Maritime and port safety news

Company PS Porttraining in cooperation with Polish IT Company SPRINT S.A was participating in 18th International Conference "MARITIME TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURE – 2016, held in Riga, April 21-22, 2016"

The Conference was attended by more than 40 delegates from 6 countries, including government and port officials, maritime education and technology experts. The Annual Conference is one of the most prominent maritime industry events within the Baltic Sea region and it was devoted to strengthening cooperation between scientific and commercial sector and to facilitate the research activities across the region.

One of The Forum speakers was SPRINT S.A and Porttraining.lv representative presenting theme “National Single Window in Poland - actual implementation” under topic Port and maritime business today.

Polish NSW is intelligent IT infrastructure created for maritime sector, particularly for shipping business to support “Single Window” principle, which is a EU level action for maritime sector that allows parties involved in maritime trade to submit once, standardized information using single entry point to fulfil international, EU and national ship’s reporting requirements.

  The Conference has proven that the Baltic Sea region and other EU countries need to continue cooperation in scientific and R&D activities. Changes in maritime sector due innovative perspective can be accelerated through collaboration and partnerships.

Baltic region container logistics met Riga to discuss on SOLAS container weighting

• The Seminar aims was highlight changes in equipment and technology allowing port terminals and shippers   to adhere SOLAS convention rules, whilst illustrating practical solutions   from the manufacturers offering solutions for container logistics.

  Riga was offered by organizations PS Porttraining.lv as a meeting place to both learn about and discuss the latest in the industry enable them to effectively implement the changes needed to reduce efforts needed for adjustments in container industry after 1 July 2016.

  With the ongoing increase in number of uncertainties regarding new requirements put on container terminals and shippers, seminar provided a platform where terminal operators, authority representatives and container lines met to discuss the many unclear issues surrounding industry.

  Working sessions covering teams: The new requirement put on shippers, terminal operators and authorities; Certified and calibrated equipment to weigh a container with cargo and The exchange of verified mass information message, ensured a productive working day and discussions between regulatory and commercial parties.

  Biggest container terminal in Latvia director Aldis Zieds after consultations remained sceptical: “Current response from authorities demonstrated how much uncertainty there is on how to properly implement the new procedures and regulations, and afraid to admit that no one knows how procedures and container weight verification, may affect business after 1 July.” But   Baltic countries leading Container terminal Klaipeda Smeltė, Operations Director, Linas Miceika said: Container shipping companies and terminals continue to be concerned by the incidence of shippers providing incorrect container weights, and we lent support to this initiative, but it has not enjoyed full favour with some shippers. Real situation on way forward will be clear after 1 July. Our institutions have a plan and we will follow on development locally and globally.

  From the other hand, IPCSA, TT Club, and other welcomed work done in Latvia, Lithuania and Ukraine, as many countries hadn't been so far -very close to finalises drafts for national regulations. It was praised in the industry meets to seek together what to do, in anticipation of changes. Richard Morton from IPCSA demonstrated regulatory scope developed form other European countries,   approving readiness for first intends of industry   to verify the gross mass of packed containers.

  Strainstall and Tally Tech representative demonstrated comprehensive “roadmap” for solutions already implemented in container terminals or areas in UK, Germany and other countries.

  Work session moderator Bill Brassington, Consultant to IMO/ILO/UNECE, clearly indicated need for new regulations aimed at shippers failing to correctly declare container weights, as instrument to reduce the loss of containers from vessels.

  At the end of the day main conclusions was, that it will remain up to national jurisdictions to decide way forward.

  It was concluded at the end of the seminar by Baltic Sea region port training center PS Porttraining representative Zane Vilkausa “I believe new weighting rules discussed today will be the one of the largest challenges facing the container shipping industry globally in year 2016. All container shipping procedures will be affected from the booking of the container through to loading on ship, including communications between lines and the terminal operators” she said.

  “As many times pointe out early today,   legal persons under regulations are shipper, Master, terminal representative, freight forwarders and   national Administrations. All of them are obliged: weigh, calculate, verify, collect and distribute the information of the verified gross mass of a sea container on their own responsibility. Very useful tips and explanations of global requirements are given already.   But we needing a greater understanding of several developments that will hit the industry in 2016” she concluded.

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• The IMDG code Amendment 37-14 becomes mandatory on the 1st of January 2016.

IMO Sub-Committee  on  Carriage  of  Cargoes  and  Containers  (CCC)  Circular CCC.1/Circ.2 on 'Carriage of bauxite that may liquefy' now issued.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has amended the Safety of Life at Sea

Convention (SOLAS) to require, as a condition for loading a packed container onto a ship for

export, that the container  has a verified weight.

The shipper is responsible for the verification  of the packed container’s weight.

This requirement will become legally effective on July 1, 2016. After that date, it would be a violation of SOLAS to load a packed  container onto a vessel if the vessel operator and marine terminal operator do not have a verified container weight.