Updated Amendments (06-21) of IMSBC Code

Amendments to the IMSBC code

The IMO Maritime Safety Committee adopted Resolution MSC.500(105) containing a new set of amendments (Amendment 06-21) to the IMSBC Code. Ship owners, operators, managers and ship masters should be aware of these updates which will enter into force on 1 December 2023, but may be applied by Administrations on a voluntary basis beginning 1 January 2023.

One of the main changes included in the amendments relates to the definition and information concerning Group A Cargoes, or cargoes that may liquefy or undergo dynamic separation. The updated definition of provisions are as follows.

Modified definitions

"Group A consists of cargoes which possess a hazard due to moisture that may result in liquefaction or dynamic separation if shipped at a moisture content in excess of their transportable moisture limit."

"Group C consists of cargoes which are classified as neither group A nor group B."

"Transportable moisture limit (TML) of a group A cargo means the maximum moisture content of the cargo which is considered safe for carriage in ships not complying with the special provisions of 7.3.2. It is determined by the test procedures, approved by a competent authority, such as those specified in paragraph 1 of appendix 2."

New definitions

"Cargoes which may undergo dynamic separation means cargoes which contain a certain proportion of fine particles and a certain amount of moisture, and may undergo dynamic separation if shipped at a moisture content in excess of their transportable moisture limit."

"Dynamic separation means the phenomenon of forming a liquid slurry (water and fine solids) above the solid material, resulting in a free surface effect which may significantly affect the ship's stability."

New Individual Schedules

Beside all the amendments on the existing individual schedules there are 5 new ones including:

Ship-owners and operators seeking early compliance with Resolution MSC.500 (105) may contact Class to review the addition or removal of cargoes from a vessel’s approved cargoes list. Compliance with the updated IMSBC Code will be mandatory beginning December 1, 2023. Deleted cargoes may be eliminated during a periodical survey after December 1, 2023, or may be removed from existing certificates at the early request of ship-owners or operators from January 1, 2023.

The changes to the IMSBC Code also have consequences to SOLAS Exemption Certificates based on MSC.1/Circ.1395/Rev.5, with new solid bulk cargoes categorized as group B in Table 1 of Annex to MSC.1/Circ.1395/Rev.5, for which gas fire-extinguishing system may be exempted.

Ship-owners and operators who intend to include newly added cargoes in their IMSBC certificates should re-issue or confirm their SOLAS Exemption Certificates for Fixed Fire-Extinguishing arrangement accordingly