The Leschaco Dangerous Goods Logistics Blog

The round has to go into the square. The life cycle of a tank container. Leschaco is one of the pioneers of tank container logistics. We have been using tank containers for the safe transport of dangerous goods for around 50 years. Today, we have a fleet of more than 5,000 of our own tank containers in operation worldwide. They are the backbone of our logistics business. It is time to take a thorough and fundamental look at this “workhorse”. What actually is a tank container? A definition Basically, we understand a tank container simply as a container for transporting liquids or gases. These containers are used on ships as well as on the road, on rail and in air logistics, i.e. also in combined transport. In order for tank containers to be used for these diverse purposes, they must of course be standardized in terms of size and composition. These standards have been established by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) under the ISO 668 standard. For this reason, tank containers are often referred to as ISO tanks or intermodal tanks. The development of tank containers has been significantly influenced by the requirements of the chemical and food industries. The

Every grain of sand counts: Leschaco as official consultant for dangerous goods. Have you ever been confronted with the fact that the regulations of the country of origin, international transportation, and regulations in the country of destination are completely opposed to each other in an international movement of dangerous goods? How have you dealt with this issue? Have you tried to adapt your shipment at intermediate points located anywhere in the world to comply with the regulations of the country of origin, international transportation and then with the country of destination? If so, have you considered that this misalignment between dangerous goods regulations and efforts to thoroughly adapt shipments, exponentially increases the risk of facing a potentially dangerous goods emergency with exposures to life, environment and/or property, in addition to the associated time and costs? On the other hand, the principles underlying the regulation on the transport of dangerous goods from the UN Model Regulations for the transport of Dangerous Goods state the following: Transport of dangerous goods is regulated to prevent, as far as possible, accidents to persons or property and damage to the environment, the means of transport employed or to other goods. At the same time, regulations

Leschaco at the 57th EPCA Annual Meeting in Vienna The 57th Annual Meeting of the European Petrochemical Association – “EPCA” for short – will be held in Vienna from September 25 to 28, 2023. Of course, Leschaco is also present as a member of the association. Here we focus on ensuring efficient safety standards within the dangerous goods industry. This year, the convention is all about “Collaboration for Impact” – and by that, it means companies, industry associations and representatives working together for greater impact or, more readily, influence on energy security, affordability and sustainability. The European Petrochemical Association (EPCA) as a leading organization and its members are dedicated to the advancement of knowledge and best practices in the petrochemical and related industries. How does EPCA 57 position itself? Safety in the hazardous materials industry is critical because our industrial sector works with hazardous materials. And we are all aware that these materials can have an impact on people and the environment. EPCA 57 aims to showcase best practices, latest innovations and state-of-the-art technologies to enhance safety in our industry and minimize accidents. The conference will provide a platform for the exchange of knowledge and experience between professionals, academics, regulators

Consideration of the volatile conditions in the dangerous goods logistics market and the significance of the new Leschaco warehouse in the Netherlands. This blog post takes a look at current market dynamics, the economic outlook, and the importance of consistent compliance. We also address our strategic decision to build a new hazardous materials warehouse in Moerdijk in the Netherlands. We focus on its importance in the current market environment. Current market and economic outlook The global chemical market is confronted with complex framework conditions. These include recent geopolitical events such as the Ukraine war and the corresponding negative developments on the gas market. For example, Russia’s attack has led to disruptions in supply chains and price volatility in the gas market. According to the Reuters news agency, the German chemical association VCI expects a further decline in the national chemical industry in 2023. The reasons for this are persistently high inflation, a weak global economy, the European energy crisis and regulatory problems in Germany. Accordingly, industrial production including pharmaceuticals will decline by 5 percent in 2023, while industry sales are expected to fall by as much as 7 percent, the VCI said in its quarterly report. These forecasts make it

Advance notice: Leschaco at NACD ChemEdge 2023 Why it is a matter of course for us to present ourselves at this year’s ChemEdge 2023 conference cannot be explained in a single sentence. So I want to use this blog post to illustrate both details about the symposium itself and our reasons for attending. This year’s ChemEdge 2023 will be held Aug. 16-18 in The Woodlands, a community in the Houston, Texas, region. The event is a conference and trade show hosted by the National Association of Chemical Distributors. The symposium provides the space for professional and legal training and, of course, the all-important networking between chemical companies and distributors and their suppliers. The focus is on the core topics of environment and health, safety, supply chains as well as logistics, warehousing, procurement/purchasing and also regulatory compliance and inventory management. Right up our alley – challenges and regulations in everyday business life This is exactly the range of topics that we encounter again and again in our day-to-day work and that we are confronted with in every business activity, no matter how small. So that’s already the main reason why we will of course be there. Our booth will therefore focus