CONTAINERS (CELLULAR and NON CELLULAR SHIPS)

CARRIAGE OF CONTAINERS

1. General operations associated with CONTAINER CARGO OPERATIONS

 The terminal plans the vessel for quick turn-around due to expensive shore-
cranes.
 The cargo stowage (Bayplan) in general are pre-planned ashore, and ground
container tow-heads, container trucks, trailers, etc are all scheduled for quick
dispatch operations.
 The Chief Officer shall verify the shore-submitted Stowage Plan and make all
necessary changes. Where possible, all changes shall be relayed to the terminal
as quickly as possible.
 The lashings operation often is carried out by shore-contractors.
 The vessel has to maintain within limited tolerance of Heel (List) and Trim.
 Associated with many shore-personnel coming onboard.

2. In order to achieve good cargo operations, the Master and Ship Departments
must co-ordinate their operations closely. It is necessary that prior to arrival in port, the
Master shall carry out a pre-arrival discussion on the following:
 Taking of overside (ship to ship transfer) of fresh water, bunkers and/or lub oil
while alongside during cargo operations (some ports and terminal permits
concurrent operations.
 Any surveys, repair works (say hatch covers’ inspections), transfer of cargo
operations, etc that may require change in arrangement of cargo operations
(quay crane schedule).
 Reports or feedback to the Terminal with regard changes in cell-guide(s)
condition which the terminal may not be aware which may require change in
loading sequencing.
 Any other conditions that will affect and delay the cargo operations, where
possible, should be discussed and planned before the vessel berthed.

CONDITION and STOWAGE of CONTAINERS

1
3. Duty Officers and Crew must pay attention to condition of containers being loaded
which may warrant outright rejection, or after in close consultation with the
Shipper. Where necessary Note of Protest must be issued to protect the Owner and
Charterer.

Some of the Major Conditions to look out for:

 Corner castings are damaged – in general, to reject.
 The containers’ weight is doubtful (straining of the quay crane, bulging of the
container walls, sagging of container floor, etc – to verify and if doubtful to
reject.
 Leaking containers (in case of liquid in containers) – to verify and may require
opening the container to inspect; to reject if vessel is not satisfied with safe
carriage.
 Doors and/or seals are broken – to reject, if container is carried under SEALED
CONDITION; where re-SEALING is in order, this information must be
communicated to the Terminal Supervisor in Charge and NOTE OF PROTEST
to be raised.
 DG CONTAINERS without DG LABELS – to reject if in doubt; if Shipper’s
provide DG Labels and proper documentations, the DG Label must be affix to
the Containers without delay.
 PROPER SEPARATION OF DG CONTAINERS must be strictly adhered to as
per IMO DG CODES. This shall not be compromised.
 REEFER CONTAINERS partlow charts shall be carefully inspected and
checked – if in doubt of the reefer’s condition or if it is noted that the partlow
chart showed that the reefer has not been working in the last 2-6 hours, the
containers shall be rejected; in cold climate, the time allowed may be longer, in
any case where the Chief Officer is in doubt, the Terminal
Supervisor/Shipper/Agent shall be informed without delay for decision to reject
the container.
 Heavier containers shall be stowed at the lower tiers. Where heavier containers
have to be over-stowed on top of lighter containers, the vessel shall be guided
by prevailing conditions, and stability of the vessel.
 In general, on open deck without cellular guides the last top tier container on the
uppermost top deck shall not be heavier than the tier of containers directly and
immediately below it.

2
  All Reefers Containers shall be ‘plugged’ into the power point immediately
after landed. This also serves as a quick check to ensure that the Reefer
Container is in working condition.

SECURING of CONTAINERS FOR DEPARTURE /MOVEMENT

CONDITIONS
4. Shifting of Berth to Berth / Warping alongside
 Where the vessel is required to be re-located on the same line of berth/wharf,
that is to warp alongside, the Master and Chief Officer shall consult and
determine the degree of temporary container lashing that may be required to
ensure all the containers are secured before the vessel movement is carried out.
 Where the vessel is required to be re-located to another berth or to stay at the
sheltered anchorage, minimum securing of the containers shall be required. The
Chief Officer shall discuss with the Shore/Terminal Supervisor and the Master
must be satisfied with the safe condition before the ship movement is
conducted.
 Where the vessel is being prepared for Sea-Going Condition, the Master shall
ensure that all the Containers are Safely Secured as per Container Lashing
Manual.

AT SEA – CARE OF CONTAINERS

4. Lashing
 Lashing Conditions shall be inspected at least once a day, and in adverse
weather conditions, the frequency shall be increased as necessary as required
under the prevailing conditions.
 Lashing tension shall be adjusted accordingly, and where necessary, damaged
lashing shall be replaced without delay.
 Under adverse weather conditions, the vessel may have to ‘heave-to’, and the
vessel speed reduced necessarily in order to change, or re-tension the lashing
accordingly.
5. Safe Speed
 Under adverse weather condition, especially with head-on seas, and in the
light of heavy pounding, it may be necessary to reduce the vessel’s speed in
as the containers can have a “hammering” effect on the lower tier containers.
On numerous occasions, containers in the lower tiers are known to have
‘collapse’ under the ‘continuous hammering effect’ of top tiers heavy
containers.

3
6. Reefer Containers (on manual reefer monitoring vessels )
 Where manual monitoring is required, in general this is carried out twice a
day, one in the morning and one before the end of the daywork, or as per
Charterer’s instructions.
 Where Reefer Equipment changed or repaired by the vessel’s staff, proper
record must be kept on the Reefer Spares Inventory. Often, this is one of the
major neglect and can give rise to expensive claims.
PRIOR ARRIVAL PORT
7. Removal of Lashing
 Often the Port, Terminal, Charterer and/or Shipper would instruct the vessel to
pre-remove all appropriate containers’ lashing prior to making berth.
 In general, the vessel can ‘downgraded’ from sea-going conditions. The
amount of lashings to be removed in view that the vessel is operating in
harbour water conditions shall be guided by the immediate situation of the
environment and weather conditions.
 In event of inclement weather, the Master shall not take unnecessary risks.
Masters’ decision is always final.
8. UnPlug
 The vessel shall be guided by the Charterer and Shore Terminal.
 In general, the plug should not be carried out more than 2 before they are due
to be discharged.

MONITORING of LASHING EQUIPMENT

9. Recovery of Lashing Equipments: Twistlocks, Cross-Locking Bars, etc
 This work is difficult to be tracked while cargo operation is in progress.
 The Chief Officer should ensure that the Crew shall pay careful attention in
the midst of cargo operations, where is safe and reasonable, to recover.
 Often the ‘shore unlashing gangs’ would throw Twistlocks, etc from great
heights and resulted in substantial damage to the vessel’s Lashing Equipment.
Where necessary, the Chief Officer shall issue a Note of Protests, and raise
DAMAGE REPORTS to claim as ‘stevedore damage’.
 On completion of Cargo Operations, the Chief Officer shall make a point to
instruct Crew to make a round on the shoreside/wharf/berth to recover all
Lashing Equipment, especially Twistlocks.

4
 DANGEROUS CARGO DOCUMENTATION
10. Documentation related to the carriage of Dangerous Cargo on board container
ships will mainly consist of the following:
▪The vessel must be in possession of a valid Document of compliance with
special requirements for ships carrying dangerous goods. The appendix to this
document will contain information indicating class wise allowable locations for
stowage of dangerous goods on board.
▪Each dangerous cargo shipment shall be accompanied by a Dangerous Goods
List or Manifest. This manifest shall be set out in accordance to the pertinent
regulation of SOLAS and MARPOL conventions and the IMDG code. DG Manifests
shall be filed on board and maintained load port wise.
▪Each dangerous cargo shipment shall also be accompanied by a Dangerous
Goods Declaration. This is a signed certificate or declaration that the consignment, as
offered for carriage, is properly packaged, marked, labeled or placarded as appropriate
and in proper condition for carriage. This declaration may be combined with the
container packing certificate as required by the pertinent regulation of SOLAS and
MARPOL conventions and the IMDG code. DG Declarations shall be filed on board
and maintained discharge port wise.
▪When dangerous goods are carried on board, appropriate information shall be
immediately available at all times for use in emergency response to accidents and
incidents involving dangerous goods in transport. This information may be in the
form of separate documents, safety data sheets or the Emergency Response
Procedures for Ships Carrying Dangerous Goods (EMS Guide) for use in conjunction
with the transport document and the Medical First Aid Guide for Use in Accidents
Involving Dangerous Goods (MFAG).
▪Where required for reporting to port authorities, the Chief Officer shall prepare
an updated dangerous cargo list. This list shall contain at least the following
information: Stow position, Container number, Line operator, Port of loading /
discharge, DG class, UN number, proper shipping name, weight, flash point and
EMS. Such list for reporting to authorities shall be made with utmost caution.
▪The Chief Officer shall prepare a copy of the dangerous cargo stowage plan
(indicating DG class & location) along with a dangerous cargo list (indicating
Location, Container number, DG class and UN number), and these along with any
special guidelines from shippers, shall be kept on Bridge (for ready reference of the
watch keeping officer) and in Fire wallets at gangways.
▪The Chief Officer obtain Container packing certificate from shipper or agent.
Certificate indicating correct loading of a dangerous goods container and the
observance of the regulations set out in the IMDG Code (International Maritime

5
Dangerous Goods Code). The container packing certificate is issued by the person
responsible for packing the container.

DANGEROUS CARGO HANDLING SAFE PROCEDURE

11. Procedures and guidelines for stowage and segregation of dangerous cargo, shall
be adhered to additionally:
▪ Every dangerous cargo shipment shall be made in line with IMO policy and be
accompanied by required documentation. DG cargo with restricted/prohibited UN
numbers shall not be accepted for shipment unless under special circumstance express
permission is obtained from the company.
▪All DG containers must be checked for proper label/placard as required by the
IMDG code. A stock of spare labels/placards must be kept on board.
▪ DG containers must be checked for condition prior loading and leaking or
damaged containers posing a hazard, shall be rejected.
▪The requisite day/night signals for vessels carrying / loading / discharging
dangerous cargo shall be displayed.
▪When handling/carrying dangerous cargo on board smoking shall strictly not be
allowed other than in designated smoking areas. Signs/placards shall be appropriately
displayed at gangway and on deck.
▪Location and properties of dangerous cargo shall be considered when carrying
out any special work on board such as hot work etc.
▪Other precautions shall be taken when handling dangerous cargo shipments as
warranted by good seamanship, SOLAS, MARPOL, IMDG code, local and national
regulations.
▪Particular caution is to be exercised when stowing dangerous cargo on board the
vessel. Any dangerous cargo presented for loading must be accompanied by a proper
manifest and declaration as required by international regulations . Further this DG
cargo must be acceptable for carriage as per IMDG code guidance. Reference here is
made to the list of UN numbers restricted/prohibited for carriage on board particular
vessels.
▪After confirming acceptability of the DG cargo, the plan must be checked for
proper stowage and segregation. Although terminal and central planners should
provide proper stow of DG cargo, the final responsibility always lies with the Master.
Reference shall be made to vessels Document of Compliance with special
requirements for ships carrying dangerous goods for confirming that proposed DG
classes are acceptable for stowage in planned locations on board.

6
 ▪DG segregation shall be verified for compliance with requirements of the IMDG
code. Caution must be exercised when using vessels stowage planning software for
this purpose as it may or may not have comprehensive means of checking for bad
stowage & segregation against the latest international requirements. It is advisable to
manually check for compliance.
▪Segregation requirements of the IMDG code and any other local/national
regulations must be strictly adhered to.
▪Where required for reporting to port authorities, the C/Off shall prepare an
updated dangerous cargo list. This list shall contain at least the following information:
a) Stow Position b) Container Number c) Line Operator d) Port of Loading /
Discharging e) DG Class f) UN Number g) Proper Shipping Name h) Weight i) Flash
Point and EMS. Such list for reporting to authorities shall be made with utmost
caution.
▪The C/Off shall prepare a copy of the Dangerous Cargo Stowage Plan
(indicating D/G class & Stowage Location), along with a D/G Cargo List (indicating
Location, Cntr No., D/G Class and UN No.).
▪And these along with any special guidelines from shippers, shall be kept:
- in Wheel House (for ready reference of the watch keeping officer) and
- in Fire Wallets at Gangways.
▪Whenever dangerous goods are stowed together, whether or not in a cargo
transport unit, the segregation of such dangerous goods from others should always be
in accordance with the most stringent provisions for any of the dangerous goods
concerned.
▪No segregation need be applied between dangerous goods of different classes
which comprise the same substance but vary only in their water content, such as
sodium sulphide in classes 4.2 and 8, or for class 7 if the difference is due to quantity
only.
▪Dangerous goods which have to be segregated from each other should not be
carried in the same cargo transport unit. However, dangerous goods which should be
segregated “away from” each other may be carried in the same cargo transport unit
with the approval of the competent authority. In such cases an equivalent standard of
safety must be maintained.
▪It is recognized that not all substances falling within a segregation group are
listed in this Code by name. These substances are shipped under N.O.S. entries.
Although these N.O.S. entries are not listed themselves in the above groups, the
shipper shall decide whether allocation under the segregation group is appropriate.
Mixtures, solutions or preparations containing substances falling within a segregation

7
group and shipped under an N.O.S. entry are also considered to fall within that
segregation group.
▪The segregation groups in this Code do not cover substances which fall outside
the classification criteria of this Code. It is recognised that some non-hazardous
substances have similar chemical properties as substances listed in the segregation
groups. A shipper or the person responsible for packing the goods into a cargo
transport unit who does have knowledge of the chemical properties of such non-
dangerous goods may decide to implement the segregation requirements of a related
segregation group on a voluntary basis.
REEFER CONTAINER
12. Reefer containers require special care after they are loaded on board ship. These
containers need to be supplied with power, monitored closely for proper function and
repaired as required in case of malfunction.
▪It shall be confirmed beforehand from the terminal foreman/superintendent or
local agent whether reefer container plugging / unplugging operation will be
performed by ships crew or shore hands.
▪Reefer containers shall be plugged in and supplied with ships power as soon as
practicable after loading. In case it is to be done by shore hands, ships crew shall still
closely monitor the operation and confirm that all reefer containers are supplied with
power earliest after loading.
▪Reefer remote monitoring cables shall also be connected whenever equipped
and compatible. Once power supply to the reefer container is confirmed, its condition
shall be checked for the following:

a) Set temperature compare with manifest temperature

b) Present actual temperature on partlow chart and digital indicator

c) Correct date/hour indication on Partlow chart (if applicable)

d) Ventilator percentage open or closed, compare with manifest

e) Container seal record seal number (e.g.: JJJ 345821 etc)

f) Any alarms displayed on the digital indicator

g) Control box door firmly tightened to prevent any water damage

h) Any abnormal noise or vibration from the refrigerating equipment

8
 ▪In case of any discrepancy in temperature or ventilator settings, the local agent /
booking line shall be informed and clarifications sought.
▪Clarification will be given by the booking line (directly or via agent) and only
upon written instruction from them, the vessel shall adjust any settings of temperature
or ventilation. No temperature or ventilation settings may be tampered with in
absence of such written instructions.
▪In case of a malfunctioning unit, the local agent must be informed and reefer
technician arranged for inspection and repair. If the unit cannot be satisfactorily
repaired within the duration of port stay, it must be off loaded.
▪In case of Warm or Hot cargo in a reefer is loaded on board the vessel, it must
be first confirmed that the reefer container itself is working well. The shipment may
then be accepted after obtaining a letter of guarantee from the shipper through agent
and/or from an agent on behalf of the booking line relieving vessel owner/operator
from cargo claims arising out of damage to cargo from this fact. This hot cargo
statement shall be signed by the terminal and local agent.
▪If a letter of guarantee is not possible to obtain, an exception list may be
prepared on board and signatures of the terminal, local agent and/or any third parties
obtained on same to confirm condition of the reefer at time of loading.
▪Reefer containers being discharged shall be unplugged from power source only
just prior discharge. They shall not be unplugged and left on board awaiting discharge
for a long time. The power cables and monitoring cables shall be neatly secured so as
to avoid any damage during cargo operations.
▪Particular care must be taken in operations involving restow of reefer containers
in port. When placed back on board and plugged in, their parameters must be
rechecked. All reefer containers on board shall be monitored by checking physically
at least Twice daily (am & pm) during vessels stay in port. The probability of a reefer
container being inadvertently switched off or unplugged while vessel is in port does
exist. Also a reefer remote monitor alarm may go unnoticed while vessel is in port.
▪At sea, all reefer containers shall be monitored by checking physically at least
Twice daily (weather permitting). All monitored data for each reefer container on
board shall be entered in a reefer monitoring log and retained for 3 years. Some reefer
containers with special cargo (e.g.: VIP cargo) come with instructions for more
frequent monitoring and reporting. Such instructions shall be strictly followed.
During the daily reefer container checks, its condition shall be checked for the
following:-
a) Power supply
b) Cooling water supply maintained in case of water cooled machinery
c) Present actual temperature on partlow chart and digital indicator
d) Partlow chart verify if any disruption to power supply or fault in unit if abnormal

9
trend is observed
e) Any alarms displayed on the digital indicator
f) Control box door firmly tightened to prevent any water damage
g) Any abnormal noise or vibration from the refrigerating equipment
▪In case of a reefer container malfunction, the facts must be reported without
delay to concerned parties as required by the voyage instructions. Repair work on the
malfunctioning reefer container must be undertaken with best efforts after consulting
manuals/drawings and instructions from concerned lines technical department. It is an
obligation upon the carrier (and ships crew) to exercise due diligence in preventing
any cargo damage.
▪Subsequent technical reports shall be sent to concerned parties in line with
voyage instructions, until the reefer container is repaired or discharged at the next
port.
The reefer remote monitoring system where fitted and operational shall be used
whenever possible. Alarms generated on this system shall be attended to promptly and
condition of the concerned reefer container confirmed.
▪Spare parts and manuals for reefer containers shall be maintained on board as
required. Usually these are maintained booking line wise or otherwise as per voyage
instructions from vessel operator. Periodical inventory of reefer container spares shall
be taken, maintained and requisite spare parts ordered to maintain stock levels.
Master shall submit inventory list of reefer spare parts to each booking line at
Intervals specified by them.
OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES
Container deck working
▪Transit areas should be safe and clear of cargo and all equipment.
▪Openings that are necessary for the operation of the ship, which are not protected
by fencing, should be closed during cargo securing work. Any necessarily
unprotected openings in work platforms (i.e. those with a potential fall of less than
2 m), and gaps and apertures on deck should be properly highlighted.
▪The use of fencing is essential to prevent falls. When openings in safety barriers
are necessary to allow container crane movements, particularly with derricking
cranes, removable fencing should be used whenever possible.
▪It should be taken into account that, when lifting lashing bars that can weigh
between 11 and 21 kg and turnbuckles between 16 and 23 kg, there may be a risk
of injury and severe illness as a result of physical strain if handled above shoulder
height with the arms extended. It is therefore recommended that personnel work in
pairs to reduce the individual workload in securing the lashing gear.

10
 ▪The company involved with cargo operation should anticipate, identify, evaluate
and control hazards and take appropriate measures to eliminate or minimize
potential hazards to prevent in particular with harmful lumbar spinal damage and
severe illness as a result of physical strain.
▪Personnel engaged in containership cargo operations should wear appropriate
Personnel Protective Equipment (PPE) whilst carrying out lashing operations.
▪Manual twist locks should only be used where safe access is provided.
▪Containers should not be stowed in spaces configured for larger sized containers
unless they can be secured under safe working conditions.

Container top working

▪When work on container tops cannot be avoided, safe means of access should be
provided by the container cargo operation terminal, unless the ship has appropriate
means of access in accordance with the Cargo Safe Access Plan (CSAP).
▪Recommended practice involves the use of a safety cage lifted by a spreader to
minimize the risk to personnel.
▪A safe method of work should be developed and implemented to ensure the
safety of lashers when on the top of container stows on deck. Where practical, the
use of fall prevention equipment should take precedence over fall arrest
equipment.

Failure to provide safe lashing stations on board/carry out lashing by port

workers
▪Where there are lashing and unlashing locations on board ship where no fall
protection, such as adequate handrails are provided, and no other safe method can
be found, the containers should not be lashed or unlashed and the situation should
be reported to shore side supervisor and the master or deck officer immediately.
▪If protective systems cannot be designed to provide safe protected access and
lashing work positions, in all cargo configurations then cargo should not be
stowed in that location. Neither crew nor shore workers should be subjected to
hazardous working conditions in the normal course of securing cargo.

MAINTENANCE
▪All ships should maintain a record book, which should contain the procedures for
accepting, maintaining and repairing or rejecting of cargo securing devices. The
record book should also contain a record of inspections.

11
 ▪Lighting should be properly maintained.
▪Walkways, ladders, stairways and fencings should be subject to a periodic
maintenance programme which will reduce/prevent corrosion and prevent
subsequent collapse.
▪Corroded walkways, ladders, stairways and fencings should be repaired or
replaced as soon as practicable. The repairs should be effected immediately if the
corrosion could prevent safe operations.
▪It should be borne in mind that turnbuckles covered with grease are difficult to
handle when tightening.
▪Storage bins and their carriers should be maintained in a safe condition.

SPECIALIZED CONTAINER SAFETY DESIGN

▪Temperature controlled unit power outlets should provide a safe, watertight
electrical connection.
▪Temperature controlled unit power outlets should feature a heavy duty,
interlocked and circuit breaker protected electrical power outlet. This should
ensure the outlet cannot be switched "live" until a plug is fully engaged and the
actuator rod is pushed to the "On" position. Pulling the actuator rod to the "Off"
position should manually de-energize the circuit.
▪The temperature controlled unit power circuit should de-energize automatically if
the plug is accidentally withdrawn while in the "On" position. Also, the interlock
mechanism should break the circuit while the pin and sleeve contacts are still
engaged. This provides total operator safety and protection against shock hazard
while eliminating arcing damage to the plug and receptacle.
▪Temperature controlled unit power outlets should be designed to ensure that the
worker is not standing directly in front of the socket when switching takes place.
▪The positioning of the temperature controlled unit feed outlets should not be such
that the flexible cabling needs to be laid out in such a way as to cause a tripping
hazard.
▪Stevedores or ship's crew who are required to handle temperature controlled unit
cables and/or connect and disconnect reefer units should be given training in
recognizing defective wires and plugs.
▪Means or provisions should be provided to lay the temperature controlled unit
cables in and protect them from lashing equipment falling on them during lashing
operations.
▪Defective or inoperative temperature controlled unit plugs/electrical banks should
be identified and confirmed as "locked out/tagged out" by the vessel.

12
TRAINING AND FAMILIARIZATION
▪Personnel engaged in cargo securing operations should be trained in the lashing
and unlashing of containers as necessary to carry out their duties in a safe manner.
This should include the different types of lashing equipment that are expected to
be used.
▪Personnel engaged in cargo securing operations should be trained in the
identification and handling of bad order or defective securing gear in accordance
with each ship's procedures to ensure damaged gear is segregated for repair and
maintenance or disposal.
▪Personnel engaged in cargo securing operations should be trained to develop the
knowledge and mental and physical manual handling skills that they require to do
their job safely and efficiently, and to develop general safety awareness to
recognize and avoid potential dangers.
▪Personnel should be trained in safe systems of work. Where personnel are
involved in working at heights, they should be trained in the use of relevant
equipment. Where practical, the use of fall protection equipment should take
precedence over fall arrest systems.
▪Personnel who are required to handle thermal cables and/or connect and
disconnect temperature control units should be given training in recognizing
defective cables, receptacles and plugs.
▪Personnel engaged in containership cargo operations should be familiarized with
the ship's unique characteristics and potential hazards arising from such operations
necessary to carry out their duties.

SOLAS CONTAINER MASS VERIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

▪On 1 July 2016, new requirements to verify the gross mass of a packed container
enter into force under the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea
(SOLAS).
▪Knowing the accurate gross mass of a packed container is critical to ensure
correct stowage and stacking and avoid collapse of container stacks or loss
overboard. This is an important safety measure, which is aimed at saving lives
and preventing injury and the destruction of property.
▪There has always been a requirement in SOLAS to declare the gross mass of
cargo and containers. The new requirement adds an extra level requiring
verification of the mass. This is to ensure that the mass declared is a true reflection
of the gross mass of the packed container, in order to avoid injury, cargo damage,
loss of containers, and so on.

13
 ▪The SOLAS regulation allows for two methods to verify the gross mass of
packed containers:
Method 1. Weighing the packed container using calibrated and certified
equipment; or
Method 2: Weighing all packages and cargo items, including the mass of pallets,
dunnage and other securing material to be packed in the container and adding the tare
mass of the container to the sum of the single masses, using a certified method
approved by the competent authority of the State in which packing of the container
was completed. Method 2 will not be practical for shippers of bulk commodities like
iron ore, grain, etc.
▪The shipper is responsible for providing the verified gross mass by stating it in
the shipping document and submitting it to the master or his representative and to the
terminal representative sufficiently in advance for use in the preparation of the ship
stowage plan. The shipper is defined as a legal entity or person named on the bill of
lading or sea waybill or equivalent multimodal transport document (e.g. "through" bill
of lading) as shipper and/or who (or in whose name or on whose behalf) a contract of
carriage has been concluded with a shipping company. The shipper may be a
manufacturer, ship agent, freight forwarder, etc.
▪The verified gross mass is a condition for loading a packed container onto a
ship. A packed container, for which the verified gross mass has not been obtained
sufficiently in advance to be used in the ship stowage plan, will be denied loading
onto a ship to which the SOLAS regulations apply.
▪The SOLAS regulations require the shipper to verify the gross mass of the
packed container using Method No.1 or Method No.2 and to communicate the
verified gross mass in a shipping document. This document can be part of the
shipping instructions to the shipping company or a separate communication (e.g. a
declaration including a weight certificate produced by a weigh station utilizing
calibrated and certified equipment on the route between the shipper's origin and the
port terminal). In either case, the document should clearly highlight that the gross
mass provided is the "verified gross mass".
▪Irrespective of its form, the document declaring the verified gross mass of the
packed container should be signed by a person duly authorized by the shipper. The
signature may be an electronic signature or may be replaced by the name in capitals of
the person authorized to sign it.
▪It is a condition for loading onto a ship to which the SOLAS regulations apply
that the verified gross mass of a packed container be provided, preferably by
electronic means such as Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) or Electronic Data
Processing (EDP), to the ship's master or his representative and to the terminal
representative sufficiently in advance of ship loading to be used in the preparation and
implementation of the ship stowage plan.

14
 ▪Because the contract of carriage is between the shipper and the shipping
company, not between the shipper and the port terminal facility, the shipper may meet
its obligation under the SOLAS regulations by submitting the verified gross mass to
the shipping company. It is then the responsibility of the shipping company to
provide information regarding the verified gross mass of the packed container to the
terminal representative in advance of ship loading. Similarly, the shipper may also
submit the verified gross mass to the port terminal facility representative upon
delivery of the container to the port facility in advance of loading.
▪Ultimately, and in conformance with the Code of Safe Practice for Cargo
Stowage and Securing, the ship's master should accept the cargo on board his ship
only if he is satisfied that it can be safely transported. Nothing in the SOLAS
regulations limit the principle that the master retains ultimate discretion in deciding
whether to accept a packed container for loading onto his ship. Availability to both
the terminal representative and to the master or his representative of the verified gross
mass of a packed container sufficiently in advance to be used in the ship stowage plan
is a prerequisite for the container to be loaded onto a ship to which the SOLAS
regulations apply. It does, however, not constitute an entitlement for loading.
▪The ultimate effectiveness and enforcement of the SOLAS container gross mass
verification requirement is that a packed container, for which the verified gross mass
has not been obtained sufficiently in advance to be used in the ship stowage plan, will
be denied loading onto a ship to which the SOLAS regulations apply. Any costs
associated with the non-loading, storage, demurrage or eventual return of the
container to the tendering shipper of the container should be subject to contractual
arrangements between the commercial parties.

15