Liberia Maritime Authority has issued Marine Operations Note in order to provide information and guidance on the application of the new Annex 14 of the CSS Code for new and existing ships designed and fitted for the carriage of containers on deck.
The new Annex 14 of the CSS Code, relating to the “Guidance on Providing Safe Working Conditions for Securing of Containers on Deck” was introduced to the CSS Code by the Maritime Safety Committee, at its eighty-seventh session and subsequently amended at its ninety-fourth session by MSC.1/Circ.1352/Rev.1.
The aim of the new Annex 14 is to ensure that persons engaged in carrying out container securing operations on deck have safe working conditions and in particular, safe access, appropriate securing equipment and safe places of work. The Guidelines for the preparation of the Cargo Securing Manual were also revised by reference and expanded to include the safe access for lashing of containers, taking into account the provisions of the CSS Code, as amended.
New container ships
New ships, the keels of which are laid on or after 1 January 2015, shall apply the new Annex 14, including
provision of a cargo safe access plan in the Cargo Securing Manual. Concerns in applying Annex 14, should be brought to the attention of this Administration.
Existing container ships
- Shipowners of existing ships, the keels of which were laid or which are at a similar stage of construction before 1 January 2015, are encouraged to apply Section 4.4 (Training and familiarization), Section 7.1 (Introduction), Section 7.3 (Maintenance); and Section 8 (Specialized Container Safety Design) of new Annex 14 by the first survey related to the Safety Construction Certificate on or after 1 January 2016.
- Shipowners are encouraged to apply the principles of relevant guidance contained in the new Annex 14, section 6 (Design) and section 7.2 (Operational Procedures), as far as practicable, with the understanding that existing Ships would not be required to be enlarged or undergo other major structural modifications.
- Concerns in applying the above should be brought to the attention of this Administration.
- Shipowners, Operators of existing ships are encouraged to include procedures for a cargo safe access plan (CSAP) in accordance with chapter 5 of reference (b) implementing the guidelines in section 4.3 of reference (a) at the next revision of the approved Cargo Securing Manual.
Notwithstanding the provisions detailed above, Shipowners/Operators and Masters are encouraged to contact the competent authorities in ports where their ships are calling to see if any additional requirements have been implemented.
Further information may be found below
Source: Republic of Liberia
