Handling fumigated containers in ports — health risks and prevention practices

This report reviews the potential safety and health risks arising from handling containers in ports that have been fumigated with pesticides.

The authors review the legislation, identify the risks and describe practical examples of preventive measures and strategies. They conclude that there are important gaps in our knowledge. The problem is also underestimated because of poor record-keeping of adverse health effects and because fumigated containers are rarely labelled.

The authors recommend prioritising control measures such as risk assessment of containers before opening, routine screening of containers arriving in ports, and measures to enforce the regulations on labelling containers.