‘Third parties the weakest link’

Intermodal Cargo Solutions (ICS) has built a “world class” hazardous facility with an up-skilled team to assess risks and comply with storage and handling of hazardous goods regulations, according to group chairman Andre De Oliveira. “This enables us to authoritatively communicate with third parties prior to receiving and dispatch,” says De Oliveira, who believes South Africa still lags behind the rest of the developed world when it comes to regulation. “Our greatest challenge is to ensure third parties have a thorough understanding and knowledge of global and South African regulations.” He says all parties need to become more aware of the risks and consequences of not complying with regulations to prevent possible environmental damage and other associated dangers. “ICS is one of the few companies with a dedicated hazardous goods-compliant warehouse,” says De Oliveira. “Our facility is designed according to European standards and is separate from the general cargo warehouse with safety features such as foam induction sprinkler systems. It is managed by a full-time hazardous manager and an on-site health and safety officer who both oversee all hazardous cargo moving in and out of the A-grade facility,” he said. CAPTION ICS is equipped to store and handle all hazardous classes except 1 and 7.