You are about to supervise loading operations as cargo watch officer. What pre-cargo checks should you conduct before operations begin?

A. PRE-CARGO CHECKS — CARGO WATCH OFFICER: (1) LOADING PLAN: obtain and understand the approved loading plan from the chief officer — sequence of holds, quantities, stowage positions; (2) DRAUGHT SURVEY: note current draughts fore, aft, and midships before operations begin — baseline for monitoring during loading; (3) STABILITY: confirm with chief officer that current and proposed loading maintains adequate GM throughout operations; (4) CARGO DOCUMENTS: check cargo manifests, bills of lading (for non-DG); for DG — Dangerous Goods Declarations, packing certificates, VGM certificates; (5) CRANE/GEAR CERTIFICATES: verify all ship's cranes and lifting equipment are certificated and within SWL (Safe Working Load); (6) HATCH COVERS: open relevant hatch covers — check hatch coamings and drainage; ensure no residual water in the hold from the previous voyage; (7) HOLD INSPECTION: physically inspect the hold to be loaded — free of contamination, previous cargo residues, water, vermin, structural damage; (8) PERSONNEL: confirm cargo gang is briefed; dock workers have PPE; ship's duty personnel are at their stations; (9) COMMUNICATIONS: agree communications arrangements with stevedore foreman and shore-side terminal; (10) DRAFT MARKS: accessible and readable; (11) MOORING LINES: check vessel is properly moored and gangway is safe; (12) PERMITS: hot work and enclosed space permits issued for any concurrent work.

B. Pre-cargo checks are the chief officer's responsibility before the watch handover. The cargo watch officer only needs to monitor the ongoing loading — no pre-checks are required.

C. Start cargo operations immediately on arrival of the stevedores. Pre-cargo checks cause delays and the stevedore foreman will identify any problems during the operation.

D. Pre-cargo checks only apply to dangerous goods and bulk cargo. For general cargo and containerised cargo, the stevedores take responsibility and vessel checks are not required.

A. UN 1203 — MOTOR SPIRIT (PETROL/GASOLINE): UN 1203 is Class 3 — Flammable Liquids. Packing Group II (medium danger). Proper shipping name: MOTOR SPIRIT or PETROL. WHAT THE OOW MUST KNOW: (1) CLASS 3 STOWAGE: "on deck or under deck" — typically stowed on deck or in a cargo space with mechanical ventilation; must not be stowed in accommodation spaces or engine room; (2) SEGREGATION: Class 3 must be segregated from: Class 1 (explosives) — "separated from"; Classes 2.1 (flammable gas), 4.1, 4.3 — "away from"; ignition sources; (3) IMDG CODE SPECIAL PROVISION: check the IMDG individual schedule for UN 1203 for special provisions, limited quantities, emergency procedures; (4) FLASHPOINT: motor spirit has a flashpoint below 23°C — extremely flammable vapour at normal temperatures; (5) BCSF (BC Safety of Flammable): vapour can accumulate in enclosed spaces — ventilation essential; (6) EMS (EMERGENCY SCHEDULES): EMS for UN 1203 provides fire and spillage procedures — F-E (fire) and S-E (spillage). These must be available on board; (7) DANGEROUS GOODS DECLARATION: the shipper must provide a Dangerous Goods Declaration. The OOW must check it is received and matches the container marking; (8) CONTAINER TRANSPORT DOCUMENT: all Class 3 containers must be correctly marked, labelled, and placarded (Class 3 flame label).

B. UN 1203 is a Class 8 corrosive liquid. It must be stowed away from foodstuffs and cannot be loaded in the same hold as Class 3 materials.

C. UN numbers are only required for air cargo. For sea transport, the cargo class number (e.g., "Class 3") is sufficient and UN numbers need not be declared.

D. Class 3 flammable liquids can be stowed in any cargo hold provided they are in sealed containers. No special ventilation or segregation requirements apply.

A. SOLAS VGM REQUIREMENT — MANDATORY CONTAINER WEIGHT VERIFICATION: SOLAS VI/2 Amendment (in force July 2016): it is PROHIBITED to load a packed container onto a vessel unless a Verified Gross Mass (VGM) has been provided by the shipper. THE VGM MUST BE: (1) Verified by the shipper (not estimated) — either by: METHOD 1: weighing the packed container; or METHOD 2: weighing all contents and adding tare weight; (2) Submitted to the master or agent before vessel departure; (3) Documented in the Shipping Document or a separate VGM document. OOW / MASTER ACTION IF VGM NOT PROVIDED: (1) The container CANNOT be loaded — SOLAS is absolute on this; (2) Inform the chief officer and master; (3) Container must be kept aside until VGM is provided by the shipper; (4) No exception — the vessel cannot accept the container without VGM regardless of commercial pressure; WHY VGM: misdeclared container weights (understated) have been a major factor in stack collapses and vessel losses. The MSC Napoli (2007) — container weight misdeclarations contributed to structural failure. The Deneb (1998) — fatal accident attributable in part to misdeclared container weights. VGM protects the vessel's stability calculations and cargo securing plans which depend on accurate weights.

B. The VGM is a shipper's administrative requirement only. The vessel can load the container and the master can estimate the weight from the container type for stability purposes.

C. The VGM may be provided up to 24 hours after the container is loaded. For port turnaround purposes, load the container and request VGM before the vessel departs.

D. VGM is only required for containers exceeding 14 tonnes gross weight. Containers below 14 tonnes may be loaded without a VGM under the SOLAS light freight exemption.