New regs proposals for containers safe
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DETAILS of a new international convention for safe containers have been published by the 'Health and Safety Executive in its latest booklet.
Under the convention, each container entering or leaving a ratifying state — a country that is party to the convention — will have to be officially approved as safe and bear a plate as evidence of this.
This plate will ensure a free passage of the container throughout the ratifying states, unless it becomes obviously unsafe in transit.
Although this convention does not come into effect until 6 September 1982, the HSE booklet gives details of the arrangements in Britain for the container manufacturers and owners to get approval of their containers.
This approval will be given by organisations appointed by the Health and Safety Executive, six of which have so far been named. They are all insurance companies' engineering divisions.
New containers will be submitted to one of these organisations either as individual containers or as examples of a design type which is safety approved.
Existing containers will be given approval in the same way or else approval will be given if a container of the same design has been in safe use for two years or more.
If the approving organisation is given grounds to believe that the container should not have such approval, then it is able to withdraw it, giving at least 30 days' notice.
The convention was ratified by the UK last year, and so far includes 21 other countries such as the USA, France, West Germany, Japan and the USSR. By the time the convention comes into force in September 1982, this list may include all the EEC member states, although the European Commission has not yet agreed to this.
The HSE booklet giving details of approval arrangements is called International Convention for Safe Containers (CSC): Initial arrangements in GB for the approval of containers.
It is available from HM Stationery Office, 49 High Holborn, London WC1V 6HB, price 50p plus postage.