IMO pressed on container weight issue
Overloading of the MSC Napoli back in 2007 may have been averted if the container weight had been properly verified
Organisations have joined together in an effort to encourage the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to amend the Safety of Life at Sea Convention (SOLAS) to incorporate a condition for verifying weights of loaded containers.
The International Association of Port and Harbors (IAPH), World Shipping Council (WSC), the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and BIMCO have consultative status on this issue at the IMO.
“Having the actual weights of containers improves safety aboard ships, safety in the ports, and safety on the roads. There is no sound reason to continue the willful toleration of ignorance about cargo containers’ actual weights,” said Torben Skaanild, secretary general of BIMCO.
This call comes on the back of the need to gain more complete knowledge about what is actually inside cargo containers arriving in different countries – accurate cargo weights would help with screening.
Verification could also help to avert many overloading incidents - for instance the overloading of the MSC Napoli back in 2007, which may have been averted if the container weight had been properly verified.
Weighing containers accurately is also a no-brainer when it comes to safe cargo handling – eliminating the need for guesswork will reduce error and risk for all involved in loading both onboard and at the quay side.
IAPH, WSC, ICS and BIMCO will consult with IMO throughout 2012 on the development and implementation of recommended guidelines.
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