HK air authorities issue mercury warning

Hong Kong's Civil Aviation Department has issued a circular alerting carriers to three recent incidents in which consignments of mercury (UN 2809) on flights from Hong Kong were found to be leaking on arrival. All three consignments were shipped to destinations in Africa, but were consigned as general cargo and declared as 'jewellery', 'metal chains', metal iron' or 'mould'. CAD's Dangerous Goods Office is asking all freight forwarders and airlines to exercise extra vigilance when accepting shipments with such declarations.