Technical supervision of containers

The Register performs the technical supervision of general cargo containers, thermal containers, tank containers, platform containers, offshore containers, etc.

For and on behalf of the Government, the Register carries out, within its competence, technical supervision of compliance with the requirements of international conventions, agreements and treaties, to which the Russian Federation or any other state, whose government has issued to the Register an authorization for such kind of activity, is a party.

Technical supervision activities are carried out based on the Collection of the Rules for containers (Collection) published by the Register, including: General Regulations for the Technical Supervision of Containers; Rules for the Manufacture of Containers; Rules for the Approval of Containers for the Transport of Goods Under Customs Seal; the Rules for Technical Supervision during Manufacture of Containers, the Rules for Technical Supervision of Containers in Service and designed to determine whether the containers subject to the Register technical supervision, as well as materials and products intended for the manufacture of containers, meet the requirements of the Register Collection and additional requirements.

The Register Collection is based on the applicable requirements of the 1972 International Convention for Safe Containers, the Customs Convention on Containers 1972, the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code, IACS Unified Requirements, relevant IMO Resolutions and UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods, international and national standards.

Compliance with the requirements of the Register Collection and additional requirements is mandatory for design organizations, container manufacturers, container owners and firms that manufacture materials and products for containers, as well as firms that repair and service the containers, which are subject to technical supervision by the Register.

The Register provides technical supervision of containers, materials and products for them in the process of designing, manufacture, repair and in service.

Documents issued by the Register allow using the containers in international circulation and transporting them by water, rail and road.

The Register advises companies on the procedure for registration of container owner code with the Bureau International des Containers (BIC).

Technical supervision of containers consists in verifying their compliance with the requirements of the Register Collection in the following cases:

• review and approval of technical documentation for containers and materials and products for containers;
• survey of containers and materials and products for containers at the stages of manufacture, testing, in service, as well as during modernization and repair.

1. Review and approval of technical documentation for containers, materials and products for containers

Containers, materials and products for containers are manufactured in accordance with the technical documentation approved by the Register.

Prior to starting the manufacture, the technical documentation shall be submitted to the Register for review within a scope that is specified in the relevant parts of the Rules for Manufacture of Containers.

The technical documentation shall be sent to the Register in electronic form in PDF format in any way mutually agreed with the Customer. In this case, the documentation shall only be sent for review with a covering letter.

Maximum period of the initial review of the technical documentation for the container is no more than 30 working days. If there are comments, each subsequent review of the revised documentation is no more than 30 working days.

Documents issued according to the results of the review of technical documentation:

Conclusion Letter and, in case of positive results of the review, a set of approved/agreed technical documentation with the appropriate stamps of the Register. Stamping is done using software tools and certified by an electronic digital signature of the Register's authorized specialist.

2. Technical supervision during manufacture and modernization of containers, materials and products for containers.

Technical supervision during manufacture and modernization of containers materials and products for containers only applies to the properties, as well as the parameters and characteristics, which are regulated by the Register Collection and indicated in the RS‑approved technical documentation

When performing the technical supervision, the Register does not determine the product grade and quality category, does not control the fulfillment of the requirements related to safety, hygiene standards and work management, as well as other to other production-related matters that are not within the competence of the Register.

Documents issued based on technical supervision results during manufacture and modernization of containers, materials and products for containers are specified in the General Regulations for the Technical Supervision of Containers.

The RS certificates are issued in electronic and/or paper format.

To ensure the transparency, to simplify the search for documents and to protect against forgery, a unique QR code is applied to the RS Certificates. Freely distributable software (freeware) can be used to scan and read it.

3. Technical supervision of containers in service

Technical supervision of containers in service is carried out in the form of a periodical survey. Where necessary (in case of accidents), occasional surveys are conducted.

As a rule, RS proposes to the customer to harmonize the system of container surveys in compliance with the time limits established in the Rules for Technical Supervision of Containers in Service.

Periodical surveys of containers are carried out based on the written application by the owner or leaser (the leaser shall have an appropriate contract with the owner, which defines the leaser's responsibility).

While in service, the containers undergo the following surveys:

• periodical;
• occasional.

A scope of surveys is determined in accordance with the relevant requirements of the Register Rules for Technical Supervision of Containers in Service.

Based on the certification results of containers in service, RS shall issue the following documents:

• Report;
• Report on Survey of Container;
• Report on Survey of Freight Containers;
• Report on Survey of Offshore Container;
• Report on Survey of Freight Containers (endorsed);
• Report on Periodic Inspection of Tank Container;
• Report on Survey of Offshore Tank Container with Lifting Set;
• Report on Inspection of Tank Container Prior to Repair;
• Report on Visual Examination of Tank Container;
• Report on Survey of a Thermal Container;
• Report on Survey of a Thermal Container (endorsed).

4. Expertise (appraisal) of carriage of goods in tank containers.

The Register performs within its competence expertise (appraisal) of the possibility to transport goods in tank containers. The activities on expertise of carriage of goods in tank containers performed compliant to statutory requirements and designed to determine whether the declared tank containers meet the requirements for transportation of certain cargoes by road, rail and water. For this purpose, RS performs the analysis of the documentation submitted by the customer, results of the performed survey and those of tank containers inspection carried out by RS surveyors where necessary.

The application to obtain the expert conclusion submitted to the Register shall contain:

• code and number of the container owner and reference number of each tank container;
• manufacturer's name or mark of the transported cargo(es) indicating UN code(s) where applicable;
• mode(s) of transport;
• scheduled date and place of tank container examination/inspection (where necessary);
• contact persons and contact phone numbers;

The following documents shall be attached to the application:

• copies of valid RS certificates and/or reports on recent periodical survey issued by a competent body;
• material safety data sheets.

Examination of tank containers requested for expertise shall be performed to check tank containers structure compliance with the submitted documents, availability and completeness of the specified fittings, marking. If the Register documents are available, stating tank container inspection by RS, the examination is not required.

Based on the expertise (appraisal) results, the possibility of cargo transportation/carriage is evaluated in the requested tank containers by certain modes of transport, and the Certificate of compliance (expert conclusion) shall be issued.

The validity period of expert conclusion is limited by the validity period of certificates and reports on tank containers periodical survey.

5. Recognition Certificate for companies acting according to IMO Resolution MSC.380(94) for obtaining verified gross mass of containers.

Being an authorized organization, the Register carries out the recognition of organizations or companies in accordance with the requirements of IMO resolution MSC.380 (94) and the Register Collection.

The recognition of organizations or companies consists in confirming by the Register the competence of the organization or company to determine the verified gross weight of containers according to method 1 and/or method 2.

Documents issued based on the certification results:

• Certificate of Recognition of organizations or companies that operate under IMO Resolution MSC.380 (94) to determine the verified gross weight of containers. 

List of certificates issued

• Documents
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