Operational guide · Operational procedure

Heavy Lift Cargo and Project Cargo

For heavy lift and project cargo, reliable data, supports and securing must match the CSM and ship limits. Annex 13 also assists competent ship’s staff in assessing arrangements outside the manual; calculations, acceptance and checks follow the particular case.

heavy liftproject cargoCSS Code Annex 13special cargoes

Operational Explanation

For project cargo, connect mass and centre of gravity with the selected position, reactions at individual supports and the load path into the ship’s structure. The CSM, relevant drawings and calculations then allow the installed supports, devices and securing to be compared with the assessed arrangement. Stability, deck or tank-top limits, load-spreading grillage and sea fastening must be considered together.

Annex 13 provides design assumptions and assessment methods for semi-standardised and non-standardised cargo. Sections 2.2–2.3 envisage use by both ship’s staff and qualified shore personnel for cargo outside the CSM. Competence, reliable data and an appropriate method are needed: citing the Annex does not replace structural checks or the acceptance or approval process required for the case. Very heavy or large items may need considerations beyond the general method.

Regulatory Reference

SOLAS VI/5.6; MSC.1/Circ.1623 — CSS Annex 13. The approved CSM and engineering package govern securing. Operational procedures for weather-dependent securing must be documented in the approved CSM or SMS under Annex 13 §7.1.6, consistently with applicable limits. A forecast alone does not authorize arbitrary design-load reductions.

IMO — SOLAS II-1/3-13, effective 1 January 2026. Separately verify applicable lifting-appliance requirements: design, operation, inspections, testing and maintenance. A lifting plan does not replace sea-fastening design, or vice versa.

Scope of Application

Heavy lift, out-of-gauge and project cargo require assessment proportionate to mass, geometry, supports, CoG, structure and voyage. Approval/acceptance and independent survey depend on Administration, class, CSM, Company, contract, charterer or insurer; they are not identical universal IMO duties for every cargo.

Procedure / How to Complete It

Obtain reliable mass, dimensions, verified CoG, support and lifting points from the shipper.
Check deck/tank-top limits, stability, structural loads and compatibility with the approved CSM.
Have competent personnel prepare securing/sea-fastening analysis under Annex 13 and other applicable standards.
Obtain acceptance/approval and survey where required by documents and competent parties.
On board verify installation against drawings and calculations; stop on discrepancy.

Practical Example

For a turbine on deck, the engineering package checks supports, grillage, deck loads, stability, design accelerations and sea fastening. Weather or speed limits apply only if formally included. Crew verify installation against accepted drawings.

What Typically Goes Wrong

Dividing weight by the whole deck area hides concentrated support reactions. Competent engineering must check load paths, grillage and supporting structure. Lifting points are not automatically suitable as securing points: directions and capacities must be checked for each use.

Common Mistakes Mistake Library

Mistake	Consequence	How to Avoid It
Improvised onboard Annex 13 calculation	Securing not demonstrated against cargo data, structural limits or voyage conditions	Use competent personnel, an appropriate method and data; complete required checks and acceptance or approval
Forecast freely reduces design loads	Arrangement falls outside approved assumptions	Use weather-dependent limits only where formally prescribed
Independent survey treated as universal IMO duty	Requirement unsupported by the source	Check contract, insurer, Company, class and Administration

What the PSCO Checks

Consistency between the approved CSM, relevant engineering documentation and actual arrangement: cargo data, structural and stability limits, acceptance conditions and familiarisation. Citing Annex 13 does not by itself assign new design responsibility to crew or exclude assessment by competent ship’s staff.

Operational Tips

Do not use estimated data where mass or CoG requires verification.
Do not reduce design loads from forecast alone.
Check the sea-fastening survey requirement in contract and applicable procedures.

Preparation checklist

Reliable cargo data and verified CoG
Deck/tank-top, stability and structural loads checked
Engineering analysis prepared by competent personnel
Acceptance/approval obtained where required
Weather-dependent limitations formally documented
Need for independent survey assessed; carried out when required or selected based on risk
Installation matches drawings

FAQ

May crew autonomously design securing with Annex 13?

Annex 13 also assists competent ship’s staff in assessing securing outside the CSM. It is not a licence to improvise: use appropriate data and methods, check structure and limits, and follow the acceptance or approval required for the case.

May forecast reduce design loads?

Only within the conditions and limits specified for weather-dependent securing. The procedures must be developed, followed and documented in the approved CSM or included in the SMS under Annex 13 §7.1.6; the engineering package must be consistent with that basis, not replace it.

Is an independent sea-fastening survey always required?

No. Check contract, insurer, Company, class and Administration.

What did the 2020 revision do?

It introduced and clarified the criteria of the revised Annex 13; it is not a future proposal.

Heavy Lift Cargo and Project Cargo

Operational Explanation

Regulatory Reference

Scope of Application

Procedure / How to Complete It

Practical Example

What Typically Goes Wrong

Common Mistakes Mistake Library

What the PSCO Checks

Operational Tips

Preparation checklist

FAQ

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