Rules of required cargo information for carriage at sea

Rules of required cargo information for carriage at sea

Cargo ships guideline

The MS (Carriage of Cargoes) Regulations 1999 (SI 1999/336) [Regulation 4(1)] specifies that the shipper must provide such information to the operator or master sufficiently in advance of loading to enable them to ensure that:

• the different commodities to be carried are compatible with each other or suitably separated;
• the cargo is suitable for the ship;
• the ship is suitable for the cargo; and
• the cargo can be safely stowed and secured on board the ship and transported under all expected conditions during the intended voyage.

The cargo information must include:

• in the case of general cargo, and cargo carried in cargo units, a general description of the cargo, the gross mass of the cargo or cargo units, and any relevant special properties of the cargo;

• in the case of bulk cargoes, information on the stowage factor of the cargo, the trimming procedures, the likelihood of shifting including angle of repose, if applicable, and any other relevant special properties. In the case of a concentrate or other cargo which may liquefy, additional information in the form of a certificate indicating the moisture content of the cargo and its transportable moisture limit (TML) (this certificate is sometimes known as a Shipper’s Declaration);

• in the case of bulk cargoes which are not classified in accordance with SOLAS regulation VII/2, but have chemical properties that may create a potential hazard, information on the chemical properties in addition to the information (specified above) required by other bulk cargo.

The cargo information must be confirmed in writing and by appropriate shipping documents (e.g. shipping instructions, loading plan, etc.) prior to loading the cargo on the ship (regulation 4(2)).

In preparing cargo units (e.g. wheeled cargo, containers, pallets, tanks, etc.) for carriage by ships, the shipper or forwarder, as the case may be, must ensure that the gross mass of the units is in accordance with the gross mass declared on the shipping documents (regulation 4(3)).

Where the shipper does not deliver the cargo to the ship or its agent he must provide the forwarder with such cargo information, and the forwarder must then provide the operator or master with the appropriate cargo information (regulation 4(4)).

If a shipper or forwarder fails to provide appropriate cargo information as required by regulation 4, or provides cargo information which he knows to be false or recklessly furnishes cargo information which is false, he will be guilty of an offence (regulation 4(5)).

If an owner or master accepts for carriage, or takes or receives on board any cargo for which appropriate cargo information as required by regulation 4 has not been provided, he will be guilty of an offence (regulation 4(7)).

An MCA-recommended form for presentation of cargo information is contained in Appendix 2 to The Carriage of Cargoes, Volume 2 – Instructions for the Guidance of Surveyors (1999). The form is not applicable if the cargo to be loaded requires a declaration under SOLAS regulation VII/5, MARPOL Annex III regulation 4, or the IMDG Code, General Introduction, section 9.

Ships carrying dangerous goods or marine pollutants must, in addition, carry a dangerous goods or marine pollutants list, manifest or stowage plan .

Prior to loading a solid bulk cargo on a sea-going bulk carrier of 500gt or over, the shipper is required to make a Solid Bulk Cargo Density Declaration .

Rules of cargo documentation

The MS (Carriage of Cargoes) Regulations 1999 (SI 1999/336) specifies the owner and master of every ship to which the Regulations apply, other than a ship engaged in the carriage of grain, must ensure that “appropriate documentation” relevant to the cargo and its stowage and securing, which should specify in particular the precautions necessary for the safe carriage of that cargo by sea, is carried on board (regulation 5(1)).

Under regulation 5(2) the documentation referred to above may consist of one or more of the following codes of safe practice:

• the IMO Code of Safe Practice for Cargo Stowage and Securing (CSS Code) 1992 edition, as amended in 1994 and 1995;

• the IMO Code of Safe Practice for Ships Carrying Timber Deck Cargoes (TDC Code) 1992 edition; and

• the IMO Code of Safe Practice for Solid Bulk Cargoes (BC Code), 1991 edition, as amended in 1996.

The owner and master of every ship carrying grain to which the Regulations apply must ensure that the International Grain Code is carried on board, and will be guilty of an offence for any breach of this requirement (regulation 5(3)). For notes on the requirements of the International Grain Code, see F07g.2.

All passenger ships and cargo ships carrying cargoes other than solid bulk cargoes, except cargo ships of less than 500gt on non-international (i.e. domestic) voyages, must carry a Cargo Securing Manual (regulation 5(4)).
“Cargo Securing Manual” means a manual drawn up to the standard in IMO circular MSC/Circ.745 and approved, in the case of UK ships, by the MCA, or in the case of non-UK ships, by or on behalf of the flag State20 (regulation 2(1)). MGN 146 gives guidance on the preparation and format of the Cargo Securing Manual.

Summarized below some more details on general cargo ship cargo handling procedure and operational info:

Cargo handling procedure for general cargo ship

Rules of required cargo information for carriage at sea

Machinery system main info pages