Cargo Securing Manual (CSM), Container Lashing & 2026 PSC CIC Checklist

Under SOLAS Chapter VI Regulation 5 (all cargoes other than solid and liquid bulk) and Chapter VII Regulation 5 (dangerous goods in packaged form), every cargo unit and Cargo Transport Unit (CTU) must be stowed and secured throughout the voyage in accordance with an approved, ship-specific Cargo Securing Manual (CSM):

During the 1 September – 30 November 2026 Concentrated Inspection Campaign, Port State Control Officers use a harmonised questionnaire after the regular document review and during the deck / cargo-hold / vehicle-deck walk-round:

On cellular and multipurpose container vessels, PSC, Class and RightShip inspectors focus on the alignment between the approved departure lashing calculation and the physical arrangement on every hatch cover and lashing bridge:

• Lashing Calculation Software Verification: Before departure (and whenever bay stowage is revised before sailing), the Chief Officer must run the class-approved lashing module (e.g., Lashcon, MACS3, Loadstar) using the actual departure GM, draft and route weather factor (MSC.1/Circ.1623). Zero stack weight, tier weight, racking, corner-post compression or lashing-rod tension exceedances are permitted.
• No Mixing of Twistlock Types or Handedness: Semi-automatic twistlocks (SATLs), fully automatic twistlocks (FATLs) and manual twistlocks must never be mixed within the same container stack or bay unless explicitly permitted by the CSM, and left-hand / right-hand manual locks must be oriented consistently so the crew can verify locked status from the lashing walk.
• Cargo Safe Access Plan (CSAP — SOLAS VI/5.2): On container ships constructed on or after 1 January 2015, the CSAP forms part of the approved CSM. Inspectors check that lashing bridges, walkways, access ladders, manhole guards, non-slip surfaces, lighting and minimum clearance widths between container stows comply with the CSAP and MSC.1/Circ.1353/Rev.2.
• Heavy-Weather Lashing Rounds: When heavy weather or parametric/synchronous rolling risk is forecast, record daily lashing tension checks (or explain why deck access was restricted for crew safety under a formal risk assessment) in the Deck Log Book.

For breakbulk, heavy-lift, steel coils, timber deck cargo, and Ro-Ro wheeled units, inspectors verify that the lashing pattern resists both sliding and tipping under the vessel’s actual metacentric height (GM):

• High GM Increases Transverse Accelerations: A stiff ship (large GM, common on ballast-heavy project or steel-coil voyages) experiences much higher transverse accelerations in a seaway. Under CSS Code Annex 13, the Chief Officer must apply the B/GM correction factor when computing the transverse force Fy on deck and upper-tween-deck cargo.
• Friction Coefficient (μ) & Timber Dunnage: Direct steel-on-steel contact between a cargo skid and a steel tanktop has a friction coefficient of only μ = 0.1 (reduced to 0.0 if wet or oily). Placing dry timber dunnage or certified high-friction rubber mats beneath the cargo raises μ to 0.3–0.6, dramatically reducing the number of lashing chains required.
• Effective Lashing Angles: Lashings intended to prevent sliding work best at shallow vertical angles (≤ 30°–45° to the deck), whereas lashings intended to prevent tipping require steep vertical angles (45°–60°) or direct top-over / half-loop arrangements.
• Ro-Ro Vehicle Decks (SOLAS VI/5 & Resolution A.581(14)): Unaccompanied road trailers must be supported on trestles/jacks at the front kingpin, brakes applied, wheel chocks fitted, and lashed with at least the CSM-specified number of chains/webbing straps (each rated MSL ≥ 100 kN for standard road trailers) at 30°–60° to the deck.