1 The Maritime Safety Committee, at its ninetieth session (16 to 25 May 2012), noted
that Member Government reports on inspections of cargo transport units (CTUs), as
defined in chapter 1.2 of the IMDG Code, carrying dangerous goods for international
transport by sea, could benefit from guidance on how to conduct the inspections.
Inspection procedures and protocols may vary, depending on the specific type of CTU,
on how it is presented for inspection (e.g. whether mounted on chassis or grounded),
and on the need for additional precautions depending on the specific nature of
potential dangerous goods (e.g. radioactive, explosive, inhalation hazard).
2 Noting that in those countries where regular inspection programmes have been
implemented, a considerable improvement has been experienced in the general
compliance with those standards, MSC 90 approved MSC.1/Circ.1442 on Inspection
programmes for cargo transport units carrying dangerous goods, which offered
inspection guidance to Member Governments to facilitate improvement to and
implementation of inspection programmes. Furthermore, to help identify areas of
improvement to pertinent IMO standards, Member Governments were requested to
continue providing reports on inspections of cargo transport units. The results have
been duly submitted to IMO over the preceding years, usually accompanied by a
summary of such reports compiled by the Secretariat. To avoid the diverting of
dangerous goods to ports where inspections are not carried out, a regional approach
should be taken.
3 The Maritime Safety Committee, at its 100th session, agreed to revise the
Inspection programmes for cargo transport units carrying dangerous goods
(MSC.1/Circ.1442, as amended by MSC.1/Circ.1521), in order to broaden the
inspection programmes for CTUs. In this context, the Committee, at its 105th session
(20 to 29 April 2022), approved Guidelines for the implementation of the
inspection programmes for cargo transport units, as set out in the annex,
prepared by the Sub-Committee on Carriage of Cargoes and Containers, at its seventh
session (6 to 10 September 2021).
4 The inspection guidance set out in the annex, while not in all cases definitive, is
intended to provide Member Governments with adequate inspection guidelines and
procedures to prompt substantial compliance with IMO standards and is applicable to
all types of CTUs. Related circulars may be developed or updated to address
peculiarities of specific types of CTUs and to provide greater detail on certain
inspection items such as structural integrity (see resolution MSC.310(88)).
5 Noting the low rate of submission of inspection reports to the Organization, Member
Governments are encouraged to submit all reports on inspections of CTUs. Assuming
inspection procedures among Member Governments are comparable to the guidelines
contained in the annex, the reports will make it possible to justify and effect
safety improvements without an actual safety incident happening. To aid the
Organization in evaluating the reports, Governments are invited to submit their
reports in a structured manner, using the format given in the appendix, or directly
in the "Reports of CTU inspections" module of the Global Integrated Shipping
Information System (GISIS).
6 Member Governments are invited to apply the annexed Guidelines when implementing
inspection programmes for CTUs and bring them to the attention of CTU inspectors,
shippers, packers, dock workers, shipowners, ship operators, masters and crews, and
all parties concerned.
7 This circular revokes MSC.1/Circ.1442 and MSC.1/Circ.1521.