At ICHCA's recent International Safety Panel meeting, the focus was on the twin problems faced by container handlers and container carriers arising from a lack of correct information being given by the originators of the cargo. This involves both weight and contents.
There is currently considerable concern regarding the mis-declaration of container weights, and the Panel emphasised that the basic obligation to provide the correct information rested with the shipper or consolidator.
Although the scale of the problem is not accurately known, the report on the MSC Napoli clearly indicates that, if there were sufficient ‘under declarations' on the deck, the stability and even safety of the ship could be affected and that the Napoli was carrying a considerable number of such ‘under declarations'.
Accordingly, the Panel considered that shippers must be made aware of their obligations, and this is best done by the shipping company when the booking for the voyage is accepted.
Secondly, terminals and shipping companies should decide together whether there is a need to check the weight of containers and, if so, how that might be done. In some instances, a weighbridge certificate could be provided with the goods as they enter the terminal, whilst in others a weight check on the terminal via a terminal weighbridge or terminal equipment using sensing devices might be possible.
The Panel was very clear that this problem was best tackled by the marine supply chain itself.
In respect of dangerous goods, the Panel acknowledged that with the 34th amendment of the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code (IMDG Code) becoming mandatory from January 1st, the provision relating to the training of shoreside workers was also mandatory and it reaffirmed the strategy that ICHCA International had previously proposed to its members, i.e. staff training followed by confirmation from shipper customers that his had been done.
Established in 1990, the International Safety Panel consists of seventy experts from around the world, specialised in cargo handling, training, insurance, terminal developments, lifting gear, plant and equipment and associated matters, with the aim of assisting cargo handlers and terminal operation companies.
