Guidelines for the preparation of the Cargo Securing Manual prescribed in MSC/Circ.745 have been amended, and the IMO Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) at its eighty-seventh session (MSC 87) approved the Revised Guidelines, as set out in the annex as MSC.1/Circ.1353. Consequently, MSC.1/Circ.1353 supersedes MSC/Circ.745.

[Application and Amendment]
1. New ships*
Ships which are specifically designed and fitted for the purpose of carrying containers are to be provided with a Cargo Safe Access Plan (CSAP) in order to demonstrate that personnel will have safe access for container securing operations. Other parts of the new circular do not differ significantly from MSC/Circ.745.

2. Existing ships**
There is no substantial alteration from MSC/Circ.745 which affect on the approved Cargo Securing Manual onboard.

[Approval of Cargo Securing Manual]
1. New ships*
Cargo securing manuals carried onboard new ships and submitted to ClassNK for approval are to be approved pursuant to MSC.1/Circ.1353.

2. Existing ships**
The description on the approval stamp affixed to the cover page of cargo securing manuals carried onboard existing ships that have been approved by ClassNK will be revised by the surveyor onboard at the time of next survey of the ship to reflect the new circular number 1353. Masters are kindly requested to hand the approved cargo securing manual to the surveyor at the time of survey, accordingly.

* : Ships, the keels of which were laid or which are at a similar stage of construction on or after 1 January 2015.
** : Ships, the keels of which were laid or which were at a similar stage of construction before 1 January 2015.

(To be continued)