STOWAGE EXAMINATION QUESTIONS

**A. [General Questions]{.underline}**

1.  The purpose of a stowage examination is:

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a.  To determine if a carrier is fit to receive grain/commodities.

b.  To determine where the grain/commodities are stored.

c.  a and b.

d.  None of the above.

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2.  Stowage examinations are performed: (1) as required by the grain
    regulations; or (2) as a service requested by the applicant.

a\. True b. False

3.  Which of the following equipment is required for stowage
    examinations?

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a.  Flashlight.

b.  Scraper or pocket knife - to determine if rust scale is loose and to
    check in crevices for insect infestation.

c.  Gummed coin envelopes or container - to hold insects or samples of
    unknown substances.

d.  All of the above.

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4.  To be considered fit, the stowage space must be clean, dry, free of
    odor and infestation, and otherwise suitable to receive or store
    grain/commodities, insofar as the suitability may affect the
    quality, quantity, or condition of the grain/commodities.

a\. True b. False

5.  What should be done if unknown material is found in the stowage area
    of a ship, railcar, barge, or container?

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a.  Ignore any unknown material.

b.  Declare the space unfit for loading.

c.  Try to identify the unknown material.

d.  None of the above.

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6.  When shall a stowage examination certificate be issued?

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a.  For each service-upon-request exam[.]{.underline}

b.  For prior-to-loading exams only when specifically requested by the
    applicant.

c.  For all stowage exams.

d.  a and b.

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7.  When a stowage area is declared unfit, the inspector shall:

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a.  Report the unfit condition to the applicant and help correct the
    condition.

b.  Report the unfit condition to the applicant and offer advice on how
    to correct the unfit condition.

c.  Report the condition to the applicant and leave the area
    immediately.

d.  Report the unfit condition to the applicant but do not offer advice
    on how to correct the condition.

8\. What action is to be taken if khapra beetles are encountered?

a.  Include in the count of infestation present in the carrier.

b.  Notify the local office of APHIS, Plant Protection and Quarantine
    Program.

c.  a and b.

> d\. None of the above.

9\. The regulations under the United States Grain Standards Act require
a stowage examination for:

a.  All export grain.

b.  Any export or \"out\" movement of grain that is officially sampled
    and inspected during loading.

c.  Any weighing service on an outbound land carrier.

d.  b and c.

10\. Prior-to-loading stowage examinations are performed:

a.  Immediately before loading.

b.  When within a 24-hour period, no grain is loaded into a carrier
    which has been previously declared fit.

c.  When official personnel believe the condition of a stowage space
    previously declared fit, has worsened.

d.  All of the above.

11\. Who may perform stowage examinations under the U.S. Grain Standards
Act?

a.  Stevedore Company.

b.  Any person who is licensed or authorized under the U.S. Grain
    Standards Act to perform stowage examinations.

c.  Ship\'s Captain.

d.  Railroad Agent.

12\. To whom should the applicant apply for a stowage examination for
grain?

a.  Original and reinspection stowage exams shall be handled by the
    agency or the FGIS field office having jurisdiction for original
    inspection and weighing services in the area.

b.  Appeal stowage exams shall be handled by the FGIS filed office.

c.  Field Management Division, Washington, D.C.

d.  a and b.

13\. When a stowage examination is required by the USGSA
(prior‑to‑loading stowage examination), official personnel shall
withhold official inspection, weighing, or checkloading service until
the stowage area has been examined and declared fit.

a\. True b. False

14\. FGIS instructions (e.g., Rice Inspection Handbook) require that a
prior‑to‑loading stowage examination be performed when an export or
outbound domestic lot of a commodity is officially sampled and inspected
at the time of loading.

a\. True b. False

15\. Once the stowage area is examined and declared fit, loading must
commence within 24 hours or:

a.  A small amount of a commodity must be loaded into a stowage area to
    circumvent this requirement.

b.  The inspector can waive the requirement for another stowage
    examination.

c.  Another stowage examination must be performed.

d.  None of the above.

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16. Service‑on‑request stowage examinations may be performed at any
    location.

> a\. True b. False

17. Service‑on‑request stowage examinations must be performed in
    conjunction with an inspection or weighing service.

> a\. True b. False

18. Performance of a service‑on‑request stowage examination does not
    preclude the need for a prior‑to‑loading stowage examination at a
    later date or time.

> a\. True b. False

19. What level of inspection is an applicant entitled to when the
    condition of the stowage space has changed (e.g., the stowage area
    was treated for infestation or swept clean) since the original
    stowage examination?

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a.  Reinspection.

b.  Appeal.

c.  Original.

d.  Reinspection or Appeal.

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20. If the stowage area has been treated with a contact agent, official
    personnel must not examine the stowage area until the contact agent
    has been allowed ample time to eliminate the infestation and the
    stowage area has been adequately aerated. What is the minimum amount
    of time required before a subsequent stowage exam can be performed?

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a.  One hour.

b.  Four hours.

c.  Eight hours.

d.  Sixteen hours.

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21. To meet the standards for fitness, the stowage area must not contain
    more than one piece of animal filth, rodent excreta, or bird
    excreta.

> a\. True b. False

22. An \"Official Stowage Examination Certificate,\" must be issued for
    all service‑on‑request stowage examinations and prior‑to‑loading
    stowage examinations when requested by the applicant or when deemed
    necessary by the agency or FGIS field office that performed the
    examination.

> a\. True b. False

23. If bulk grain or rough rice in a partially‑filled stowage area is
    found to be unfit because of insect infestation and the vessel is of
    a type approved by FGIS for in‑transit fumigation, the applicant for
    the inspection service may, in lieu of correcting the infested
    condition prior to loading, elect to:

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a.  Load the grain or rice into the unfit stowage area and then fumigate
    the grain or rice in the stowage area in accordance with the FGIS
    Fumigation Handbook.

b.  Remove the infested grain or rice or apply a contact insecticide to
    the grain or rice, and then to request that the stowage area be
    reexamined.

c.  a and b.

d.  none of the above.

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24. The standards of fitness apply to all types and levels of stowage
    examinations, to both empty or partially-filled stowage areas, and,
    when applicable, to separations and commodities in partially-filled
    stowage areas.

> a\. True b. False

25. For outbound domestic grain inspections, what statement must be
    shown on the official sample‑lot inspection certificate if the
    carrier\'s stowage area was not examined before loading?

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a.  \"Stowage area examined\"

b.  \"Stowage area not examined.\"

c.  \"Stowage exam not required.\"

d.  \"Stowage exam not requested.\"

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26. If checkloading service is requested in addition to a stowage
    examination for an AMA inspection, and the commodity was loaded into
    an unfit stowage area, what statement must be shown on the commodity
    inspection certificate?

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a.  \"Commodity in carrier (carrier identification) was not checkloaded
    because the carrier was considered to be unfit due to (cause for
    unfitness).\"

b.  \"Commodity in carrier (carrier identification) was loaded into
    unfit stowage space.\"

c.  \"Commodity in carrier (carrier identification) was checkloaded into
    unfit stowage space.\"

d.  Any of the above statements.

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B.  **[Specific Questions - Examinations for carriers used to store or
    carry bulk commodities not requiring further processing before human
    consumption (e.g., milled rice, certain brown rice, flour, and
    vegetable oil)]{.underline}**

1\. The stowage areas of ships and barges used to store or carry bulk
commodities not requiring further processing before human consumption
(e.g., milled rice, certain brown rice, flour, and vegetable oil), will
be declared unfit when:

a.  A single area of loose rust scale is more than 25 square feet.

b.  Several patches of loose rust scale, in aggregate, exceed 100 square
    feet.

c.  a and b.

d.  Any loose rust or paint scale is found.

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2.  Railcars, trucks, and other containers used to store or carry bulk
    commodities not requiring further processing before human
    consumption (e.g., milled rice, certain brown rice, flour, and
    vegetable oil), a stowage area will be declared unfit when:

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a.  More than 2 square feet of loose rust scale or paint scale is found
    in a single area or in aggregate.

b.  More than 4 square feet of loose rust scale or paint scale is found
    in a single area or in aggregate.

c.  Any loose rust or paint scale is found.

d.  A single area of loose rust scale is more than 25 square feet.

3\. The stowage areas of ships and barges used to store or carry bulk
commodities not requiring further processing before human consumption
(e.g., milled rice, certain brown rice, flour, and vegetable oil), will
be declared unfit when:

a.  Two or more live insects are found in the stowage area.

b.  Three or more live insects are found in the stowage area.

c.  One or more live insects are found in the stowage area.

d.  None of the above.

4\. Railcars, trucks, and other containers used to store or carry bulk
commodities not requiring further processing before human consumption
(e.g., milled rice, certain brown rice, flour, and vegetable oil), will
be declared unfit when:

a.  One or more live insects are found in the stowage area.

b.  Two or more live insects are found in the stowage area.

c.  Three or more live insects are found in the stowage area.

d.  None of the above.

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5.  If the hopper car is to carry rice, pulses, processed products or
    other commodities not requiring further processing before human
    consumption, the hopper car will be declared fit when:

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a.  Only a small amount of previous cargo remains in the stowage areas.

b.  Most of the previous cargo is removed and at least fifty percent of
    the hopper slides are visible.

c.  Previous cargo is completely removed.

d.  None of the above.

**C. [Specific Questions - Ships and Barges]{.underline}**

1\. At the request of the applicant for inspection, official personnel
may conduct prior‑to‑loading stowage examinations of certain bulk
dry‑cargo vessels by observing the stowage areas from the main deck with
binoculars.

> a\. True b. False

2\. Insect infestation can only be detected by close-up examination of:

a.  Corners, crevices, and other dark areas.

b.  Bilge covers and all wood and burlap covering materials.

c.  Bilge covers even if this requires removing nails, bolts, or cement.

d.  a and b.

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3.  One stowage examination certificate identifying areas that are fit
    and areas that are unfit is issued for each ship.

a\. True b. False

4.  Declare the stowage areas of ships and barges unfit when
    \_\_\_\_\_\_ or more live insects injurious to stored
    grain/commodities (except bulk commodities such as milled rice,
    certain brown rice, flour, and vegetable oil that do not requiring
    further processing before human consumption) are found.

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a.  Two c. Four

> c\. Three d. Six

5.  Official personnel can not conduct midstream ship or barge stowage
    examinations at night; except when the ship or barge is docked
    alongside a floating rig.

> a\. True b. False

6\. The stowage areas of ships and barges used to store grain or carry
bulk commodities (except bulk commodities such as milled rice, certain
brown rice, flour, and vegetable oil that do not requiring further
processing before human consumption) will be declared unfit when:

a.  A single area of loose rust scale is more than 25 square feet.

b.  Several patches of loose rust scale, in aggregate, exceed 100 square
    feet.

c.  a and b.

d.  Any loose rust or paint scale is found.

7\. Official personnel are required to record information concerning the
vessel\'s last two foreign ports of call and cargoes on the stowage
examination worksheet for ships and ocean-going barges. This information
is required for backup documentation to:

a.  Alert official personnel as to what to expect in the holds.

b.  Identify a potential safety or inspection problem.

c.  a and b.

d.  None of the above.

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8.  If the stowage area of ships and barges has been fumigated, official
    personnel will not examine the stowage area until:

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a.  After the time period specified by the manufacturer for effective
    use of that type of fumigant (e.g., 72 hours).

b.  The stowage area has been adequately aerated.

c.  A qualified marine chemist or licensed fumigator issue a gas-free
    certificate for the stowage area.

d.  All of the above.

**D. [Specific Questions - Railcars, Trucks, and Other
Containers]{.underline}**

1\. Consider compartmented hopper cars as one unit. If one compartment
does not meet the standards of fitness, declare the entire car unfit.

> a\. True b. False

2\. When examining a hopper car to carry grain, declare it unfit when:

a.  More than 20 pounds of out of condition grain remains in each
    compartment.

b.  Any amount of out of condition grain remains in a compartment.

c.  More than ten bushels of old grain remains in each compartment.

d.  None of the above.

3\. Declare railcars, trucks, and other containers unfit for loading
grain and bulk commodities (except bulk commodities such as milled rice,
certain brown rice, flour, and vegetable oil that do not requiring
further processing before human consumption) when loose rust scale or
paint scale exceeds \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ square feet in a single area or in
aggregate.

> a\. Three b. Four
>
> c\. Five d. Six

4\. Declare railcars, trucks, and other containers unfit for loading
grain and bulk commodities (except bulk commodities such as milled rice,
certain brown rice, flour, and vegetable oil that do not requiring
further processing before human consumption) when \_\_\_\_\_\_ or more
live insects injurious to stored grain/commodities are found.

b.  Two c. Four

> c\. Three d. Six

5\. When examining the inside of the container, check for penetrating
light to ensure that the container is free from:

a.  Small holes and cracks.

b.  Separated floorboards.

c.  Other similar defects that could expose the product to damaging
    conditions.

d.  All of the above.

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6.  Cracks or holes in the roof, doors, or side panels must be
    satisfactorily repaired by welding or permanently affixing a patch
    of like material (e.g., steel, aluminum, fiberglass) to the affected
    area.

> a\. True b. False

7.  What type of material(s) may be used for temporary repairs to
    containers?

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a.  Tar tape.

b.  Plastic.

c.  Wood putty.

d.  None of the above. - Temporary repairs are unacceptable.

8\. What is the procedure for examine the door gaskets, panels, and
hinges to ensure that the doors provide for a light/water tight seal
when closed?

a.  Close the doors, and then examine the closure from the outside to
    see if there are any holes.

b.  Close the doors, and then examine the closure from the inside to see
    if there are any water stains on the floor.

c.  Enter the container, close the doors, and then examine the closure
    from the inside to see if there is any penetrating light.

d.  None of the above.