Does the whole load go for disposal after people are found in the trailer?

No. The inspection splits units into clean, for decontamination and for disposal on the basis of white-light and UV examination and sanitary checks. The decision on each group is taken by the owner of the goods together with the insurer; the OTSL report gives them the classification and photographs tied to pallet numbers, but does not decide for them.

How much is the penalty for carrying clandestine entrants?

We do not quote amounts, because they are set by the Home Office under the civil penalty scheme and depend among other things on the documented vehicle security system and the driver's check list. This article is about the load; the driver procedure and the penalty rules are covered in separate OTSL articles linked in the OTSL role section.

Will the warehouse take a trailer from the port at night?

Yes. The Milton Keynes warehouse runs 24/7 and receives a breached trailer without waiting for the morning. We need notice before arrival: trailer number, type of goods, temperature regime and circumstances of the incident, so that the inspection zone and the people who carry it out are ready.

Clandestine Entrants in Trailer: The Load

Once clandestine entrants have been found in a trailer, the load becomes goods of uncertain condition: it may have been contaminated, tampered with or partly destroyed, so delivery to the consignee without inspection usually ends in a refusal. Penalties under the civil penalty scheme are set by the Home Office; this text is about the load. The OTSL warehouse in Milton Keynes inspects the cargo in white and UV light, counts it and carries out sanitary checks, and the photo report goes to the owner of the goods and the insurer, who decide on delivery, decontamination or disposal.

Why can the load not go straight to the consignee after people are found in the trailer?

Because nobody knows what condition it is in. People hidden in a trailer for many hours leave traces: body fluids, litter, damaged packaging, cut straps and curtain. A consignee who receives such a load without a document confirming an examination will refuse it, and for food there is a legal basis: under Regulation (EC) 178/2002 a food business operator may not place on the market food whose safety it cannot be sure of. The truck comes back loaded, and time and cost rise.

For the carrier the matter runs on two tracks. The first is the penalty procedure: the driver documents the incident and keeps his own trailer check list, because that is evidence for Border Force and the Home Office; the driver procedure and the penalty rules are covered in separate OTSL articles. The second track is the load, and that is what this text is about: what to do with goods standing in a breached trailer at the port.

What is the route from port to inspection, and what does the insurer receive?

Once the authorities have finished at the port, the trailer with its load moves to Milton Keynes; the warehouse runs 24/7, so receipt does not wait for the morning, but it needs notice: trailer number, type of goods, temperature regime, circumstances of the incident. At the warehouse the load is inspected: trailer and goods examined in white light, unloading with pallet numbering, UV examination, count against documents and sanitary checks. Every unit goes into one of three groups: clean, for decontamination, for disposal.

The insurer receives a photo report with identification of the consignment and trailer, description of the circumstances, photographs tied to pallet numbers, unit classification and a recommendation for next steps. The report is evidence of the extent of the loss, not a decision: delivery, decontamination or disposal is decided by the owner of the goods together with the insurer. Until then the goods wait in the warehouse, temperature-controlled where required.

Handling the load after people are found step by step

Documentation at the port. The driver photographs the trailer, seal and damage, keeps the check list and any documents from the authorities, and reports the incident to the principal and the insurer.
Notice to the warehouse. The carrier or forwarder gives OTSL the trailer number, type of goods, temperature regime and circumstances; the warehouse prepares an inspection zone.
Receipt and white-light examination. Trailer and load are photographed before unloading: pallet positions, signs of people having been inside, packaging damage.
Unloading, numbering and UV. Every pallet receives a number, is counted against the documents and examined under UV light; fluorescing traces are photographed with the pallet number.
Classification and report. Units are split into clean, for decontamination and for disposal; the report goes to the owner of the goods and the insurer.
Decision and execution. The owner and insurer decide on delivery, UVC decontamination or disposal; OTSL carries out the chosen route and documents it.

Definitions

Clandestine entrants: unauthorised people hidden in a vehicle or trailer in order to enter the United Kingdom illegally.
Civil penalty scheme: the UK scheme of administrative penalties for carrying clandestine entrants, applying to the owner, hirer and driver of the vehicle; amounts are set by the Home Office.
Border Force: the UK border agency that carries out checks at ports and detects people hidden in vehicles.
UV inspection: examination of cargo under ultraviolet light, in which some organic contamination fluoresces; it shows where a trace is, not what it is.
Regulation (EC) 178/2002: the EU general food law prohibiting the placing of unsafe food on the market.
Extent of loss: the list of units affected by the incident with classification and reason; the basis for settlement with the insurer.

Carrier checklist after people are found in the trailer

Photographs of the trailer, seal and damage taken at the port before departure.
The driver's trailer check list and any documents received from the authorities.
Incident report to the principal, the owner of the goods and the insurer.
Notice to the warehouse: trailer number, goods, temperature, circumstances, arrival time.
Packing list or CMR (the Convention on the contract for international carriage of goods by road) note so that the count has a reference.
Contact for the person on the owner's side who will decide on the goods.

When is a warehouse inspection not needed?

An inspection does not apply when the trailer proved intact and the people were found outside the load space, for example on the chassis; the owner of the goods then decides on the onward route, unless the consignee requires an examination before acceptance anyway. Nor does it replace laboratory testing when food had direct contact with contamination and primary packs are open. The scope of the inspection depends on the type of goods, the policy requirements and what the consignee expects; it is agreed before the trailer is received.