The container shipping industry is sacrificing safety and risking an environmental disaster to reduce costs and meet tight delivery schedules, according to an investigation into the grounding of a ship off the coast of Devon last year.

Another 22 ships have been found to have design flaws similar to those of the MSC Napoli, which was deliberately grounded a mile off Sidmouth after her hull cracked in heavy seas.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) found that the ship was carrying many overloaded containers and had been travelling too fast for the conditions.

After the incident hundreds of people flocked to Branscombe beach to scavenge everything from BMW motorcycles to disposable nappies when dozens of containers washed ashore.

The Napoli, built in 1991 in South Korea, was in the Channel on passage to Portugal from Antwerp when her engine room flooded after a hull failure about 45 miles south of Lizard Point, Cornwall.

The MAIB report, published today, says that after the Napoli hit “several large waves” there was a “large crashing or cracking sound”.

Vertical cracks could be seen in the hull below the waterline on the port and starboard sides, and the ship’s master assessed that the vessel had “broken her back”.

The crew of 26 abandoned ship and were rescued by two Royal Navy helicopters. Tugs began towing the ship towards Portland in Dorset but she was beached en route because there were concerns that she might sink.

The beaching prevented severe oil pollution of Devon and Dorset’s World Heritage Coast.

The MAIB said that a review of safety rules governing container ship design and a code of practice covering operations was urgently needed to prevent further losses.

It concluded that the container shipping industry had been allowed to expand rapidly — from 12 million to 140 million containers a year since 1983 — without proper safety oversight.

The report said: “The commercial advantages of containerisation . . . such as speed and quick turnarounds appear to have become the focus of the industry at the expense of the safe operation of its vessels.”

The MAIB found that a loophole in safety regulations meant that the buckling strength of the hull near the engine room had not been tested.

It also found that ship’s loading contributed to the stresses on the hull. The MAIB condemned the widespread practice in the industry of failing to load containers, either to save time or avoid taxes.

“Container shipping is the only sector of the industry in which the weight of a cargo is not known.”

The MAIB referred to a previous report, which it published last September on the collapse of cargo containers on the Annabella, which concluded: “Evidence obtained during this and other MAIB investigations into container shipping accidents suggests that in reality, the safety of ships, crews and the environment is being compromised by the overriding desire to maintain established schedules or optimise port turn-round times.”

After the Napoli grounding the MAIB ordered the screening of more than 1,500 container ships, and 12 were identified as being potentially vulnerable to buckling in severe conditions and requiring remedial action. A further ten vessels were identified as being borderline and needing more detailed investigation. The screening of eight container ships has yet to be completed.

The International Chamber of Shipping is developing a code of best practice for the industry, which is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

The report said that Britain would conduct a “concentrated inspection campaign” in 2010 to check compliance with tightened safety rules.

A Devon County Council local public inquiry into the grounding of the Napoli will be chaired by Ian Mercer, an environmental specialist. “This inquiry must seek all the answers available, and register with governments the outstanding questions,” Professor Mercer said.

The inquiry’s evidence-gathering process, which was launched last month, was the first stage of the investigation, which will be followed by hearings in public.

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