ClassNK Updates Container Stowage Guidelines

ClassNK has released the second edition of its Guidelines for Container Stowage and Securing Arrangements. The update comes in response to recent industry changes as the amount and size of container carriers increases more than ever before, the classification society said.

According to ClassNK, the average size newly delivered containership last year was over 7,000TEU and various new securing technologies have been developed to enhance the efficiency of loading containers on board these ever-growing vessels. Consequently, it has become increasingly important to evaluate the adequacy of such container stowage and securing arrangements. Taking into consideration ISO standards, the growing diversity of actual stowage and securing methods on container vessels and loads acting on containers due to ship motions, ClassNK has developed strength evaluation methods for safer stowage and securing arrangements.

The second edition of the guidelines includes amendments to evaluation methods to allow for the consideration of the effect of sea routes on stowage and securing. For those vessels installed with lashing calculation programs capable of evaluating container lashing strength, a new class notation can be affixed.

In addition, procedures related to affixing class notations for ships in compliance with the IMO regulations on providing safe working conditions for securing of containers on deck in CSS Code (Code of Safe Practice for Cargo Stowage and Securing) Annex 14 have also been included in the updated guidelines. Although this is a non-mandatory code, a number of states have been requiring that container ships calling at their ports comply with the CSS Code, and the ClassNK guidelines now include an audit of ships to ascertain that they comply with the CSS Code Annex 14.