New Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) regulations on container weights are coming into effect from 1 July 2016 and from that date Flinders Adelaide Container Terminal will no longer receive or load containers without a declared Verified Gross Mass (VGM). The new rules, which were developed by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and approved two years ago, require shippers to provide the VGM of containers before these arrive at a container terminal.
“Shippers can continue to use our Pre-Receival Form (PRA) as long as the shipper or an appointed third party provides the VGM,” said Mr Steve Cox, General Manager of Flinders Adelaide Container Terminal.
There are two approved options to confirm a container’s VGM: either the shipper or third party appointed by the shipper weighs the packed and sealed container using calibrated and certified equipment after packing is completed, or the shipper or agent weighs all cargo items, packaging and securing materials on calibrated and certified equipment, then adds this to the tare mass of the container to give the total VGM.
In addition, shippers will need to include details of the “method” and the name of the “authorised individual” on the PRA forms they send to Flinders Adelaide Container Terminal.
“We are currently working with 1-Stop to develop a message type for shippers lodging PRA’s with the terminal via EDIFACT messaging. This will be a single message type that our clients can use on both 1-Stop and FACT communications platforms, said Mr Cox.
Work on this common message type will be carried out over the coming weeks. Once the work is complete Flinders Adelaide Container Terminal will update its systems and customers will be informed.
Want to know more?
View Flinders Adelaide Container Terminal’s Information Booklet
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Additional References
Australian Government – Australian Maritime Safety Authority’s Discussion Paper
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Industry Booklet – Verified Gross Mass – Industry FAQs
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About Flinders Adelaide Container Terminal
Flinders Adelaide Container Terminal has operated since July 2012 when Flinders Port Holdings gained 100% ownership of the Adelaide Container Terminal from DP World South Australia. Flinders Adelaide Container Terminal aims to be recognised as the most efficient and customer focussed container terminal operator in Australia. In 2015, the Container Terminal, which is located in Outer Harbor, South Australia, handled around 379,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), including overstows and empty TEUs and stevedored 364 container ships.
