Your vessel may be inspected to verify your compliance with cargo requirements. These requirements and regulations apply to safety-related aspects for marine carriage of cargo.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) governs the agreed minimum requirements for handling and transport of cargoes and dangerous goods.
We implement IMO agreed international minimum requirements in Australian legislation for all safety related aspects of marine carriage of cargo. Under our regulations, cargo includes:
- bulk liquid and solid cargoes
- dangerous goods
- general cargoes
- containers.
We also cover standards and operations concerning cargo lifting gear. Under the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), ships are subject to port State control inspections to verify compliance with cargo requirements including:
- stowage
- segregation
- packaging
- documentation.
We represent Australia at cargo-related IMO Sub-Committees:
- Sub-Committee on the Carriage of Cargoes and Containers (CCC)
- Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR)
Cargo handling
- Marine Order 32—Cargo handling equipment
- Marine Order 42—Cargo stowage and securing
- Marine Order 44—Safe containers
- Fact sheet: Marine Order 32 (Cargo handling equipment) 2016
Grain
- Marine Order 33—Cargo and cargo handling—grain
- Notification of loading, or sailing after partial discharge, of bulk grain form 225
Bulk cargoes
- Marine Order 34—Solid bulk cargoes
- Marine Order 35—Additional safety measures for bulk carriers
- Information resources on bulk carrier safety: IMO document 2010 (PDF 95 KB) PDF94.53 KB
Dangerous goods regulations
- Marine Order 41—Carriage of dangerous goods
- Carriage of ammonium nitrate of class 5.1 (UN1942 and UN2067) and class 9 (UN2071) to and from Australia
- Carriage of dangerous goods by sea advice for training providers
Related IMO publications
- International maritime dangerous goods (IMDG) code
- IMDG Code supplement
- International maritime solid bulk cargoes (IMSBC) code (replaces the Code of safe practice for solid bulk cargoes)
- IMO/ILO/UNECE Code of practice for packing of cargo transport units (CTU Code)
- International code for the safe carriage of grain in bulk
- Code of safe practice for ships carrying timber deck cargoes
- Code of practice for the safe loading and unloading of bulk carriers
- International convention for safe containers (CSC)
- Code of safe practice for the carriage of cargoes and persons by offshore supply vessels
- Code of safe practice for cargo stowage and securing
- Guidelines for the preparation of the cargo securing manual
Last updated: 29 March 2021