The International Convention for Safe Containers, 1972 (CSC), is an International Maritime Organization (IMO) publication. The Convention aims to maintain safety in the transport and handling of shipping containers by establishing uniform international safety regulations accepted by the majority of nations participating in sea-going trade. Such as providing standardised testing procedures, strength requirements and on-hire/off-hire CSC examinations.
Container owners and lessors typically require their shipping containers that arrive at hinterland terminals (also some container terminals) for an on-hire/off-hire interchange to undertake a CSC examination. The examination requires qualified terminal staff to visually inspect the inside and outside of the container for structural damage in accordance with inspection criteria set out in the CSC.
Typically the existing process for examining a container is as follows:
