Safety Approval Plates And Approved Continuous
Examination Programme - ACEP

INFORMATION FOR SHIPPING COMPANIES AND THEIR AGENTS

This Fact Sheet has been issued to alert and advise shipping companies and their agents of the responsibility

placed on them when adhering to Marine Orders Part 44 with regard to the safety of containers, which may

require shipping companies to have a well established process for accepting and carrying Shippers Own

Containers (SOC) containers to comply with Marine Orders Part 44.

Marine Orders Part 44 makes gives effect and provides for the International Convention for Safe Containers

(CSC) 1972 (Convention), under the Navigation Act 1912 and applies to and in relation to containers used in

international or inter-State sea transport. All containers that are accepted for shipping, whether they are

company owned or otherwise must comply with MO 44.
 

Maintenance

The owner of a container is responsible for maintaining that container in a safe condition and must arrange

for a container to be examined in accordance with certain procedures and at prescribed intervals for the

purpose of determining whether the container has any defect that could place any person in danger. For

leased containers, by virtue of lease agreements the owner or lessor normally transfers these responsibilities

to the lessee.

As part of minimum requirement for depot's, most shipping companies, instruct empty container depots to

examine every container in accordance with the owners/lessors requirements that enters the empty yard for

compliance with the owners/lessors respective CSC scheme. If within CSC, then the container must have a

minimum prescribed time in accordance with the respective maintenance schemes provided under CSC (i.e.

90 days time left before next due plate update). In the case of ACEP, then it must be sound for the full 30

months (on equipment 2 ½ years or older). For any unit not conforming to owner/lessors CSC/ACEP

scheme requirements, the depot is normally requested to quote to effect repairs to bring the container up to

the owners/lessors standard or to advise the container owner or agent of the containers non-CSC conforming

condition.
 

Examination of containers

a) A container must be examined,
initially, not later than 5 years after the date of manufacture and,

subsequently, at intervals of not more than 30 months; or
in accordance with an approved continuous

examination program.

b) A container must also be examined
after the repair of any defect in the container or modification that

could have placed any person in danger and before the container is loaded on to a ship following that

repair or modification. In the case of a container in respect of which there is an approved continuous

examination programme, a container must be examined after refurbishment of the container and

before the container is loaded on to a ship following that refurbishment; and during an on-hire/offhire

interchange of the container and before the container is loaded on to a ship following that

interchange.

c) These containers that have been examined under (b) above must be re-examined:
not later than the

date when, but for the circumstance giving rise to the examination under (b), the container would

have been due for examination in accordance with (a); or a date that is not more than 30 months after

the date of the examination under (b).
 

Marking

For containers in respect of which there is an Approved Continuous Examination Programme, the container

must be marked permanently and legibly by stamping, embossing, engraving or other method acceptable to

the approving authorised organisation, with the letters as applicable the respective owners/lessors CSC

scheme (IE:'ACEP (AUS)'). For other containers the date by which a container must undergo its initial

examination must be clearly marked on its Safety Approval Plate. In addition, the date by which a container

is to be next re-examined should be also be marked legibly on its Safety Approval Plate, or on the container

as near as practicable to the Safety Approval Plate.
 

Containers not to be loaded or unloaded from a vessel

A person must not load a container on to, or unload a container from, a ship if:

(a) the person has reason to believe that the container is an unsafe container; or

(b) the container does not have a valid Safety Approval Plate affixed to it; or

(c) the date indicated on the Safety Approval Plate for the container to be re-examined has passed; or

(d) no date is indicated on the Safety Approval Plate for the container to be re-examined and the letters

'ACEP' and identification of the approving government are not marked on or near the Safety Approval Plate

of the container; or

(e) the mass of the container (including its contents and any affixed ancillary equipment) exceeds the

maximum operating gross mass of the container.
 

Removal of Safety Approval Plate when no longer valid

The owner of a container must remove the Safety Approval Plate on a container if:

(a) the container has been modified in a manner which would void the original approval and the information

found on the Safety Approval Plate; or

(b) the container is removed from service and is not being maintained in accordance with this Part;

(c) approval has been withdrawn

Shipping companies have an obligation to remove all reference to CSC/ACEP scheme when containers are

sold (deregistration), when containers that are sold. Authorities are concerned about the unauthorised use of

CSC plates and ACEP markings on freight containers. Some shipping companies neutralise any containers

that are sold by removing the Safety Plates. They also paint out all identification marks and numbers, so as to

reduce the chances of these containers being utilised for carriage of cargo internationally. If this is not done

at the time of sale, in order to reduce repercussions in the future, it has been suggested that the contract of

sale should stipulate that the purchaser must carry this out task of painting out all identification marks and

numbers prior to use. However, if containers are sold for reuse in container trade shipping companies have

an obligation only to remove the Ownership and ACEP numbers and stickers, but CSC plates may remain. It

is of course the new owners responsibility to ensure ongoing compliance with CSC Plate.

Leasing companies also have an obligation to adhere to these procedures.
 

Shippers Own Containers

Shipping companies have an obligation to ensure that containers that do not have a valid Safety Approval

Plate affixed to it or the date indicated on the Safety Approval Plate for the container to be re-examined has

passed is not loaded or unloaded from a vessel.

Most shipping companies now insist from all shippers of SOC that they make a declaration that the

containers comply with CSC or insist on inspecting containers prior to being accepted for shipment as having

valid Safety Approval Plates with at least 90 days until next examination affixed to the container and that it

is in fact safe to ship before the container is delivered to the Terminal. Leasing companies also have an

obligation to adhere to these procedures.

It is recommended that shipping companies institute a process for auditing the documentation and physically

checking the Safety Approval Plate. A suggested pro-forma declaration for shippers of SOC is appended

below. Shipping companies generally requires all SOC to be presented complying with the Convention and

to have a minimum of 90 days to run till the next examination date.

Most Shipping companies have instructed empty depots to inspect empty Tank containers presented for

shipment are duly covered by relevant conditions in the Convention to ensure that either the Regulatory 2 ½

year pressure test or the 5-year Hydrostatic tests (or both) have been completed and that Compliance Plates

are valid. Some shipping companies check compliance by checking the stamping on the plate, whilst others

insist on the provision of a copy of the certificate, prior to acceptance for shipment.