Container Certification Application

ABS offers certification services for offshore containers, often at the request of the owner or operator or due to safety regulations mandated by local authorities. To request container certification, a Container Certification Application (CTR AB 200 OC)  must be submitted before any ABS engineering and inspection work can begin. You can apply online or obtain a hard copy of the application by contacting the ABS Container Certification Department via e-mail at ABSContainers@eagle.org.

Engineering

• Once the application is received, the design goes through Design Assessment.
• The ABS Engineer reviews the design drawings, specifications and technical documents in accordance with the requested certifications. An engineering review letter will be returned with a container test agenda attached, if required.
• Next, the design goes through Prototype Testing in accordance with the container test agenda and witnessed by an ABS Surveyor.
• Upon a successful prototype test, an ABS Design Assessment is issued to the design.

Factory Approval

• The manufacturing facility must obtain Factory Approval.
• The ABS Surveyor reviews the factory’s quality control manual and audits the quality control system and manufacturing process. During this step, the ABS Surveyor determines hold points in the manufacturing process.
• Prior to any production and upon a successful audit, the ABS Surveyor issues a Factory Approval Certificate valid for five (5) years, subject to annual audits.

Inspection

• Next, the ABS Surveyor regularly visits the facility to monitor the quality control system and manufacturing process based on the pre-determined hold points.
• An application identifying each container by serial number is to be submitted for certification of a unique container.
• Upon completion of a specific container, the ABS Surveyor will perform a document review and witness testing (if applicable) and perform a visual inspection to mark and certify the container.

Codes & Standards

Certification services conducted by ABS cover internationally-recognized agreements, standards and codes related to intermodal and marine containers and their transportation including:

• AAR Association of American Railroads
• ABS Rules for Certification of Cargo Containers
• ADR European Agreement Concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road
• ATO Agrotechnological Research Institute
• CSC International Convention for Safe Containers
• IMDG International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code
• ISO International Organization for Standardization
• RID International Regulations Concerning the Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Rail
• TCT Australian Department of Health – Wood Treatment Regulations
• TIR Customs Convention on the International Transport of Goods Under Cover of TIR Carnets
• TPED Transportable Pressure Equipment Directive
• UIC International Union of Railroads
• USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the US Department of Agriculture
• USDOT US Department of Transportation