Report by Tigris and Thetius finds carriers must help themselves rather than wait on regulation to catch up.
The latest fire incident records show a 20% year-on-year increase in fires on shipping vessels (250 incidents, highest in decade). A major container ship fire now occurs roughly every 17 days worldwide, with undeclared and mis-declared goods a leading cause.
The changing shape of goods being moved around the world reflects the global evolution of technologies. For example, the growth of batteries in transit. Such rapid growth has exposed the lack of rigour in the global shipping process and specific issues with Special Provision 188 (SP188), a regulation rule under international transport codes and one of the key regulations governing how lithium cells and batteries move through the supply chain.
It means not only are ships at greater risk of fires, but the global supply chain also faces catastrophic impact. This is according to a global shipping report released today by pioneering adaptive infrastructure Tigris and maritime research firm Thetius, “Before the Fire: Dangerous goods safety and the visibility gap.”
Data alone cannot solve the problem
Tom Bebbington, Maritime Expert Witness at Tigris said, “There is the risk that we over-rely on data as the solution. In particular when there is a lack of incentive to course-correct. Technology must be designed around human error and human self-interest.
“Data only helps if people are empowered and willing to act on it in time,” explains Bebbington. “Even where the risk is visible, fixing it means diverting the vessel, restowing hundreds of containers, delaying the schedule, and burning more fuel.”
The risks are not hypothetical. In June 2025, an undeclared explosive substance is believed to have caused a container to explode below deck on the Wan Hai 503, 44 nautical miles off the Kerala coast. None of the crew could have known it was there, and four never made it home. A year earlier, in August 2024, a dangerous-goods container carrying 16 tonnes of heat-sensitive peroxide exploded at Ningbo’s Beilun terminal. It was booked into an unpowered refrigerated container during a summer heatwave, causing an estimated US$13 million in direct losses.
Lithium batteries enter the supply chain
Lithium batteries are entering global supply chains, often found inside everyday products that may not be instantly recognised as hazardous. From tools, appliances and vehicles to electronics and other products that appear routine in the booking description or commodity code, Lithium-ion cells are ubiquitous.
SP188 allows certain lithium cells and batteries to move under reduced requirements if they meet testing and packaging rules. They are less visible because they do not go through the same declaration and approval process as fully regulated dangerous goods.
For example, a container of battery-powered tools has its Safety Data Sheet (SDS) submitted at booking. However, a correction to the UN number further in the process reaches only the carrier’s dangerous goods team. If the booking record, terminal instruction and vessel plan are not updated, the container can continue through the process using outdated information.
“It’s time carriers don’t wait on regulation to change. They need to act now to change how they ship safely. This is particularly when everyday items can so easily become ‘dangerous goods’,” concludes Bebbington.
