What You Need to Know About SOLAS and the Container Weight Requirement

The first version was adopted as a response to the Titanic disaster with subsequent versions of SOLAS adopted throughout the years. The SOLAS Convention specifies minimum safety standards for the construction, equipment and operation of ships.

The SOLAS Container Weight Verification Requirement
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has declared a container weight verification requirement within the SOLAS Convention. Effective on July 1, 2016, with a transition period through October 1, this requirement states that an accurate container weight must be provided prior to loading upon an ocean vessel.

This container weight mandate is a result of recent instances where inaccurate weights have contributed to maritime casualties and capsizes. Incorrect container weights also result in dock worker injuries, container stack collapses, cargo damage and environmental evastation. As ocean vessels increase in size, the accurate weight is increasingly important to avoid larger scale incidents that might result from unreliable container and vessel weights.