MEASURES TO ENHANCE SAFETY OF CONTAINERIZED CARGO TRANSPORT BY REVIZING STANDARDS FOR CARGO INFORMATION AND EDI BAPLIE AND MOVINS MESSAGES STRUCTURE

The intensified containerization during last decades and the increased capacity of container ships in combination with unverified container weights and EDI techniques which do not fully comply with SOLAS Ch VI requirements have led to a number of incidents involving loss of containerized cargo. This paper analyses both present SOLAS requirements for proper cargo information, including the IMO’s recently proposed amendments, and the modern techniques and standards for EDI. An introduction of obligatory verification of container weights at container terminal gates is proposed which together with revised BAPLIE and MOVINS EDI standards as suggested by author would form an efficient safety barrier contributing to the safety of maritime container transport.