The Freight Containers (Safety Convention) Regulations 1984

Interpretation

2.—(1) In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires—

“the Convention” means the International Convention for Safe Containers signed at Geneva on 2nd December 1972 and ratified by the United Kingdom on 8th March 1978;

“container” means an article of transport equipment which is

(a)

of a permanent character and accordingly strong enough for repeated use, and

(b)

designed to facilitate the transport of goods by one or more modes of transport without intermediate reloading, and

(c)

designed to be secured or readily handled or both, having corner fittings for these purposes, and

(d)

of a size such that the area enclosed by the outer bottom corners is either

(i)

if the container is fitted with top corner fittings, at least 7 square metres, or

(ii)

in any other case, at least 14 square metres,

and includes a container when carried on a chassis but does not include a vehicle or packaging, or any article of transport equipment designed solely for use in air transport, or a swap body except when it is carried by or on board a sea-going ship and is not mounted on a road vehicle or rail wagon;

“corner fittings” means an arrangement of apertures and faces at either the top or the bottom or both at the top and the bottom of the container for the purposes of handling, stacking and securing or any of those purposes;

“maintained” means maintained in an efficient state in efficient working order and in good repair;

“safety approval plate” means a plate in the form and containing the information specified by the Schedule;

“swap body” means a container which is specially designed for carriage by road only or by rail and road only and is without stacking capability and top lift facilities;

“use” means use for the purpose for which the container is designed but shall not include—

(a)

movement to a place for remedial action provided:

(i)

so far as is reasonably practicable the movement is without risk to the safety of any person, and

(ii)

the remedial action is carried out before the container is repacked with goods,

(b)

if the container is not loaded with goods,

(i)

transport to a place for testing the container to obtain approval under Regulation 5, or

(ii)

delivery of the container to its purchaser by the vendor or his agent.

(2) Unless the context otherwise requires, any reference in these Regulations to—

(a) a numbered Regulation is a reference to the Regulation of these Regulations which bears that number,

(b) a numbered paragraph is a reference to that paragraph so numbered in the Regulation in which the reference appears,

(c) “the Schedule” is a reference to the Schedule to these Regulations,

(d) any document operates as a reference to that document as revised or re-issued from time to time.