container seals are ‘ erstwhile door locks ’ used to secure goods containers. Each seal-lock can be used only once. heavy-duty container seals are designed to withstand lifelike elements and stopping point the entire ocean trip of the container until it is removed by the customer at the finish .
The duration of a container ’ s travel from the consigner ’ sulfur warehouse to the consignee could be anywhere between two days to a few months ! Delays can happen due to wrong documentation, port and labor union strikes, break-down of enchant vessel, etc .
Before removing the container seal, the customer has to ensure that it is intact and has not been tampered with.
container seals are of different types. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and price compass. Each sealing wax has a singular alphanumeric recognition number that is used to confirm that it has not been changed during the container ’ sulfur voyage .
however, worry has to be taken while noting seal numbers as different types of seals may carry the lapp varnish issue, though this can happen only very rarely .
The Bill of lading includes the container varnish act for verification by port authorities, port customs and the customer receiving the cargo .
The Need for Container Seals
container seals are used to secure the container doors once the loading of cargo is completed. In certain cases, vacate containers are locked and sealed before being sent for stuffing. This is done to prevent meddle and sustain container cleanliness or a set-temperature, as in the case of containers meant for loading of sealed high-value products, highly perishable food items, or medicines .
It is a prerequisite by ports, government regulators, and importers/exporters that all FCL ( Full Container Load ) and LCL ( Less than Container Load ) containers are sealed during transport .
With the manifold increase in ball-shaped trade wind, container movement between points of trade has increased drastically in holocene times. An evenly big number of empty containers are required to be moved between these trade points to meet demand .
Containers are used to transport different types of cargo based on temperature requirements such as dry, chill, or frozen. The cargo-types can be classified far as perishable, non-perishable, aesculapian drugs, etc .
Depending on the type of commitment, the consignor/consignee or person sending/receiving the goods may decide to use a particular mode of transport and in a specific type of container .
These containers change hands at several points from the moment it leaves its repositing location. For example, the stuff cargo is taken to the larboard from where it is ascribable for sailing. It then passes hands to the shipping vessel in which it sets sail to its destination. It may then stop at trans-shipment ports. At its final address, it is unload and transported to the consignee ’ second address or warehouse .
It is consequently significant that the cargo remains safe during its journey until it reaches its final unload point, which is the warehouse of the consignee or person receiving the goods .
even though security and features such as CCTV surveillance in warehouses, container yards, and even ships, assistant to deter those who indulge in condemnable activities, the danger posed by smugglers, counterfeiters, human traffickers, drug traffickers, or exploitation by terrorists is still large .
It can not be discounted in the case of cargo containers, whether empty or wax. While shipping evacuate containers, some embark lines stack them back-to-back .
In this method acting of stacking, the door side of any two containers is placed facing each other so that they can not be opened during transit .
Different Types of Container Seals
container seals are of different types. Seals using head wire and a seal, fictile seals, metallic element strip seals, abscond seals, e-seals, and sometimes even act padlocks are used to seal containers during their voyage .
Of these, the dependable and the most normally used is the bolt seal. It consists of a metallic element pin that is driven into a plastic-coated sword barrel, forming a erstwhile lock and tamper-proof seal .
Bolt seals are made of heavy-duty steel, coated in street fighter weather-resistant, anti-corrosive plastic. A unique cachet number is shown on both the pin a well as the barrel of the seal .
E-seals that are read-write able normally contain basic data about the container and can be read using Radio Frequency Identification ( RFID ) readers .
RFID engineering is used to collect data from the computer chip that is embedded in the seal. The power to read data from these seals is taken from the radio frequency transmitted by the RFID readers .
Those with their own might reservoir and sender are besides available. These seals can accommodate more data but are slenderly more expensive. One drawback of the RFID e-seals is that data can be read-only at points where there are RFID readers .
Closing the Container Doors
A normal sea container made of Corten Steel ( a kind of weather-resistant, heavy-duty sword ) has two doors, each having two lock-rods. These lock-rods run vertically, from the clear to the bottomland of the container, and helps to lock the doors in position .
separate handles attached to these lock-rods have humble catches that have holes through which the seal is fixed to anchors on the container doors. The door on the left-hand side is closed inaugural followed by the one on the proper .
While opening, the door on the right-hand side has to be opened first followed by the one on the left. This is because the vertical edge of the right-side door presses against the vertical edge of the door on the leftover, keeping it closed .
Hence, the seal can be put on any one of the lock-rods of the right-hand side door. There are three openings on each of the lock-rods through which bolt seals can be fixed. They can besides be affixed on lock-rods of both the doors, to play it safe .
Fixing the Container Seal
A bolt seal comes as a single unit with its singular number embossed or laser-printed on both the pin deoxyadenosine monophosphate well as the barrel. It is considered good practice to check that the numbers match between the two, before fixing the seal .
The barrel is first separated from the pin by snapping the credit card connection between the two. It can then be easily fixed by pressing the open end of the personal identification number hard through the allow openings in the lock-rod, into the varnish barrel.
You can hear a soft pawl as it locks itself into home. Experienced warehouse-hands and container handlers ensure that the seal is securely in locate by trying it with their hands. once locked, the lone way to open the container seal is to cut the pin with a seal or gobble cutter .
Some consignors send pictures of the lock seal to the consignee, affixed with the date and meter cast. such pictures come in handy in the event of loss or damage to cargo as they help surveyors and policy companies to decide on the veracity of a claim .
Port and Customs requirements
by and large, Port and Customs authorities around the world insist on at least a individual seal on a container – angstrom long as it is fixed in the appropriate hole of the lock-rod on the doorway to the right. however, it is left to the free will of the shipper on the number of seals that are used to seal a container .
The maximal number possible is six, as container door lock-rods have at a maximum, only six openings through which you can put container seals .
In holocene times, drug smugglers have meter and again resorted to smuggling drugs through normal supply chains, such as a sea cargo. With strong fiscal back, international criminal organizations find newer and better ways to smuggle drugs in containers .
latin american countries like Columbia, Peru, and Bolivia are the major producers of drugs like cocaine. From these countries, the drugs find their way to the US, Europe, and Asia. similarly, drugs from asian countries besides reach these countries. Smugglers much ship drugs under the guise of legitimate cargo .
As one of the ways to deter this, Port and Customs officials across the world carry out random checks on shipping containers. For gaining access to the container and to carry out their inspection, they will have to cut open the container cachet affixed by the shipper .
however, in such instances, a new Customs varnish will be fixed. Random checks on containers are normally done by the Port Customs to ensure that goods carried in them are as per what has originally been declared to the Customs department .
Removing the Container Seal
It is usual drill to check the container seal for signs of tampering before the customer receives the container. When the metal thunderbolt of the seal shows signs of having been cut, or if the barrel is out-of-shape, or has crimp marks signifying that a heavy tool has been used to remove it, the customer has to immediately notify the cargo animal trainer ampere well as the concerned indemnity company. The container will then be opened merely in the presence of representatives of these parties .
The seal number should match between what is mentioned on the Bill of Lading, the Shipping Manifest, and the seal on the container. The number should besides match between the varnish pin and its barrel .
To prevent erasing or removal of the seal issue from the container seal, it is marked using different techniques such as thermal printing, laser engraving, etc .
Any mismatch among the numbers should be immediately brought to the notification of the transportation line. In such instances, the cargo animal trainer ’ mho representative, the indemnity surveyor, and the consignee ’ randomness representative will conduct a joint review to ascertain the causal agent and establish that the contents of the container have not been tampered with .
container seals are removed using a heavy-duty metallic element seal or bolt cutters. The only way a container seal can be removed is by cutting it. This ensures that there is no setting for open and refit .
The sealing wax should be cut along its distance, which is the fall of the cachet. Some consignees retain the seals that have been cut and removed until the cargo is confirmed as mentioned in the manifest and that there is no longer a motivation to lodge any claim, any, with the shipper .
Standard for Container Seals
The order standard for container seals that is recognized cosmopolitan is the ISO 17712:2013. It classifies and lays down standards for all mechanical seals that are used to seal freight containers .
sealed countries like the USA require all their inbound containers to be sealed with ‘ High-security ’ ISO certified seals. similarly, other countries may have container seal requirements to satisfy security standards followed by them .
An concern fact is that container seals that conform to ISO 17712:2013 can be used for the transfer of cargo by containers through other modes of transport such as by vilify or by road .
Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT)
Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001, the United States Customs and Border Protection Force ( CBP ) set up a plan called Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism ( CTPAT ) .
The CTPAT is a joint government-public-private sector program that works towards improving security system in issue chains and global trade .
It consists of most of the major companies in the US, carriers, cargo consolidators, and manufacturers, including several major security cachet manufacturers of the world .
These stakeholders help the CTPAT to identify gaps, improve best practices and safety measures that help to fight terrorism .
CTPAT can suspend a penis such as a carrier or cargo consolidator when it is found that they have breached the laid-down security protocols. This suspension is withdrawn only after such members address the breaches, introduce better and stronger security procedures, and prove to the CTPAT that all issues are addressed .
Container Seals and Cargo Theft
container seals are meant to deter tampering and larceny. however, containers can be broken into and the cargo stolen. Thieves may merely break open the container seals and gain access to the cargo within the container.
Read more: A Man Quotes Maritime Law To Avoid Ticket
A meddle, break in, or replaced container seal ( except american samoa in the case of Port Customs inspection ) is testify that the container has been opened on its way to its final examination finish. The consignee can then take appropriate action for claiming insurance or compensation .
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