Profession marine cargo inspector

Marine cargo inspectors investigate all baggage and freight listed on the ship's manifest. They are responsible for checking the condition of the cargo and verifying the cargo's documentation and compliance with rules and regulations. Marine cargo inspectors analyse the vessels' capabilities, the fuel compartments, the safety equipment and the specific licenses required.

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Personality Type

• Realistic / Conventional

Knowledge

• International regulations for cargo handling

  The body of conventions, guidelines and rules which dictate the activity of loading and unloading cargo in international ports.

• Freight transport methods

  Understand different modalities of transport such as air, sea, or intermodal freight transport. Specialise in one of the modalities and possess a deeper knowledge of the details and procedures of that modality.

• Types of cargo

  Distinguish different types of cargo e.g. bulk cargo, liquid bulk cargo and heavy materials.

• Principles of cargo stowage

  Understand the principles of cargo stowage. Understand procedures by which containers should be efficiently loaded and unloaded, taking into account gravitational forces that are exerted during transportation.

• National regulations on handling cargo

  The national regulations governing the loading and unloading of cargo in ports within that country.

• Components of a ship manifest

  Know the different components comprising the ship's manifest, in which information on the cargo, passengers, and crew are disclosed. Corroborate the written information with actual facts.

• Hazardous freight regulations

  Know the most widely applied regulatory schemes for the transportation of dangerous materials. Know specific regulatory frameworks such as IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) for air transport, or International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code ("IMDG Code") for transportation of hazardous materials by sea.

Skills

• Lead inspections

  Lead inspections and the protocol involved, such as introducing the inspection team, explaining the purpose of the inspection, performing the inspection, requesting documents, asking appropriate questions, and maintaining a high level of professionalism when investigating subjects.

• Prepare freight shipment reports

  Compose and submit freight shipment reports. Include detailed information on freight conditions and freight handling; report problems if necessary.

• Inspect freight

  Inspect, document, and manage freight shipments; verify that all content complies with national, international and local regulations.

• Apply procedures to ensure cargo complies with customs regulations

  Apply the different procedures required to meet customs obligations when transporting goods across borders and arriving via ports/airports or any other logistics hub, such as producing written customs declarations. Apply different procedures for different types of goods, and ensure compliance with shipping regulations.;

• Handle freight inspection equipment

  Handle freight inspection equipment and tools such as bench top centrifuges, depth indicators, notebook computers, tape measures, and water samplers.

• Weigh shipments

  Weigh shipments and calculate the maximum weights and dimensions, per package or per item, for each consignment.

• Undertake inspections

  Undertake safety inspections in areas of concern to identify and report potential hazards or security breaches; take measures to maximise safety standards.

• Adjust weight of cargo to capacity of freight transport vehicles

  Adapt weight of cargo to capacity of freight transport vehicles. Oversee the maximum load capacity of the vehicle in question and the weight of each individual crate in the shipment.

• Inspect hazardous freight in accordance with regulations

  Inspect and take into account regulations on hazardous or delicate freight such as biomedical waste, transplant organs, and blood. Freight may have to cross national borders on its journey to its destination. Comply with legal freight regulations to avoid fines for the transportation company or the organisation that initiated the shipment.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB