Verified Gross Mass (VGM)

Background
MSC NAPOLI IN 2007: A major incident at sea caused by many overweight containers. This was the actual starting point for discussing stricter rules on container weight declaration. Onward accidents incurred many discussions worldwide and IMO got interested in preventing the recurrence of them.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) will enforce globally the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention requirements regarding the verification of the gross weight of packed containers. All loaded containers are required to have a Verified Gross Mass (VGM) declared by exporter/shippers.

What is Verified Gross Mass (VGM)? Verified Gross Mass is the shipper declared total gross mass of a packed container as obtained by one of the methods described below. This Verified Gross Weight must include all packages and cargo items, all additional loading equipment (e.g. packing materials) and the container tare weight. Please refer to Chapter 2.1 of the SOLAS guideline.

The rules prescribe two methods by which the shipper may obtain the verified gross mass of a packed container: 

1. Method 1, upon the conclusion of packing and sealing a container, the shipper may weigh, or have arranged that a third party weigh, the packed container
2. Method 2, the shipper (or, by arrangement of the shipper, a third party) may weigh all packages and cargo items, including the mass of pallets, dunnage and other packing and securing material to be packed in the container, and add the tare mass of the container to the sum of the single masses of the container’s contents. (Estimating the weight of a container’s contents is not permitted.)

In respect of both method 1 and 2, the weighing equipment used must meet the applicable accuracy standards and requirements of the State in which the equipment is being used. Also under either method, the declaration of the verified weight must be signed and dated by the shipper or by its duly authorized representative and to provide to the carrier via either electronic interchange channels or a physical shipping document.

IMO Guidelines (SOLAS chapter VI, part A, regulation 2)
In the long run, the IMO's Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) at its 93rd session (May 2014) approved and (November 2014) adopted changes to the saftey of Life at Sea (SOLAS) convention regarding a mandatory container weight verification requirement on shippers.
The SOLAS amendments become effective on 1 July 2016.

The regulation clearly states the shipper is always responsible for the verification of the gross mass of a container carrying cargo.
The shipper is also responsible for ensuring that the verified gross mass is communicated to the carrier in a shipping document sufficiently in advance to be used by the ship's master or his representative and the terminal representative in the preparation of the vessel’s stowage plan.
This document can be part of the shipping instructions to the shipping company or a separate communication

IMO Implementation

IMO adopts international shipping standards regulations and it is the responsibility of Governments to implement them. Implementation of IMO standards is crucial to achieving IMO’s objectives. The flag State of the ship has the ultimate responsibility for ensuring the ship meets applicable standards and for issuing certificates confirming the ship is seaworthy and the crew properly trained. Port State control exists to catch the ships that slip through the flag State net of inspections and surveys. Most IMO conventions contain provisions allowing for port State control officers to inspect ships flying foreign flags when in port. IMO has encouraged the development of regional port State control organizations, where countries involved share information on ships inspected, so sub-standard ships can be targeted and ships that are up to standard will not be detained by unnecessary inspections.

Technical assistance:
Countries that are having difficulties in implementing IMO conventions can request assistance under IMO’s Integrated Technical Co-operation Programme. The main emphasis of the programme is on training and IMO has three international training institutes under its auspices: the World Maritime University in Malmö, Sweden; the International Maritime Law Institute in Malta; and the International Maritime Academy in Trieste, Italy.

IMO - International Maritime Organization

The International Maritime Organization (IMO), formerly known as the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization (IMCO) is the specialised agency of the United Nations with responsibility for safety and security at sea and the prevention of marine pollution from ships.

The Convention which established the IMCO (Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization) was adopted in Geneva in 1948, but it only came into force ten years later, and the new Organization met for the first time the following year in 1959 and is the only United Nations agency with its headquarters in London. The IMCO name was changed to IMO in 1982. Over the years IMO has adopted some 40 Conventions and Protocols and numerous Codes and recommendations relating to safety, pollution prevention, security measures, liability and compensation issues and facilitation of international maritime traffic.
IMO: Safe, secure and efficient shipping on clean oceans

IMO is a technical organization and most of its work is carried out in a number of committees and sub-committees, overseen by the Council and Assembly. All the committees and sub-committees of IMO are open to participation by all Member Governments on an equal basis. The IMO Secretariat is headed by the Secretary-General, assisted by a staff of some 300 international civil servants. The Secretary-General is appointed by the Council, with the approval of the Assembly.

Headquartered in London, in the United Kingdom, the IMO is a specialized agency of the United Nations with 168 Member States and three Associate Members. The IMO's primary purpose is to develop and maintain a comprehensive regulatory framework for shipping and its remit today includes safety, environmental concerns, legal matters, technical co-operation, maritime security and the efficiency of shipping. IMO is governed by an Assembly of members and is financially administered by a Council of members elected from the Assembly. The work of IMO is conducted through five committees and these are supported by technical subcommittees. Member organizations of the UN organizational family may observe the proceedings of the IMO. Observer status is granted to qualified non-governmental organizations.

The IMO is supported by a permanent secretariat of employees who are representative of its members. The secretariat is composed of a Secretary-General who is periodically elected by the Assembly, and various divisions such as those for marine safety, environmental protection, and a conference section.