Dutch MARIN urges mandatory weighing of boxes before loading

THE Dutch Maritime Research Institute of the Netherlands (MARIN) has formally recommended that all containers be compulsorily weighed before loading, reports London's Containerisation International.

As it stands, a shipper's declaration is sufficient, but MARIN Trials and Monitoring project manager Jos Koning says tests show this is no longer good enough to ensure safe stowage.

His statement comes on the back of a MARIN-led three-year study of five ships which included model tests of secured cargo and a survey of crew opinions in the container, ro-ro and heavylift sectors.

Now the Dutch government, together with the British and Swedish maritime administrations, are ready to make recommendations to the UN's International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) to improve safety levels and operational efficiency, said a report on the MARIN website.

A consortium of 24 participants representing flag states, classification societies, shipowners and lashing equipment manufacturers, as well as crew from nearly 160 vessels, took part in the project sponsored by the Dutch government.

(Source: www.schednet.com)