IACS adopts Unified Requirements to address container loss

As explained by IACS, by mandating lashing software for all seagoing dedicated container ships as an additional means to supplement the container stowage and securing plan, UR C6, ‘Requirements for Lashing Software’, provides harmonised performance standards and requirements.

Lashing software serves as a critical tool in optimising cargo securing arrangements, mitigating the risk of shifting and potential loss of containers during transit. UR C6 therefore details the functional requirements the lashing software is to comply with, together with the requirements of the test loading conditions used to approve and survey the software as well as the approval and survey procedures for the software. It is also to be capable of indicating the respective permissible values in order to assist the master in his/her judgement on whether the ship is loaded within the approved limits. The following parameters are to be presented:

• summary of ship particulars such as IMO No., length, and breadth;
• summary of loading conditions showing relevant input parameters such as draught and GM;
• stack and container positions;
• actual stack weights verified against permissible stack weights;
• relevant properties of securing devices, including permissible loads;
•  accelerations and other external forces such as wind containers are exposed to;
•  listing of all calculated forces on containers and container securing equipment, and evaluation of compliance of the calculated forces with the corresponding allowable values.

By adopting uniform standards, IACS aims to enhance consistency and reliability in the implementation of lashing software, thereby promoting safer shipping practices by providing vessels with advanced tools to optimize cargo securing arrangements.

… said the Organization in its statemen

Ensuring the proper securing of cargo is paramount not only for the safety of the vessel, but also for the protection of the cargo and the personnel onboard.  This requires properly accounting for the strength of the container securing systems used onboard the vessel, IACS explains.

Therefore, in conjunction with UR C6, IACS has also developed and adopted UR C7, ‘Approval and Certification of Container Securing Systems’, which mandates minimum requirements for the approval and certification of container securing systems for container ships.

UR C7 defines a comprehensive scope of approval and/or certification for container securing system, encompassing fixed and portable container securing fittings, arrangement plans, drawings of container supporting structures, and cargo safe access plans.

The container securing arrangement plan is to contain all information necessary to prepare lashing calculations in accordance with the Rules of the Society. The container securing arrangement plan is to include at least the following information:

• summary of ship particulars such as IMO No., length and breadth;
• summary of loading conditions showing relevant input parameters such as draught and GM;
• longitudinal views of under deck and on deck stowage locations of containers as appropriate showing nominal capacity;
• maximum stack masses;
• relevant properties of securing fittings, including permissible loads;
• graphical presentation of container and lashing arrangements in each bay on deck and in holds for sample loading conditions in accordance with the Rules of the Society for each container type the ship is allowed to carry;
• stack total mass and the sequence of masses in a stack;
• minimum quantity of fittings required to secure containers for the presented sample loading conditions.

Both UR C6 and C7 will be uniformly implemented by IACS Member Societies on ships contracted for construction on or after 1 July 2025.

With the adoption of UR C6 and C7, IACS further demonstrates its commitment to the safety and reliability of container ship operations, mitigating the risk of accidents and cargo loss, and thus enhancing maritime safety and the protection of the marine environment.

… said IACS Secretary General, Robert Ashdown