Officers of the Rugao maritime safety administration take samples from a ship carrying dangerous goods at a local wharf on June 28. [Photo/ntfabu.com]

A sample center for dangerous shipborne goods under the charge of the maritime safety administration started operations in Rugao, a county-level city in Nantong, on June 28. It is the first of its kind in China.

The center was established by the city's maritime safety administration, transportation department and Winsway Energy (Nantong) Co, and signifies a key step forward in the innovation of supervising dangerous shipborne chemicals.

Each time administrative officers retrieve a sample for testing, they will seal another two at the center. This allows the local maritime safety administration and transportation department to re-test samples of goods passing local wharves at any time.