EMSA’s Best Practice Guidance on the Inventory of Hazardous Materials

06 December 2016  |  C16037

EMSA has released a best practice guidance on the IHM development and maintenance in the context of the Ship Recycling Regulation (EU) 1257/2013 of the European Parliament and the Council on ship recycling

NOTICE TO
Ship Owners / Managers / Operators  |  Surveyors  |  Flag Administrations

Regulation (EU) 1257/2013 of the European Parliament and the Council on ship recycling, hereinafter referred to as “the Regulation”, applies to ships on international voyages, of 500 GT and above flying the flag of a Member State or the flag of a third country under the conditions of Article 12 of the Regulation.

The Regulation applies to all vessels of any type, operating or having operated in the marine environment including submersibles, floating craft, floating platforms, self-elevating platforms, FSUs and FPSOs, as well as ships stripped of equipment or being towed.  It does not apply, though, to any warships, naval auxiliary or other ships owned or operated by a state and used, for the time being, only on government non-commercial service. ‘New’ and ‘existing’ ships, ‘ships going for recycling’ as well as ‘ships flying the flag of a third country’ shall have on board an IHM in accordance with the relevant provisions of Article 5 or Article 12 of the Regulation.

The timeline of the application of the Regulation as regards the application of port State control provisions can be found in Annex A of this document. It should be noted that for existing ships, an IHM should be on board after December 31, 2020. For ships flying the flag of a third country, an IHM should also be on board after December 31, 2020. Therefore, for existing ships and for ships flying the flag of a third country, an Inventory Certificate or a Statement of Compliance respectively may not be controlled before December 31, 2020.

All ships flying the flag of a Member State shall be subject to a survey regime in accordance with Article 8 of the Regulation. They shall carry on board a ship-specific ‘Inventory Certificate’, supplemented by Part I of the IHM. Surveys shall be carried out taking into account the relevant IMO guidelines (Resolution MEPC.222(64) “2012 Guidelines for the survey and certification of ships under the HKC”).

European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) has released a Best Practice Guidance for a harmonised and effective approach to the inspection of ships ascertaining their compliance, to identifying non-compliances and to applying control procedures for the enforcement of Article 5 and Article 12 of the Regulation, as regards the development and maintenance of an IHM on board ships.

Act now

Owners / Managers / Operators should utilise the provisions of the guidance document for the development, proper maintenance and update of the IHM throughout the operational life of ships for which the Regulation applies.