Standards and certification
International Convention for Safe Containers (CSC)
The International Convention for Safe Containers is a 1972 treaty written by the International Maritime Organization and the United Nations. It sets uniform test, inspection, approval and maintenance rules for containers in international transport. It was adopted on December 2, 1972 and entered into force on September 6, 1977.
Why it matters
The CSC has two goals: keep people safe when containers are handled, and make international container transport easier with one set of rules. A container approved by one member country should be accepted by others. The owner is responsible for keeping an approved container examined at set intervals. For portable storage operators, the CSC shapes the words in container sales, such as cargo worthy, and it applies if a customer wants to ship a unit overseas. A common mistake is to think the convention governs ordinary on-site storage rentals. It covers containers used in international transport. Check state and local rules for domestic use.
Read: Shipping container grades explained: One-trip, IICL, cargo worthy, and WWT
Definition source: imo.org
Related terms
CSC plate
A CSC plate is a metal safety approval plate fixed to a freight container under the International Convention for Safe Containers. It shows that the container was approved for international transport and carries the technical data and examination information for that container. The plate is usually fixed to a container door.
CSC safety approval plate
A CSC safety approval plate is the plate that the International Convention for Safe Containers requires on approved containers. A national administration, or a group acting for it, authorizes the maker to fix it. The plate holds the technical data and is the proof of approval.
Approved Continuous Examination Program (ACEP)
An Approved Continuous Examination Program is one of two container safety examination schemes allowed under the CSC. A national administration approves it if the owner shows it gives a standard of safety not below the periodic scheme. The container is inspected as part of normal operation instead of on a fixed calendar.
periodic examination scheme
The periodic examination scheme is one of two approved CSC ways to keep a container safe in service. The container is examined before its fifth anniversary after manufacture, then at intervals of no more than 30 months. The next examination date is marked on the CSC plate.
cargo worthy (CW)
Cargo worthy is a trade term for a used container that is sound enough to carry cargo by sea. It points to structural condition, not looks. Sellers define it slightly differently. It does not by itself prove the container holds a current CSC plate or survey.
ISO 1496
ISO 1496 is a series of international standards for the specification and testing of series 1 freight containers. Part 1 covers general cargo containers for general purposes, including totally enclosed boxes and some vented or open top types. Other parts cover tank, thermal, dry bulk and platform containers.
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