1 The shipper shall provide the master or his
representative with appropriate information on the cargo sufficiently
in advance of loading to enable the precautions which may be necessary
for proper stowage and safe carriage of the cargo to be put into effect.
Such informationfootnote shall be confirmed in
writingfootnote and by appropriate shipping documents
prior to loading the cargo on the ship.
2 The cargo information shall include:
-
.1 in the case of general cargo, and of cargo
carried in cargo units, a general description of the cargo, the gross
mass of the cargo or of the cargo units, and any relevant special
properties of the cargo. For the purpose of this regulation the cargo
information required in sub-chapter 1.9 of
the Code of Safe Practice for Cargo Stowage and Securing, adopted
by the Organization by resolution A.714(17),
as may be amended, shall be provided. Any such amendment to sub-chapter 1.9 shall be adopted, brought into
force and take effect in accordance with the provisions of article VIII of the present Convention
concerning the amendment procedures applicable to the Annex other
than chapter I.
-
.2 in the case of solid bulk cargo, information
as required by section 4 of the IMSBC Code.
3 Prior to loading cargo units on board ships,
the shipper shall ensure that the gross mass of such units is in accordance
with the gross mass declared on the shipping documents.
4 In the case of cargo carried in a
containerfootnote, except for containers carried on a chassis or a trailer
when such containers are driven on or off a ro-ro ship engaged in short international
voyages as defined in regulation III/3, the gross mass according to paragraph 2.1 of
this regulation shall be verified by the shipper, either by:
- .1 weighing the packed container using calibrated and certified equipment; or
- .2 weighing all packages and cargo items, including the mass of pallets, dunnage and
other securing material to be packed in the container and adding the tare mass of the
container to the sum of the single masses, using a certified method approved by the
competent authority of the State in which packing of the container was
completed.
5 The shipper of a container shall ensure the
verified gross massfootnote is stated in the shipping document. The shipping document
shall be:
- .1 signed by a person duly authorized by the shipper; and
- .2 submitted to the master or his representative and to the terminal
representative sufficiently in advance, as required by the master or his
representative, to be used in the preparation of the ship stowage planfootnote.
6 If the shipping document, with regard to a packed
container, does not provide the verified gross mass and the master or his representative
and the terminal representative have not obtained the verified gross mass of the packed
container, it shall not be loaded on to the ship.