for All Service Centers Final

TO: Authorized Service Centers – Carrier Container Products
FROM: Michael Dormer
General Manager, Global Container Services
Container Products Group
RE: URGENT SAFETY BULLETIN
DATE: October 21, 2011

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We are contacting you regarding a recent potential safety issue that has come to our attention affecting several different brands of container refrigeration units.

To date, there have been four units that have experienced compressor ruptures with three fatalities, and one unit where the refrigerant reportedly spontaneously combusted when exposed to air. While no definitive cause of these incidents has been determined yet, Maersk, CMA/CGM, Hapag-Lloyd and others have identified at least 900 refrigeration units that they suspect may contain contaminated refrigerant and have quarantined those units. While not yet confirmed, it is our understanding at this time that the quarantined units may have received contaminated refrigerant during refrigeration system work performed in Vietnam since the beginning of 2011.

As part of the quarantine, Maersk has given instructions to stop all work on the suspect reefer units, unplug the reefers, and move them to an isolated place. The Maersk communication, which was released through the World Shipping Council, is included with this letter. We believe this is responsible and prudent guidance that you should follow.

Given the information available at this time, we recommend that you contact your reefer customers and request that they immediately implement a reefer quarantine policy that follows the Maersk guidelines for units that had refrigeration system work performed in Vietnam during 2011. We recommend that you do not perform any work on reefers until the reefer owner or lessee can provide you with service records verifying the reefer did not have any refrigeration system service work completed in Vietnam during 2011.

We will continue to monitor the situation and keep you informed of any developments as warranted. We want to work with you to provide accurate information and ensure safe operations at your company and across the industry.