Amendments to SOLAS Regulation
The Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has amended the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) regulation VI/2 at its ninety-fourth session on 17 to 21 November, 2014, that will enter into force on 1st July 2016.
The amendments introduce the requirement for the gross mass of a packed container to be verified by the shipper prior to loading on a ship. The verification of the gross mass of a packed container may be achieved by either of two methods:-
- weighing the packed container using calibrated and certified equipment; or
- 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.
In accordance with new paragraph 6 of SOLAS regulation VI/2, if the shipping document, with regard to a packed container, does not provide the verified gross mass and the master or his representative and the terminal representative have not obtained the verified gross mass of the packed container, it shall not be loaded on to the ship.
Please find below the Circular Letter No.3624 issued by IMO dated 10th February 2016 for easy reference.
