B777 PLT DURING PREFLT IS NOTIFIED THAT THE CARGO CONTAINERS ARE NOT LATCHED PROPERLY AND HE IS CONCERNED THAT THEY MAY SHIFT INFLT.

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DEP DELAY DUE TO CONTAINERS IMPROPERLY LOADED IN AFT CARGO. STATION OPS DID NOT TAKE ANY INITIATIVE TO NOTIFY THE COCKPIT AS THIS DELAY DEVELOPED. WHEN THE SCHEDULED DEP TIME ELAPSED; CAPT CONTACTED OPS AND RECEIVED AN ABBREVIATED EXPLANATION TO THE EFFECT; '...UNABLE TO LATCH A CONTAINER INTO PLACE.' THIS IMMEDIATELY RAISED RED FLAGS REGARDING THE POSSIBILITY OF PAYLOAD SHIFTING DURING ROTATION. CAPT QUERIED OPS IF MAINT HAD BEEN NOTIFIED. OPS THEN EXPANDED EXPLANATION TO INCLUDE THAT A PALLET WAS EXTENDING INTO THE POS OF THE ADJACENT CONTAINER WHICH PREVENTED THE CONTAINER FROM BEING LATCHED INTO PLACE. EVENTUALLY ALL OR SOME OF THE 4 CONTAINERS AND THE PALLET WERE OFF-LOADED AND RE-LOADED IN THE NECESSARY ORDER. APPARENTLY THERE WAS NEVER A MECHANICAL PROB WITH THE CARGO SYS ACCORDING TO THE RE-STATED EXPLANATION FROM OPS. FLT DEPARTED 27 MINS LATE AND ACFT HANDLING AND PERFORMANCE DURING ROTATION AND CLBOUT WERE NORMAL. HERE ARE MY CONCERNS: 1) SAFETY -- WHAT ASSURANCE IS THERE THAT THESE CONTAINERS WILL NOT SHIFT INFLT? ACCORDING TO DISPATCH THERE ARE 19 POS IN THE AFT CARGO. ACCORDING TO KONA STATION OPS TWO OF THOSE POS; 27 AND 28; WERE EMPTY. THIS IMPLIES TO ME THAT THERE IS ROOM FOR THESE CONTAINERS/PALLETS TO SHIFT INFLT. WHAT PROCS OR MECHANISMS ARE IN PLACE TO PREVENT A POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC CARGO SHIFT IF CARGO CONTAINER(S) WERE NOT LATCHED IN PLACE PROPERLY OR THE LATCHING MECHANISM FAILED?