Training on measures to prevent loss of containers has been held in Accra, Ghana (5-9 September) for officials from nine west and central African countries*.
The workshop was attended by officials from container terminals, port authority, stevedores, the local shippers and cargo forwarding agents, maritime administration, the national competent authority for container safety, and authorities responsible for certification of weights and measures.
The event was run by IMO and the Ghana Maritime Authority to support the full implementation of relevant requirements/recommendations, namely:
the amendments to SOLAS regulations VI/2.4 to VI/2.6 regarding requirements for the verification of the gross mass (VGM) of packed containers (SOLAS VGM requirements), which entered into force on 1 July 2016;
the IMO/ILO/UNECE CTU Code (MSC.1/Circ.1497) and the associated informative material (MSC.1/Circ.1498);
the Due diligence checklist in identifying providers of CTU-related services (MSC.1/Circ.1531);
the revised ISO 1161 (Series 1 freight containers - Corner fittings - Specifications) and ISO 3874 (Series 1 freight containers - Handling and securing); and
best practices for preventing the use of counterfeit refrigerants.
* Cabo Verde, Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone.
