Sea freight is one of the most significant aspects of freight forwarding, with around 90% of the world’s goods being transported via ocean freight. Therefore, regulating the freight industry and ensuring maritime safety measures are in place is vital.
One of the most important and globally recognised maritime regulations is the SOLAS Convention, which plays an essential role in ensuring the security and safety of ships, their crews, cargo and the environment. Let’s take a further look into what the SOLAS Convention is, why it exists and why it’s important to understand its role in freight shipping.
SOLAS is an international treaty that was created to establish the standards for the safe
equipment, construction and operation of merchant ships. The initial version of the SOLAS
Convention was established following the Titanic disaster in 1914, however the treaty has been amended many times since. The current version that is in force today was created in 1974, often referred to as SOLAS 1974. The convention continues to be updated by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to recognise new safety concerns and advancements of technology in the maritime industry.
SOLAS is one of the three most important international regulations for maritime safety, alongside the MARPOL Convention and the STCW Convention.
SOLAS stands for The International Convention for The Safety of Life at Sea. The convention
covers a wide range of safety topics including ship design, life-saving appliances, the safe
navigation of vessels and the storage of shipping containers.
The IMO states that the main objective of the SOLAS Convention is to specify the minimum safety standards across various areas of merchant vessels. Some of these areas include;
● Construction – Defines the requirements for the structural integrity and stability of
shipping vessels.
● Fire protection – Includes regulations for fire safety provisions including the extinction,
detection and prevention of fire. This chapter of the Convention also covers the regulation
of fire safety equipment and appliances.
● Safety of navigation – Identifies regulations relating to the safety of navigation services
including meteorological services, routing of ships and the maintenance of search and
rescue services.
● Carriage of cargo – Regulations cover the requirements for the correct stowage and and
securing of cargo or containers on cargo ships.
● Carriage of dangerous goods – Regulations provide the requirements regarding
packaging, labelling, documentation and stowage of dangerous and hazardous cargo.
All merchant ships across the world need to be registered to a state of its choice. That ship is then required to carry the flag of that state, following the rules and regulations of the Flag State nation’s maritime law. The Flag State must ensure that ships carrying their flag comply with these requirements and a number of SOLAS Convention certificates are provided as proof that this has been done.
Due to the large global scale of the sea freight industry, international regulations such as SOLAS ensure that safety standards are consistently enforced and don’t vary from one state to another. SOLAS sets a minimum standard of safety regulations for freight ships, no matter the types of goods they’re carrying, to maintain a high safety standard regardless of Flag State or route.
There are specific freight shipping regulations set out by the SOLAS Convention that carriers,
shipping companies and shippers should be aware of. These mostly refer to the packaging,
documentation and the verified gross mass (VGM) of cargo.
SOLAS Chapter VII is dedicated to regulations regarding the transportation of dangerous goods via sea, including solid, packaging and liquid forms. The SOLAS Convention also includes the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code, which became mandatory under SOLAS in 2004. The code covers the safe transport of dangerous goods in packaged form.
When importing or exporting dangerous goods internationally, shippers must make themselves aware of the IMDG Code and the detailed requirements that are applicable to individual substances or material. Each substance is subject to its own packing, container traffic, stowage and segregation regulations.
Under SOLAS VI regulations, every shipping container is required to have a VGM, Verified Gross Mass, as of 1st July 2016. If a packed shipping container is uploaded to a vessel without a VGM, this is a violation of SOLAS. The regulation was introduced due to a history of maritime accidents caused by unbalanced shipping containers which led to crew accidents, costly loss of cargo and instability on vessels.
By providing an accurate weight of shipping containers, vessels are now able to be loaded
correctly and the weight distributed evenly to prevent accidents.
Verified Gross Mass is simply the total weight of a packed cargo container. The total number
should include the cargo, the packaging and the weight of the container itself.
The responsibility of obtaining and providing the VGM of a packed container lies with the shipper that is named on the Bill of Lading. The VGM must be provided in a shipping document, either as part of the shipping instruction or as part of a separate communication. In the absence of a valid VGM, a packed container will fail to be loaded onto the ship and lead to unnecessary delays.
Once a container has been packed with goods, the container should be placed on a weighbridge to work out the loaded weight of the container.
Alternatively, a shipper can weigh all of their cargo prior to loading the container, including the packaging and dunnage, and add this amount to the tare weight of the container to determine the total weight.
For carriers and shipping companies, understanding and complying with SOLAS is essential to maintaining a safe, reliable and sustainable operation. While shippers don’t need to understand the full ins and outs of SOLAS, being compliant with the IMDG Code and consistently providing the VGM of containers is vital for efficient global trade.
At Jenkar Shipping, our friendly team of experts are always on hand to help you understand the complexities of these regulations and ensure that your shipments always meet the necessary requirements. We offer comprehensive guidance and solutions that are tailored to your business’ exact needs, ensuring that your experience is as seamless as possible. By partnering with us at Jenkar, you’ll benefit from smooth and seamless shipping solutions that take your business beyond borders, getting your goods to where they need to be safely and on time. Get in touch today to get started.
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