Container operations are often reliant on road carriage prior to and after carriage by sea. Careful attention to the associated road equipment is required to minimise the risks.
Containers play a major role in international trade; rigorous equipment maintenance processes are critical. Consider which examination process best mitigates the risks.
Container operators need to ensure they have in place a system for monitoring and maintaining the state of the containers under their stewardship. Diverse stakeholders drive differing requirements.
New 'Guidelines for the Carriage of Calcium Hypochlorite in Containers' are intended to allow the carriage of calcium hypochlorite under controlled circumstances, to ensure that it is properly declared, packaged, packed and carried.
The explosion at Tianjin Port last August should be seen as a spectacular example of why those operating throughout the global supply chains should examine their work practices and risk policies more thoroughly.
The IMO has issued a Circular to all Member States and the transport industry this week in order to assist the implementation of the VGM amendment to SOLAS, which comes into effect on 1 July. TT Club welcomes the move, noting that governments have also been urged to engage with the industry in their jurisdictions to assist with compliance and to share best practice with other national authorities.
When the requirement for verified gross mass (VGM) was adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in November 2014, preparations should have started through the containerised supply chain to reach compliance. Now less than two months to enforcement, what final steps need to be in place?
The impending mandatory enforcement of verified gross mass (VGM) for all packed containers as a pre-condition to loading on board a ship is - at last - concentrating minds and energy towards implementation. The concern must be that too little time has been left to preclude trade problems in the immediate aftermath of 1 July 2016.
The ICHCA International Conference 2016 took place in Barcelona, Spain, using the theme 'Bigger Ships, Greater Challenges". The conference attracted over 200 delegates and a number of prominent speakers, including a keynote address from Mr Kitack Lim, the Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
Two recent groundings of mega container ships act possibly as gentle reminders that persistent shipping risks face stakeholders. Similarly, risks of cargo management for every size of container ship have not receded - specifically that of 'adjacency', the potential for the actions of one shipper, having mis-declared or incorrectly packed cargo in one container, to have an impact on the entire maritime adventure.
