To Whom Does This Apply?

To anyone who uses new and existing containers used in international transport, except those containers specially designed for air transport.

A "container" means an article of transport equipment:

• of a permanent character and accordingly strong enough to be suitable for repeated use;
• specially designed to facilitate the transport of goods, by one or more modes of transport, without intermediate reloading;
• designed to be secured and/or readily handled, having corner fittings for these purposes; and
• of a size such that the area enclosed by the four outer bottom corners is either:
  • at least 14 m2 (150 ft.2) or
  • at least 7 m2 (75 s ft.2) if it is fitted with top corner fittings.

A "container" does not include vehicles or packaging. However, containers carried on chassis are included.

Summary

The Safe Containers Convention Act implements the International Convention for Safe Containers which was signed by Canada in recognition of:

• the need to maintain a high level of safety of human life in the handling, stacking and transporting of containers;
• the need to facilitate international container transport; and
• the advantages of formalizing common international safety requirements.

The Safe Containers Convention Regulations govern:

• the approval of containers and their maintenance and repair;
• organizations authorized to approve containers, and the revocation of authorization;
• the detention of unsafe containers by inspectors;
• inquiries following incidents; and
• the disposal of containers.

Owners of containers are required to apply to the board of steamship inspection for approval of proposed periodic examination procedures. Such approval once a written request is received would take about 2 to 3 weeks. The address for this office can be used or you may apply through the regional offices.

All containers to which the convention applies must be approved. This is delegated to authorized classification societies in Canada (Lloyds, det Norsk, Veritas, Bureau Veritas, American Bureau of Shipping).

DISCLAIMER
Information contained in this section is of a general nature only and is not intended to constitute advice for any specific fact situation. For particular questions, the users are invited to contact their lawyer. For additional information, see contact(s) listed below.

New Brunswick Contact(s):
Transport Canada
5th Floor
Harbourview Place
275 Main Street
P.O. Box 1207
Bathurst, New Brunswick  E2A 4J1
Telephone: (506) 548-7491
Fax: (506) 548-7180
Web site: http://www.tc.gc.ca/en/menu.htm

Transport Canada
4th Floor CCG Building
P.O. Box 7730, Station A
Saint John, New Brunswick  E2L 4X6
Telephone: (506) 636-4748
Fax: (506) 636-4756
Web site: http://www.tc.gc.ca/en/menu.htm

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National Contact(s):
Ms. Debbie Cecil
Chief
Corporate Secretariat
Transport Canada
26th Floor, Tower C
Place de Ville
330 Sparks Street
Ottawa, Ontario  K1A 0N5
Telephone: (613) 991-6540
E-mail: cecild@tc.gc.ca
Web site: http://www.tc.gc.ca/en/menu.htm