When choosing an offshore container, there are various types as well as brands to consider. Depending on your company's needs, you would choose the container that is appropriate for your shipment requirements.
Types of Offshore Containers
The most common container types include:
- Dry offshore containers
- Open offshore containers
- Basket containers
- Waste containers
- Tank containers
- Mini containers
- Pallet containers
- Half height containers
Offshore Container Cerfification Requirements
While each of these containers offer different features, each of them should meet certification requirements, both international and country-specific depending on where the container will be used. Certification forms include DNV2.7-1, EN12079, and MSC/Circ.860. In all cases the certifications are designed to achieve these goals:
- Provide safety in order to preserve life
- Provide an environmentally safe device
- Reduce or eliminate any hazards for the vehicle or vessel
- Built for repeated, sustained use including ease of maintenance and long term wear
When looking for an offshore container source, you should consider the following features:
- Strength of the structure and its purpose
- Welding procedures and other jointing methods
- Lifting attachments and sets
- Material specifications & types including steel, aluminum, and non-metal such as plywood or plastic
- Support structures for other permanent equipment
- Stability against tipping
- Top protection
- Any protruding parts
- Floor construction
- Doors and hatches
- Coatings and corrosion protection
- Hazardous material or dangerous goods protections and safety measures
- Safety markings along with identification and certification markings
- Lifting sets including rope, shackles, chain, and couplings
- Fork lift pockets
The certification process is very thorough, covering all aspects of the container in order to maintain a very high level of safety and sustainability. The container manufacturer is certified and must renew their certification on a routine basis. All of these steps are taken so that the containers are of the highest quality.
Offshore containers are subjected to a great deal of stress from lifting and moving. Weather extremes can take their toll on containers, and the products inside the containers or any attached equipment can cause additional issues with the container’s ability to hold up under certain situations. Through the certification process, every container can be checked to make sure it can withstand these scenarios.
When looking for an offshore container provider, you should find a source that has experience in manufacturing certified containers, and one with a long standing safety record. Your container provider should be able to provide references and demonstrations of their container quality. Finding that source is very important when selecting your offshore containers.
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