Ctg port authority to tighten fire safety rules

Following the deadly fire at a private inland container depot earlier this month, the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) has taken steps to tighten fire safety measures, modernise storage of dangerous cargoes and speed up delivery.

The move, which came after the explosion at BM Container Depot on June 4 that killed at least 48 people, is aimed at reducing the risks of accidents.

Sources said the port authority is drawing up a set of recommendations for itself and for stakeholders, including the customs authority and the port users such as importers, trade bodies, shipping agents and freight forwarders involved in the handling of hazardous cargoes.

In a meeting with the stakeholders last Monday, CPA officials discussed a set of recommendations related to imports, handling, storage and delivery of dangerous cargoes.

The CPA would soon notify the stakeholders about the directives, said a source.

"It is part of our continuous effort in handling dangerous goods," said CPA Director (traffic) Enamul Karim.

One of the directives is aimed at making it mandatory for importers to take away dangerous goods within 72 hours after their arrival at the port.

Another recommended the customs authority extend support to importers so that they can secure the consignments immediately after being unloaded from vessels.

Currently, at least 257 containers of hazardous chemicals and other inflammable materials are lying inside the port yard and sheds. Most of the cargoes pose fire risks at the country's premier seaport.

Port data showed the goods in the containers include hydrogen peroxide, sulfuric acid, thinner, sodium sulphate, methanol, ethyl hexanol, potassium chloride, calcium carbide, nitric acid, and calcium oxide.

Most of the goods have been lying at the sheds and yards for years as the importers have not received the items for various reasons, including the fall in the prices of the goods in the local market, the failure to submit original documents in support of the shipments and get clearance reports, and their refusal to pay fines for anomalies.

A day after the inferno, the CPA wrote a letter to the Chattogram Customs, asking it to remove the materials immediately through auctions or destroy them.

On June 6, the customs authorities auctioned off 30.5 tonnes of hydrogen peroxide imported four years ago.

The following day, panic spread among the port officials and workers when smoke was seen billowing from an acid-loaded container at a yard. The port authority immediately brought the situation under control.

Though the import and export of dangerous chemical and inflammable goods are nominal compared to the total volume of foreign trade in Bangladesh, it is increasing gradually.

In the last few years, the Chattogram Customs has removed a major portion of dangerous goods that had been lying at the port yards for long, Karim said.

Among the recommendations preparing for itself, the CPA is going to curb the entry of anyone with fireboxes, gas lighters and cigarettes in the restricted zones.

It is going to initiate regular fire drills and fire-fighting training for port users in all sheds.

The CPA is constructing a separate shed, equipped with modern technology and facilities, for storing dangerous goods at the no. 1 yard.

Under the directives framed for port users, the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Bangladesh Shipping Agents Association (BSAA) will have to press their importing members to follow the rules.

Importers will have to follow the guidelines of the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code while making declarations of the products.

The cargoes and containers must have dangerous goods stickers so that they can be identified easily, said a CPA official.

Shipping agents and freight forwarders would ensure that no dangerous goods are carried in damaged containers, he said.

Permission from the Bangladesh Navy needs to be taken 24 hours before unloading such goods at the port, according to one of the recommendations.

The directives would ask the customs authority to complete the auction of dangerous goods during the first bidding instead of holding three auctions, organise spot auctions and take legal steps against the importers in the case of their refusal to receive the delivery quickly.

BSAA Chairman Syed Mohammad Arif welcomed the CPA initiatives.

All port users need to cooperate in complying with the international guidelines to reduce the risk of accidents, he also said.