The purpose of the assessment audit is to:

  • Assess the effectiveness of the weighing process controls of the shipper and other third parties as contracted by the shipper to weigh containers on behalf of the shipper, to ensure compliance with the gross mass of packed containers.
  • Ensure that adequate records are kept, which will allow traceability and easy recall of non-complying containers.
  • Identify the contraventions of – and compliance with – the applicable legislation.
  • Apply appropriate corrective action requirements to ensure that the shipper complies with the requirements.
  • Certify the shipper’s compliance after corrective action, where appropriate, has been carried out.
  • Ensure that the shipper’s status is updated on the PPECB NAV and SAMSA database.

In accordance with auditing principles (SANS 10911) a checklist is used to assess the shipper’s ability to verify the gross mass of a packed container.

The construction of the checklist is according to – as stipulated in the “Guidance for the implementation of SOLAS V1 Regulation 2 regarding the verification of the gross mass of packed containers” and promulgated in Marine Notice No 5 of 2016

The checklist also makes provision for the following;

  • Definition: The Shipper is defined as a legal entity or person named on the bill of lading or sea waybill or equivalent multimodal transport document (e.g. “through” bill of lading) as shipper and/or who (or in whose name or on whose behalf) a contract of carriage has been concluded with a shipping company.
  • Scope: The audit scope includes the following:
    1. Shipper (Exporters) and third parties with whom the shipper might have an agreement with to weigh the containers on their behalf.
    2. Method 2 criteria.
    3. Perishable and general cargo containers.
    4. Audit focus areas: Traceability, Site history and management and weighing procedure