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SUSPECTED DANGEROUS RADIO ACTIVE CARGO
Whilst the responsibility for dealing with incidents involving radioactive substances rests
with the Home Office and such incidents are in the first place dealt with by the Police, there is
always the possibility of hazard to public health or to food supplies.
On the 16th December information was received from the Police that an isotope unit consigned
to the U.K. Atomic Energy Authority at Harwell which was stowed with other cargo in a hold of a
vessel lying in the docks was very warm and had been isolated.
The Port Health Inspector in the Surrey Docks was notified and reported that a team from the
U.K. Atomic Energy Authority at Harwell arrived at the ship in the afternoon on the 17th December
and after investigation declared there was no immediate danger; they took the container with them
to Harwell. They mentioned that it was not unusual for some containers to become heated.
It was noted that this container was very warm when uncovered and possibly it may have been
even warmer when covered by a cargo of talc in paper bags since it had time to cool after it had
been exposed. This was after quite a short voyage. It would seem there may be some danger of
fire in similar circumstances especially if the voyage had been longer and in a warmer climate
and if the cargo had been more inflammable.
DISPOSAL OF SHIP'S REFUSE
The problem of the disposal of ship's domestic refuse is allied to that of sewage disposal
and can be quite irksome for the crews that are obliged to carry the refuse ashore to the appointed
receptacles, particularly as this is often carried out whilst cargo is being discharged and by way
of the ship's gangway. In particular circumstances there may be some arrangement for the bulk
of the refuse to be hoisted ashore by crane but there still remains the emptying of the container.
Nobody, therefore likes doing the job and the refuse is often badly dumped at the dock receptacles.
In other cases the refuse is ignored and allowed to accumulate aboard to become a nuisance
prejudicial to health and, as a large part of it is associated with food waste, is likely to attract
rodent and insect pests aboard.
One way of overcoming the problem would be to introduce a properly constructed compartment
within the ship to contain all the refuse which could then be released overboard at a convenient
time at sea. The fact that the major part of this refuse is waste or putrescible foodstuffs suggests
that it would soon be consumed by sea scavengers. Since the method of discharge could be by
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