The Bureau International des Containers (BIC), which is a France-based international non-profit organisation, has announced that it has created a database containing the tare weights of containers globally in order to help shippers comply with the upcoming SOLAS amendment, which is due to come into force on July 1, 2016, according to JOC.com.
Bertrand Geoffray, Secretary General of the BIC, said: “With over 25 million containers frequently interchanging between operators, we felt that providing a central data repository was the right thing to do for the industry, both in terms of safety and efficiency.”
It was previously reported that Maersk Line had commented on the container weighing regulation, with the shipping line saying that it expects to see a bumpy period in the first six months.
Despite this gloomy outlook, many companies have either announced compliance, or have launched their own container weighing system.
Konecranes Lift Trucks recently launched a new container weighing system at TOC Europe 2016, which is a static system that can be connected to existing machines in order to weigh containers.
To read more on Konecranes Lift Trucks Static Weighing System, click here
This followed news that, as a whole, the industry wants to see greater collaboration, particularly in the 3-month settling-in period, with the IMO requesting a more practical and pragmatic approach.