Fire in the hold

It is over a year since the Maersk Honam casualty but fires on containerships continue to occur. Now container shipping is making efforts to reduce the risks, writes Lloyd’s List’s James Baker

Just over a year on from the fatal fire on Maersk Honam, the container shipping sector has little to boast about in terms of improvements to its safety record. This year alone has seen further cargo fires on boxships, including those on Hapag-Lloyd’s Yantian Express, APL Vancouver, and Grimaldi’s con-ro Grande America. Fortunately, none of these included fatalities, but in the case of Grande America, the vessel was lost when she foundered in the Bay of Biscay.