新IMO公约生效
2015.12.31
2016年将有二条IMO公约开始生效:
1. 危险货物专册追加篇-于元月一日开始生效.
2. 集装货箱装船之前必需过地磅-于七月一日开始生效.
1. New amendments to the IMDG Code become mandatory
Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS) brings to notice that the new amendments to the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code will become mandatory on 1 January 2016.
The amendments to the IMDG Code contained in Resolution MSC.372(93) Amendments were adopted in May 2014, at IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee 93-rd session, as RS timely informed all the interested parties.
The Resolution introduced into the code the Rules 1 and 2 Appendix I to the International CSC Convention concerning the labelling upon safety, maintenance and inspection conditions approval. The Resolution also introduced the new sections 7.1.5 Stowage codes, 7.1.6 Handling codes and 7.2.8 Segregation codes. The Dangerous Goods List has been reorganised respectively and column 16 has been divided to cover separately Stowage and handling (16a) and Segregation (16b).
Twenty new United Nations (UN) numbers have been added (UN3507 to UN3526), covering various absorbed gases, uranium hexafluoride, asymmetric capacitors and discarded, empty, unclean packaging. A whole range of amendments concern the provisions covering Class 7 radioactive goods, special provisions and packing instructions.
RS is ready to carry out survey of containers, certification of packing and tare as well as declaration of dangerous goods taking into consideration the new amendments.
Source: Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS)
2. The conundrum of container weighing
Come July 1, 2016, every export loaded container, from any part of the world, would have to be weighed and verified (Verified Gross Mass-VGM) before being loaded onto a vessel. This mandate comes from the International Maritime Organization which has adopted amendments to the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) convention, making weighing of all export containers sine qua non, for loading on any vessel. Is the Indian maritime industry ready for the strict compliance of this requirement? Would the enforcement, crinkle the existing supply chain leading to congestion of containers in Inland Container Depots (ICD) and Gateway Ports? In a recent seminar organised by the Company of Master Mariners of India (CMMI), the honchos of the maritime industry sought to thresh out the need for strict and seamless compliance.
The SOLAS as its expanded form indicates, is considered as one of the more important international treaties concerning the safety of merchant ships. Incorrect declaration or wilfully under-declared containers is a nightmare both for the Masters and ship-owners. In the grounding of MSC Napoli in 2007, attributed to bad weather, it was found that out of 312 containers, 137 containers were heavier than the weight of the cargo given in the manifest.
The accidents are numerous that could be more directly ascribed to incorrect declaration of weight – buckling of containers, listing of ships, toppling of forklifts, all resulting in fatalities.
The SOLAS rules prescribe two methods by which the shipper may obtain the verified gross mass of a packed container. The first method is by weighing the container along with its contents and the second method is by weighing the cargo separately along with packing, pallet, dunnage etc and then adding the tare mass of the container.
Who or which agency would do the mandatory verification of weights? Most terminals, ICDs and ports have the weigh-bridges and other facilities to undertake the verification of container weights. However would this not lead to congestion at these points before the containers are railed or loaded onto the vessel? These facilities would be alright for containers stuffed at these locations. But what about for CY stuffed containers which forms the majority of export loaded containers? To avoid congestion the verification of container weights would have to be done as far away as possible from ports and terminals, in order to avoid bottleneck congestions.
Many of the conglomerates, both national and international can afford to have weighing facilities at their premises. The difficulty arises for small and medium sized industries. Can there be an authorised weighbridges outside city limits verifying the weights of loaded containers? Would it be acceptable to all? Who would certify the weight? Would such authorised points degenerate to the level of some of the vehicle pollution control centres where one may obtain certificate of pollution under control, without actually getting your vehicle tested for pollution?
To what extent would the discrepancies between shipper’s declaration of weight and terminal weight be acceptable? A limit would have to be set on the breadth of variation.
Majority of the loaded containers are correctly declared. It is only the few wilful defaulters whose containers could prove to be pernicious. The weighing would bring in an extra move and thereby an extra cost and yet another document to contend with.
These are procedures that need to be circumvented, streamlined and disseminated well before the deadline is upon us. The country’s 12 major ports cumulatively handled 4.76 million 20-foot-equivalent units from April to October, 2014. Weighty issues lie ahead for the Indian maritime sector.
Source: Economic Times
