2. Other issues
(a) Safety of container ships
Following discussion, the MSC at its ninety-third session
approved “Draft amendments to SOLAS regulation
VI/2” related to mandatory verification of gross mass of
a container (IMO 2014l, annex 19), with a view to their
consideration and adoption at the ninety-fourth session.
The Committee also approved “Guidelines regarding
the verified gross mass of a container carrying cargo”
(IMO, 2014r).
Practice has shown that if ships are overloaded with
overweight containers, the structural integrity and stability
of the ship risk being compromised and accidents may
occur. It has been argued that weighing containers
may help avoid such accidents and combat possible
misdeclaration of exports. However, some shipper
groups have resisted mandatory container weighing,
arguing that the rule would add extra costs and that
the infrastructure to weigh containers, particularly in
developing countries, is not in place (JOC, 2014).
Under the draft SOLAS amendments, container
weights will need to be verified before the containers
are loaded onto vessels. Shippers can either weigh the
loaded container or weigh all packages and cargo items
and then add the weight of the empty box. These draft
amendments are expected to be considered during the
ninety-fourth session of the MSC in November 2014,
and if finally adopted their earliest entry into force would
be 1 July 2016.