Tank Container Safety At Sea

Part of what makes tank container logistics so unique is the multimodal nature. Being able to move a tank between different modes of transport easily and quickly means that our tanks can complete journeys more efficiently. A large part of the journeys our tanks make is long distance over land and sea.

Safety at sea when transporting hazardous materials is a critical concern for Suttons International. While our tanks are in transit at sea, we follow a number of tried and tested processes to guarantee the safety of the products inside, the local environment, and the seafarers who operate on the ships.

As international shippers we follow the IMDG code. The International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code is the global standard for the safe transportation of hazardous materials by sea. As part of this we ensure that our tanks are properly labelled with its contents and associated hazards, all necessary documentation is provided to the ship's crew to ensure safe handling and stowage.

All our tanks are visually inspected before and after they are loaded to ensure minimal risk of product leaking while in transit. Coupled with our regular ongoing maintenance schedule of all of our tanks means that our fleet rarely encounters issues. However, if any damage has occurred to the tank between maintenance and inspections, it would be assessed and repaired before its continued journey.

Finally, we place a large amount of trust in the hands of the shipping agencies and seafarers who handle our tank containers. We only work with third parties who meet our high standards of operational excellence and share our core values of Safety First and Customer Focus. We regularly audit our third parties to ensure they are operating to these standards, and we are confident in them.

Overall, the safe transportation of our tank containers at sea requires adherence to strict regulations and guidelines, as well as proper training, documentation, and maintenance. By following these measures, the risk of accidents and incidents is minimized, ensuring the safe and efficient transportation of hazardous materials.