Standards and certification
periodic examination scheme (PES)
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.
Why it matters
Under this scheme the calendar drives inspections. When the date on the plate passes, the container is out of date until it is examined again. That makes the scheme easy to check: read the plate. Many large owners use the continuous scheme instead, so you will see both in a mixed fleet. For a portable storage operator who wants to ship or sell a unit for export, an expired date can mean a survey is needed first. A common mistake is to think a nice paint job resets the date. Only a qualified examination and a plate update do that. Ask the seller how the unit was examined and when.
Read: Shipping container grades explained: One-trip, IICL, cargo worthy, and WWT
Definition source: bic-code.org
Related terms
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.
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.
container survey
A container survey is a formal inspection of a container by a qualified surveyor, with a written result. Surveys check that a container meets safety standards, such as the CSC, before shipping. They can also support valuation and damage assessment. Costs vary by provider.
container inspection
A container inspection is a check of a container's outside, inside, doors, floor and roof for damage, leaks and wear. Buyers do it before purchase. Operators do it when units go out and come back. It can be a quick look or a formal review to a standard.
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.
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