DANGERS ASSOCIATED WITH SOLID BULK CARGO.....
Special hazards are associated with solid cargoes in bulk when they are shipped
-Structural damagedue to improper cargo distribution
-Liquefaction of cargo, causing loss of (intact) stability during the voyage
-Chemical reaction of cargoes
IMSBC BECAME MANDATORY.....
-The BC Code became the new mandatoryIMSBC Code
-The IMSBC Code is, in fact, the latest revision of the BC Code to make it mandatory
-As such, the BC Code is superseded by IMSBC Code
WHY TO MOVE FROM BC CODE TO IMSBC CODE.....
1.To make the Code mandatory
2.To draw a parallel with the structure of the IMDG Code
-The Code will be reviewed every two years, as it is the case for IMDG Code
-New products can be added easily
-Information have been updated according to the 2008 Edition of IMDG Code
3.References to the most recent SOLAS amendments
4.To add new products and to update information for existing cargoes
-Fully updated individual schedules for solid bulk cargoes
-New individual schedules for such cargoes as spent cathodes and granulated tire rubber
-New provisions about sulphur
IMSBC ADOPTION AND BECAME MANDATORY.......
The International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes (IMSBC) Code, adopted on 4 December 2008 by resolution MSC268(85), replaces the Code of Safe Practice for Solid Bulk Cargoes (BC Code) on 1 January 2011, from which date it will be mandatory under the SOLAS Convention.
THE FOREWORD OF THE IMSBC CODE STATES......
The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974 (SOLAS Convention), as amended, deals with various aspects of maritime safety and contains, in parts A and B of chapter VI and part B of chapter VII, the mandatory provisions governing the carriage of solid bulk cargoes and the carriage of dangerous goods in solid form in bulk, respectively. These provisions are amplified in the IMSBC Code.
THE PRIMARY AIM OF THE CODE........
The primary aim of the IMSBC Code is to facilitate the safe stowage and carriage of solid bulk cargoes, by providing information on the dangers associated with certain types of solid bulk cargoes and instructions on the procedures to be adopted when loading and carrying those cargoes.
ALSO....
contains mostly operational instructionson stowage and handling of cargoes; some specific provisions refer to the design or the equipmentof the ship
IMSBC APPLIES TO....
-Is applicable to any ship carrying cargoes in bulk(except grains)
-Is not only applicable to bulk carriers!
THE CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENTS....
The existing Bulk Cargoes (BC) Code Certificates for the vessels shall be replaced by the International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes (IMSBC) Certificates by the time of the First Bulk Cargoes Periodical Survey on or after 1st January 2011. The ships not having Bulk Cargoes (BC) Certificates or the International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes (IMSBC) Certificates, and which will carry Solid Bulk Cargoes, shall have International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes (IMSBC) Certificates before loading, on or after 1st January 2011.
THE CHANGES FROM BC CODE........
The new Code includes:
* Fully updated individual schedules for solid bulk cargoes.
* Schedules for new cargoes such as direct reduced iron fines, spent cathodes and granulated tyre rubber.
* Additional provisions for new forms of sulphur.
* References to the most recent SOLAS amendments.
* Relevant updated information from the 2008 edition of the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code.
* A directory of contact names and addresses of designated national competent authorities responsible for monitoring or approval of the loading of solid bulk cargoes.
THE IMSBC CODE LAYOUT.....
Sections 1 to 10: mandatory
Provide general information on
-Loading, carriage and unloading precautions
-Safety of personnel and ship
-Cargoes that may liquefy
Sections 11 to 13: recommendatory/additional
-Security
-Stowage factor conversion tables
-List of references
Appendix 1: individual schedules of solid bulk cargoes
Appendixes 2 to 4: various information
ABOUT APPENDIX 1.......
Appendix 1 –List of cargoes
Cargoes are categorized in 3 groups,plus a special category
Group A: cargoes which may liquefy if shipped at a moisture content in excess of their transportable moisture limit
Group B: cargoes which possess a chemical hazard which could give rise to a dangerous situation on a ship
Group C: consists of cargoes which are neither liable to liquefy (A) nor to possess chemical hazards (B)
Materials Hazardous only in Bulk(MHB):materials which may possess chemical hazards when carried in bulk, other than materials classified as dangerous goodsin the IMDG Code
MASTER AND PORT..........
The new Code now includes special provisions in Part B of Chapter IV relating to the relationship between the Master and the load port and discharge port terminals:
* LOADING PLAN....
Before loading/unloading a solid bulk cargo, the Master and terminal representative shall agree on a plan to ensure permissible forces and moments are not exceeded, and which shall address the sequence, quantity and rate of loading/unloading, speed of loading/ unloading, number of pours, and the ballasting/de-ballasting capacity of the vessel.
* AMMENDMENTS TO THE PLAN.....
The plan and amendments shall be lodged with the appropriate authority of the port state.
* MASTERS OVERRIDING AUTHORITY.....
If, during loading and unloading, any of the stress/stability limits of the ship are or are likely to be exceeded, the Master has the right to suspend operations, and is obliged to notify the authority where the plan has been lodged.
Copies of the The BLU Code, the BLU manual, and evidence that they are followed (loading/unloading plan prepared before any loading/unloading operation, ship/shore checklist filled out before any loading/unloading operation) are checked to be available
onboard.
SHIPPER SHALL......
SOLAS and the IMSBC Code requires that the shippers of bulk cargoes provide the master of a vessel in writing sufficiently in advance of loading with information on any special properties of the cargo, including the likelihood of shifting, and for concentrates and other cargoes which may (in certain circumstances) liquefy, additional information in the form of a certificate on the moisture content of the cargo and its TML.
SHIP'S OFFICERS.....
The Code specifically requires the Master to ensure that ship’s personnel constantly monitor cargo operations, verifying (by means of regular draught surveys) the tonnage being supplied to ensure that the stresses on the vessel are within acceptable limits.
DOCUMENT OF COMPLIANCE......
click here to view a specimen copy of DOC
Importantly, the new Code now requires that vessels hold a ‘Document of Compliance for the Carriage of Dangerous Solid Bulk Cargoes’. Some port state control authorities have already been asking for compliance with the new IMSBC Code before it becomes mandatory. It would be prudent to ensure that a valid ‘Document of Compliance’ is available on board.
DOC/Certificate/Statement of Compliance to load Solid Bulk Cargoes issued by the vessel’s Classification Society, must reflect the ISMBC Code and not the previous Code of Safe Practice for Solid Bulk Cargoes (BC Code). Compliance with the latter was recommended unless imposed by individual flag states as a statutory requirement. However, since 01 January 2011, the requirements of the IMSBC Code have became mandatory, hence the DOC/Certificate/Statement of Compliance to load Solid Bulk Cargoes must now reflect the new IMSBC Code.
It should be noted that a Certificate of Compliance can only be issued covering the solid bulk cargoes as listed in the current edition of the IMSBC code, and it is the owner's responsibility to provide an IMO recognized name exactly as it is stated in the IMSBC code. On no account should a certificate of compliance be issued listing any cargo, which is not
covered by the IMSBC code.
The expiry date of any Certificate of Compliance for the carriage of Solid Bulk Cargoes should be harmonized with that of the Safety Construction Certificate.
Special hazards are associated with solid cargoes in bulk when they are shipped
-Structural damagedue to improper cargo distribution
-Liquefaction of cargo, causing loss of (intact) stability during the voyage
-Chemical reaction of cargoes
IMSBC BECAME MANDATORY.....
-The BC Code became the new mandatoryIMSBC Code
-The IMSBC Code is, in fact, the latest revision of the BC Code to make it mandatory
-As such, the BC Code is superseded by IMSBC Code
WHY TO MOVE FROM BC CODE TO IMSBC CODE.....
1.To make the Code mandatory
2.To draw a parallel with the structure of the IMDG Code
-The Code will be reviewed every two years, as it is the case for IMDG Code
-New products can be added easily
-Information have been updated according to the 2008 Edition of IMDG Code
3.References to the most recent SOLAS amendments
4.To add new products and to update information for existing cargoes
-Fully updated individual schedules for solid bulk cargoes
-New individual schedules for such cargoes as spent cathodes and granulated tire rubber
-New provisions about sulphur
IMSBC ADOPTION AND BECAME MANDATORY.......
The International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes (IMSBC) Code, adopted on 4 December 2008 by resolution MSC268(85), replaces the Code of Safe Practice for Solid Bulk Cargoes (BC Code) on 1 January 2011, from which date it will be mandatory under the SOLAS Convention.
THE FOREWORD OF THE IMSBC CODE STATES......
The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974 (SOLAS Convention), as amended, deals with various aspects of maritime safety and contains, in parts A and B of chapter VI and part B of chapter VII, the mandatory provisions governing the carriage of solid bulk cargoes and the carriage of dangerous goods in solid form in bulk, respectively. These provisions are amplified in the IMSBC Code.
THE PRIMARY AIM OF THE CODE........
The primary aim of the IMSBC Code is to facilitate the safe stowage and carriage of solid bulk cargoes, by providing information on the dangers associated with certain types of solid bulk cargoes and instructions on the procedures to be adopted when loading and carrying those cargoes.
ALSO....
contains mostly operational instructionson stowage and handling of cargoes; some specific provisions refer to the design or the equipmentof the ship
IMSBC APPLIES TO....
-Is applicable to any ship carrying cargoes in bulk(except grains)
-Is not only applicable to bulk carriers!
THE CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENTS....
The existing Bulk Cargoes (BC) Code Certificates for the vessels shall be replaced by the International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes (IMSBC) Certificates by the time of the First Bulk Cargoes Periodical Survey on or after 1st January 2011. The ships not having Bulk Cargoes (BC) Certificates or the International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes (IMSBC) Certificates, and which will carry Solid Bulk Cargoes, shall have International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes (IMSBC) Certificates before loading, on or after 1st January 2011.
THE CHANGES FROM BC CODE........
The new Code includes:
* Fully updated individual schedules for solid bulk cargoes.
* Schedules for new cargoes such as direct reduced iron fines, spent cathodes and granulated tyre rubber.
* Additional provisions for new forms of sulphur.
* References to the most recent SOLAS amendments.
* Relevant updated information from the 2008 edition of the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code.
* A directory of contact names and addresses of designated national competent authorities responsible for monitoring or approval of the loading of solid bulk cargoes.
THE IMSBC CODE LAYOUT.....
Sections 1 to 10: mandatory
Provide general information on
-Loading, carriage and unloading precautions
-Safety of personnel and ship
-Cargoes that may liquefy
Sections 11 to 13: recommendatory/additional
-Security
-Stowage factor conversion tables
-List of references
Appendix 1: individual schedules of solid bulk cargoes
Appendixes 2 to 4: various information
ABOUT APPENDIX 1.......
Appendix 1 –List of cargoes
Cargoes are categorized in 3 groups,plus a special category
Group A: cargoes which may liquefy if shipped at a moisture content in excess of their transportable moisture limit
Group B: cargoes which possess a chemical hazard which could give rise to a dangerous situation on a ship
Group C: consists of cargoes which are neither liable to liquefy (A) nor to possess chemical hazards (B)
Materials Hazardous only in Bulk(MHB):materials which may possess chemical hazards when carried in bulk, other than materials classified as dangerous goodsin the IMDG Code
MASTER AND PORT..........
The new Code now includes special provisions in Part B of Chapter IV relating to the relationship between the Master and the load port and discharge port terminals:
* LOADING PLAN....
Before loading/unloading a solid bulk cargo, the Master and terminal representative shall agree on a plan to ensure permissible forces and moments are not exceeded, and which shall address the sequence, quantity and rate of loading/unloading, speed of loading/ unloading, number of pours, and the ballasting/de-ballasting capacity of the vessel.
* AMMENDMENTS TO THE PLAN.....
The plan and amendments shall be lodged with the appropriate authority of the port state.
* MASTERS OVERRIDING AUTHORITY.....
If, during loading and unloading, any of the stress/stability limits of the ship are or are likely to be exceeded, the Master has the right to suspend operations, and is obliged to notify the authority where the plan has been lodged.
Copies of the The BLU Code, the BLU manual, and evidence that they are followed (loading/unloading plan prepared before any loading/unloading operation, ship/shore checklist filled out before any loading/unloading operation) are checked to be available
onboard.
SHIPPER SHALL......
SOLAS and the IMSBC Code requires that the shippers of bulk cargoes provide the master of a vessel in writing sufficiently in advance of loading with information on any special properties of the cargo, including the likelihood of shifting, and for concentrates and other cargoes which may (in certain circumstances) liquefy, additional information in the form of a certificate on the moisture content of the cargo and its TML.
SHIP'S OFFICERS.....
The Code specifically requires the Master to ensure that ship’s personnel constantly monitor cargo operations, verifying (by means of regular draught surveys) the tonnage being supplied to ensure that the stresses on the vessel are within acceptable limits.
DOCUMENT OF COMPLIANCE......
click here to view a specimen copy of DOC
Importantly, the new Code now requires that vessels hold a ‘Document of Compliance for the Carriage of Dangerous Solid Bulk Cargoes’. Some port state control authorities have already been asking for compliance with the new IMSBC Code before it becomes mandatory. It would be prudent to ensure that a valid ‘Document of Compliance’ is available on board.
DOC/Certificate/Statement of Compliance to load Solid Bulk Cargoes issued by the vessel’s Classification Society, must reflect the ISMBC Code and not the previous Code of Safe Practice for Solid Bulk Cargoes (BC Code). Compliance with the latter was recommended unless imposed by individual flag states as a statutory requirement. However, since 01 January 2011, the requirements of the IMSBC Code have became mandatory, hence the DOC/Certificate/Statement of Compliance to load Solid Bulk Cargoes must now reflect the new IMSBC Code.
It should be noted that a Certificate of Compliance can only be issued covering the solid bulk cargoes as listed in the current edition of the IMSBC code, and it is the owner's responsibility to provide an IMO recognized name exactly as it is stated in the IMSBC code. On no account should a certificate of compliance be issued listing any cargo, which is not
covered by the IMSBC code.
The expiry date of any Certificate of Compliance for the carriage of Solid Bulk Cargoes should be harmonized with that of the Safety Construction Certificate.