Amendments to the IMSBC Code come into force on 1st January 2013

Members should make a note of amendments to the IMSBC Code coming into force next year.

At its 89th session, the IMO's Maritime Safety Committee passed Resolution MSC.318 (89)1 adopting Amendments 01-11 to the IMSBC Code, which will be mandatory from 1st January 2013, although contracting states to the SOLAS Convention may apply them in whole or in part on a voluntary basis as from 1st January 2012. The following are worthy of note:

Seed cake
Mechanically expelled citrus pulp pellets containing not more than 2.5 per cent oil and 14 per cent oil and moisture combined have been added as an exempted seed cake from dangerous seed cake UN 1386(b) entry and therefore classified as non-hazardous in the IMSBC Code.

Ammonium Nitrate
The amendment clarifies that the entry of Ammonium Nitrate UN 1942 in the IMSBC Code only applies to cargoes that do not exhibit properties of class 1 when tested in accordance to Test Series 1 and 2 of class 1 of the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria, part 1.2 Under the "Discharge" requirement, no "bunkering or pumping of fuel oil" is allowed. The amendment provides: "Bunkering of fuel oil shall not be allowed. Pumping of fuel oil in spaces adjacent to the cargo spaces for this cargo, other than the engine-room, shall not be allowed".

Ammonium Nitrate Based Fertiliser
Ammonium Nitrate Based Fertiliser UN 2067 - The stowage and segregation requirement for the cargo not to be stowed immediately adjacent to any tank or double bottom containing fuel oil heated to more than 50°C has been extended to include "pipe" as well. The discharge requirement of "bunkering or pumping of fuel oil shall not be allowed" is replaced by "Bunkering of fuel oil shall not be allowed. Pumping of fuel oil in spaces adjacent to the cargo spaces for this cargo, other than the engine-room, shall not be allowed".

Ammonium Nitrate Based Fertiliser UN 2071 - The discharge requirement of "bunkering or pumping of fuel oil shall not be allowed" is replaced by "Bunkering of fuel oil shall not be allowed. Pumping of fuel oil in spaces adjacent to the cargo spaces for this cargo, other than the engine-room, shall not be allowed."

Ammonium Nitrate Based Fertiliser, non-hazardous type - The amendment provides that if the bulkhead is class A-60, current stowage and segregation requirement that these fertilisers shall be stowed out of direct contact with a metal engine-room boundary shall not apply. The stowage and segregation requirement for cargo not to be stowed immediately adjacent to any tank or double bottom containing fuel oil heated to more than 50°C has been extended to include "pipe" as well. Also, the discharge requirement of "bunkering or pumping of fuel oil shall not be allowed" is replaced by "bunkering of fuel oil shall not be allowed. Pumping of fuel oil in spaces adjacent to the cargo spaces for this cargo, other than the engine-room, shall not be allowed."

Ferrophosphorous (including Briquettes)
The following new carriage requirement has been added: "For quantitative measurement of flammable and toxic gases such as Phosphine, which may be evolved from this cargo in accordance with the cargo information, suitable detectors for each gas or combination of gases shall be on board while this cargo is carried. The detectors shall be of certified safe type for use in explosive atmosphere. The concentrations of these gases in the cargo spaces carrying this cargo shall be measured regularly, during the voyage, and the results of the measurements shall be recorded and kept on board".

New entries and deletions
The following new cargo entries have been incorporated into the IMSBC Code: Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles - Group C, Ferrous Sulphate Heptahydrate - Group C, Fly Ash, Wet - Group A, Granular Ferrous Sulphate - Group C, Magnesium Sulphate Fertilisers - Group C, Wood Products - General - Group A. Wood Pulp Pellets have been deleted from the IMSBC Code.