Freight News, Sea

New guidelines to tackle battery fire risks

[ November 5, 2026   //   Chris Lewis ]

The Cargo Incident Network System (CINS), whose members include container shipping lines, insurance groups and dangerous cargo experts, has published new operational guidelines for Lithium-Ion Batteries Shipped Under SP188.

It provides practical guidance to support safer transport and emergency preparedness in the maritime container supply chain and focuses on IMDG Special Provision (SP) 188. The purpose of SP188 which provides regulatory relief for small lithium cells and batteries including the relevant package gross-mass limitation. However, since SP188 was introduced in 1998, the power and scope of qualifying batteries has expanded and has been identified by shipping lines as an issue of significant and growing concern.

The guidelines brings together, for the first time, practical experience and observations from CINS member carriers involved in battery container fires, together with input from firefighting specialists and terminal operators to shape practical guidance.

The guidance addresses booking information, cargo verification and visibility, risk-informed stowage planning, shipboard firefighting preparedness and shore-based emergency response support.

CINS-Recommendation-Paper-IMDG-SP188-Lithium-Ion-Batteries.pdf

Tags: CINS