From July 1, 2016, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) will implement changes to regulations for container weight verifications in the shipping industry, requiring shippers to provide a verified gross mass (VGM) for containers, AMSA said in its press release.These changes reflect amendments to the International Safety of Life at Sea Convention, approved by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).
To implement the new international requirements, AMSA has amended Marine Order 42 (Cargo, stowage and securing). Under the changes, the shipper is required to provide a signed VGM to the terminal and the master of a vessel or their representative, in advance of a container being loaded.
Providing a VGM for a container allows the master of a vessel to plan ship loading, so that the ship is stable, hull strength and stack weights are not exceeded and lashing arrangements are effective.
