MSC adopts new IMDG Code

MODERN MARINE

MARITIME • FOR THOSE IN THE DANGEROUS GOODS WORLD, MSC’S SESSION WAS NOTABLE FOR ITS ADOPTION OF THE LATEST IMDG CODE AMENDMENT, BUT THERE WAS PLENTY MORE

THE INTERNATIONAL MARITIME Organisation’s (IMO) Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) met in a virtual format this past 4 to 11 November, approving and adopting a range of measures put forward by its various sub-committees and working groups. Changes to the session’s arrangement were forced on IMO by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, which also informed some of the discussions by MSC, including the approval of a circular endorsing protocols developed by the shipping industry to ensure that crew changes can take place safely, albeit this seems to have had a limited effect thus far.

MSC also responded to other changes, notably the growing use of alternative fuels for ships’ propulsion systems. Amendments were adopted to the International Code of Safety for Ships using Gases or other Low-flashpoint Fuels (IGF Code), related to the fuel containment systems, fire safety, welding of metallic materials and nondestructive testing. Similarly, amendments were agreed to the International Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Liquefied Gases in Bulk (IGC Code), related to welding procedure tests for cargo tanks and process pressure vessels.

MSC also approved interim guidelines for the safety of ships using methanol or ethanol as fuel, with the aim of establishing an international standard. The guidelines include provisions for the arrangement, installation, control and monitoring of machinery, equipment and systems using alcohol fuels so as to minimise the risk to the ship, its crew and the environment, having regard to the nature of the fuels involved. MSC had already invited the International Organization for Standardisation (ISO) to develop standards for the use of these fuels and for the necessary couplings for bunkering operations.

The Sub-committee on Carriage of Cargoes and Containers (CCC) is, meanwhile, continuing to work on this topic, with the ongoing development of draft interim guidelines for the safety of ships using fuel cell power installations, and the development of draft amendments to the IGF Code to include safety provisions for ships using low-flashpoint oil fuels.

OTHER AMENDMENTS ADOPTED Elsewhere, MSC approved recent work that will result in changes to a wide array of maritime operations, including goal-based ship construction standards, firefighting systems and other fire safety measures, lifeboats, second generation intact stability criteria, the safety of ships carrying industrial personnel, onboard lifting and anchor handling winches, vessel traffic services and vessel routeing measures, and the

Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) Convention, this latter also reflecting technical changes by including as a draft amendment the notion of the ‘electro-technical officer’.

MSC approved amendments to the Code of Safe Practice for Cargo Stowage and Securing (CSS Code) related to weatherdependent lashing, heavy cargo items and semi-standardised cargoes such as vehicles on ro-ro ships, with consequential amendments to the revised Guidelines for the preparation of the Cargo Securing Manual.

More specific to the transport of dangerous goods by sea, MSC also approved guidelines for the acceptance of alternative metallic materials for cryogenic service in ships carrying liquefied gases in bulk and ships using gases or other low-flashpoint fuels. Also, having noted satisfactory fatigue test result, MSC approved revised interim guidelines on the application of high manganese austenitic steel for cryogenic service.

Subject to the decision of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC), MSC endorsed revised carriage requirements for methyl acrylate and methyl methacrylate developed by the Sub-committee on Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR). The guidelines note the importance of using the correct carriage requirements when transporting these cargoes in order to avoid potential sources of heat that could initiate a polymerising reaction in the cargoes.

IMDG CODE CHANGES MSC confirmed the changes that appear in the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code Amendment 40-20, as developed by CCC and the Editorial & Technical Group. As with the other modal regulations, the extent of the changes is rather briefer than usual, as a result of the loss of regulatory meetings scheduled for the second and third quarters of 2020. In addition, MSC recognised the difficulties facing many shippers and carriers during the Covid-19 pandemic and, while Amendment 40-20 is available for use as from 1 January 2021, it will only become mandatory on 1 June 2022, five months later than would be the expected date.

The list of changes appearing in Amendment 40-20 mirrors to a great degree those in other modal regulations, to harmonise with the 21st revised edition of the UN Model Regulations. These include, but are not limited to: a large variety of changes relating specifically to radioactive materials; four new UN numbers (0511 to 0513 for detonators, electronic and 3549 for medical waste of Category A, solid); the definitions of self-accelerating decomposition temperature (SADT) and self-accelerating polymerisation temperature (SAPT); the indicative list of high-consequence dangerous goods in 1.4.3.1.2; a new 5.5.4 covering dangerous goods contained in equipment and intended for use during carriage (such as data loggers and telematics units); and various amendments to the packing instructions and special provisions.

More specific to maritime transport, there are a number of amendments to the segregation groups, notably 7, 8, 11, 15, 17 and 18, and four alcoholate entries (UN 1289, 1431, 3206 and 3274) assigned to SGG18. The deletion of special provision 76, which said that transport is prohibited except with competent authority approval, has led to the some of the UN numbers previously allocated to it being given stowage categories. The stowage provisions in 7.1.4.2 for marine pollutants are now also applied to infectious substances of UN 2814, 2900 and 3549.

Other changes include the application of SW22 to waste gas cartridges as well as waste aerosols, a new ‘H5’ handling code for Division 6.2 infection substances, and the rewording of SG27, SG28 and SG34, which apply to some explosives, to specify they should be “separated from” rather than “away from” other substances. An amendment to SG53 now says that material “shall not be stowed together with combustible material in the same cargo transport unit” rather than merely “separated from” liquid organic substances; the change means it applies to solids and to organic materials, though there is no longer a requirement for segregation between cargo transport units.

Finally, the Emergency Response Schedules (EmS) have been updated to reflect the changes in Amendment 40-20, including an update to the spillage schedule ‘S-S’ for radioactive material. The index to the EmS has also been updated, largely to replace spillage provisions with underlined equivalents to take into account the special cases that apply to marine pollutants, and adding several entries to take into account distinctions in provision of emergency schedules as per packing groups.

This brief summary is not exhaustive and all those involved in the transport of packaged dangerous goods by sea should ensure they are in possession of a current copy of the IMDG Code – and also that they understand how to use it.

IMO IS HAVING TO FOLLOW TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENTS

TOWARDS DECARBONISATION VERY CLOSELY, WHILE

ALSO KEEPING UP WITH THE NEED TO MAINTAIN MODAL