused should leaks occur, TT Club affirmed.
The insurer said multi-modal transits, enabled by the use of containers, bring concerns over intermodal terminal awareness of and expertise in flexitank operation, as well as the consequences of variable movement and temperature conditions.
TT Club said the involvement of the COA in the preparation of the guidance has been invaluable, on account of the vast experience of members in the safe operation of the units and the implementation of best practice throughout the supply chain.
