Some of the world’s biggest logistics companies – and even the United Nations – are still struggling against criminal gangs supplying counterfeit refrigerant gas to the cool supply chain.
A new database of companies which service refrigerated containers has gone public in a move aimed at combatting the criminals who supply substandard refrigerant gas linked to explosions which have killed at least four workers in recent years. Much of the suspect gas is believed to originate in South-East Asia, but it lingers and travels throughout the supply chain.
The issue has been apparent since 2010 but with no robust global system of enforcement, the dodgy gas still finds its way into reefer boxes, not only threatening worker safety but also causing expensive equipment damage, while potentially jeopardising cargo and vessels.
Mark Bennett, senior vice president at Triton Containers, and a Container Owners Association (COA) member, said 20,000 test results conducted by leasing companies have demonstrated conclusively that contamination must be happening during servicing, rather than at the manufacturing stage.
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