Cargo Weight
IMO Action
The work item to address container weighing was assigned to the IMO Sub-Committee on Dangerous Goods, Solid Cargoes and Containers (DSC), which began consideration of this subject at its September 2011 meeting. To assist the sub-committee in its consideration of mandatory container weighing, the World Shipping Council (WSC), the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and BIMCO, submitted a joint paper, "Development of Measures to Prevent Loss of Containers," that recommends that the Safety of Life At Sea (SOLAS) Convention be amended to require verification of containers' actual weight before stowing aboard a ship regulated by SOLAS.In December of 2011, the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) also voiced their support for these SOLAS amendments.
The IMO's DSC Sub-committee will continue its efforts to construct such a SOLAS requirement at its next meeting in September 2012 (DSC 17) and has invited WSC, ICS and BIMCO to submit a specific proposal for how to amend SOLAS with supporting guidelines. The three associations will then consult with other industry parties and interested IMO Member States to develop the proposal.
WSC and ICS commended the IMO for taking action on this important issue at the May 2011 meeting of the IMO Maritime Safety Committee (MSC 89). In that meeting MSC 89 agreed to establish a new work item to address the issue of incorrectly declared cargo shipments and to undertake other measures to improve the safety of container stowage and ship operations.
In March 2011, the World Shipping Council (WSC) and the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) submitted a formal proposal to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to consider issuance of a regulation making it mandatory for containers to be weighed prior to being stowed aboard ships.
The World Shipping Council (WSC) and the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) issued a joint statement to explain the problem with overweight containers, the efforts that have been undertaken to date to address the issue, and the reason that the industry is calling for a strong international solution to the problem from the International Maritime Organization (IMO). (December 2010) Read the statement.
Guidelines for the Safe Transport of Containers
In November of 2009, the World Shipping Council (WSC) and the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) published “Safe Transport of Containers by Sea: Guidelines on Best Practices”. The Guide covers the various parts of the transport chain that have an impact on the safe movement of containers by sea and includes a distillation of the good practices that are already undertaken by a vast majority of responsible companies in the industry.
