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Container design and manufacture approval

The document below sets out the details of the arrangements that operate in Great Britain for the approval of container design and manufacture in accordance with the requirements of the Freight Containers (Safety Convention) Regulations 1984:

  • It explains that, under these arrangements, HSE will authorise suitable organisations to carry out the functions of approving containers and lay down the conditions that organisations will be expected to meet before being considered eligible for appointment
  • It give details of the method by which manufacturers and owners of containers may make application for the approval of containers and the procedure to be adopted by the authorised organisations in considering such applications

Those needing to have their containers approved should approach one of the appointed organisations listed below directly.

Companies appointed to approve containers

Container manufacturers must gain approval either for the design type or for individual containers. Approval is given by companies appointed by HSE or alternatively by IMO signatory Governments that have ratified, accepted, approved or acceded to the convention.

For manufacturers and owners who wish to apply for approval, the companies currently appointed to approve containers in Great Britain are:

  • Lloyd's Register Verification Limited, 71 Fenchurch Street, London EC3M 4BS, Tel : +44 (0)207 423 2428
  • Det Norske Veritas Ltd, Cromarty House, 67–72 Regent Quay, Aberdeen, AB11 5AR. Tel: 01224 335 000
  • Det Norske Technical Ltd, Palace House, 3 Cathedral Street, London, SE1 9DE. Tel: 020 7357 6080
  • Bureau Veritas UK Ltd, Parklands, 825a Wilmslow Road, Didsbury, Manchester, M20 8RE, Tel: 0161 446 4600
  • Zurich Risk Services, 126 Hagley Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B16 9PF, Tel: +44 (0)121 456 1311

Link URLs in this page

  1. Ports and dockshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/index.htm
  2. Overview - Ports industryhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/hse.htm
  3. Key industry stakeholdershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/stakeholders.htm
  4. Enforcing authoritieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/enforcing.htm
  5. Overview - Legal requirementshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/legal-requirements.htm
  6. Dangerous goods - (DGHAR) https://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/dangerous-goods.htm
  7. Fishing vesselshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/fishing-vessels.htm
  8. FAQs on ports and dockshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/faqs.htm
  9. Overview - Freight container safetyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/containers.htm
  10. Freight container regulationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/regulations.htm
  11. Container design and manufacture approvalhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/container-approval.htm
  12. Container examination schemeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/container-examination.htm
  13. RAIB - accident reportshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/raib.htm
  14. Overview - Topicshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/topics.htm
  15. Workplace transporthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/transport.htm
  16. Lifting operationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/lifting-operations.htm
  17. Working at heighthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/falls.htm
  18. Dusty cargoeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/dusty-cargoes.htm
  19. Musculoskeletal disordershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/msd.htm
  20. Whole-body vibrationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/vibration.htm
  21. Slips and tripshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/slips-and-trips.htm
  22. Confined spaceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/confined-spaces.htm
  23. Overview - Access to vesselshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/access-to-vessels.htm
  24. Linkspans and walkwayshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/linkspans-walkways.htm
  25. Standards at quayside ladders https://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/quayladder.htm
  26. Overview - Resourceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/resources.htm
  27. Publications and guidancehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/publications.htm
  28. Case studieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/case-studies.htm
  29. Statisticshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/statistics.htm
  30. Useful linkshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/ports/links.htm
  31. L148 - Safety in docks. ACOPhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l148.htm
  32. L155 - Dangerous goods in harbour areas Regs 2016https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l155.htm
  33. Container approval - Green guidehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/dis8.htm
  34. Container examination - Yellow guidehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/dis9.htm
  35. Quick guide to health and safety in portshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg446.htm
  36. Port Skills and Safety https://www.portskillsandsafety.co.uk/resources
  37. Department for Transport - Portshttps://www.gov.uk/transport/ports-harbours-and-offshore-installations
  38. International Maritime Organisation (IMO)http://www.imo.org/
  39. Port skills and safetyhttps://www.portskillsandsafety.co.uk/resources
  40. Logisticshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/logistics/index.htm
  41. Risk managementhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/risk/index.htm
  42. Explosivehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/index.htm
  43. Work equipmenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/work-equipment-machinery/index.htm
  44. Work at heighthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/work-at-height/index.htm
  45. Workplace transporthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/workplacetransport/index.htm

Glossary of abbreviations/acronyms on this page

DGHAR
Duties under the Dangerous Goods in Harbour Areas Regulations 2016
RAIB
Rail Accident Investigation Branch
ACOP
Approved Code of Practice

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Updated 2021-11-08