(a) Examinations required by §452.7 must conform to the following minimum requirements:

(1) A thorough examination that must include a detailed visual inspection for defects such as cracks, failures, corrosion, missing or deteriorated fasteners, and any other safety related deficiency or damage that could place any person in danger. Any such deficiencies disclosed by the examination must be corrected by the owner before the container is continued in service. A thorough examination must be done each time a container undergoes a major repair, refurbishment or on-hire/off-hire interchange. In no case is the time period between thorough examinations to exceed 30 months.

(2) Each thorough examination must be performed by qualified personnel, trained and experienced in the detection of container structural damage.

(3) Each thorough examination must apply owner established or industry accepted pass/fail criteria to determine whether a container has any deficiency that must be remedied before the container is returned to service.

(b) Thorough examinations must be documented, and the records retained by the owner, until the next examination is completed and recorded. The records must include, in addition to identification of the container, a record of the date of last examination and a means of identifying the examiner. The records must be maintained in an office under the control of the owner and be made available for inspection by the Coast Guard upon demand. If the original records are maintained outside the United States, its territories or possessions, supplementary records must be available in written or data processing form to be produced on demand of the Commandant or his representative.

(The information collection requirements contained in paragraph (b) have been approved by the Office of Management and Budget under OMB control number 1625-0024)

[49 FR 15562, Apr. 19, 1984, as amended at 69 FR 58353, Sept. 30, 2004]