IMSBC Code - Solid Bulk Cargo PDF

**Solid Bulk Cargo** **The International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes (IMSBC) Code** defines solid bulk cargo as any material, other than liquid or gas, consisting of a combination of particles, granules or larger pieces of material, generally uniform in composition, which is loaded directly into th...

**Solid Bulk Cargo** **The International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes (IMSBC) Code** defines solid bulk cargo as any material, other than liquid or gas, consisting of a combination of particles, granules or larger pieces of material, generally uniform in composition, which is loaded directly into the cargo spaces of a ship without any intermediate form of containment. The primary aim of the IMSBC Code which replaces the Code of Safe Practice for Solid Bulk Cargoes (BC Code), is to facilitate the safe stowage and shipment of solid bulk cargoes by providing information on the dangers associated with the shipment of certain types of solid bulk cargoes and instructions on the procedures to be adopted when the shipment of solid bulk cargoes is contemplated. **IMSBC Code** is supplemented by the Code of Practice for the Safe Loading and Unloading of Bulk Carriers (BLU Code including BLU Manual) & recommendation on the safe use of pesticides in ships applicable to the fumigation of cargo holds. It also includes a directory of contact names and addresses of offices of designated national competent authorities responsible for the safe carriage of grain and solid bulk cargoes. IMSBC Code and supplement is commended to administrations, ship owners, shippers and masters and all others concerned with the standards to be applied in the safe stowage and shipment of solid bulk cargoes, excluding grain. Carrying solid bulk cargoes involves serious risks, which must be managed carefully to safeguard the crew and the ship. These risks include reduced or loss of ship stability during a voyage, and even capsizing, due to cargo liquefaction; fire or explosion due to chemical reactions; and damage to ship structures due to poor loading procedures and improper cargo distribution. **Contents of International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes Code or IMSBC Code** **Table of Contents of IMSBC Code** Foreword Section 1 General provisions and definitions Section 2 General loading, carriage and unloading precautions Section 3 Safety of personnel and ship Section 4 Assessment of acceptability of consignments for safe shipment Section 5 Trimming procedures Section 6 Methods of determining angle of repose Section 7 Cargoes that may liquefy Section 8 Test procedures for cargoes that may liquefy Section 9 Materials possessing chemical hazards Section 10 Carriage of solid bulk wastes Section 11 Security provisions Section 12 Stowage factor conversion tables Section 13 References Appendix 1 Individual schedules of solid bulk cargoes Appendix 2 Laboratory test procedures, associated apparatus and standards Appendix 3 Properties of solid bulk cargoes Appendix 4 Index of solid bulk cargoes Cargo information shall be confirmed in writing and by appropriate shipping documents prior to loading. **The cargo information shall include:** **The Bulk Cargo Shipping Name(BCSN)** when the cargo is listed in IMSBC code. Secondary names may be used in addition to the BCSN; ( Each solid bulk cargo in IMSBC code has been assigned a Bulk Cargo Shipping Name (BCSN). When a solidbulk cargo is carried by sea it shall be identified in the transport documentation bythe BCSN. The BCSN shall be supplemented with the United Nations (UN) number when the cargo is dangerous goods); The cargo group (A and B, A, B or C); The IMO Class of the cargo, if applicable; The UN number preceded by letters UN for the cargo, if applicable; The total quantity of the cargo offered; The stowage factor; The need for trimming and the trimming procedures, as necessary; The likelihood of shifting, including angle of repose, if applicable; Additional information in the form of a certificate on the moisture content of the cargo and its transportable moisture limit in the case of a concentrate or othercargo which may liquefy; Likelihood of formation of a wet base; Toxic or flammable gases which may be generated by cargo, if applicable; Flammability, toxicity, corrosiveness and propensity to oxygen depletion of the cargo, if applicable; Self-heating properties of the cargo, and the need for trimming, if applicable; Properties on emission of flammable gases in contact with water, if applicable; Radioactive properties, if applicable; and Any other information required by national authorities **Definition of Terms under International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes Code (IMSBC Code):** **Angle of repose** means the maximum slope angle of non-cohesive (i.e. free-flowing) granular material. It is measured as the angle between a horizontal plane and the cone slope of such material. **Bulk Cargo Shipping Name (BCSN**) identifies a bulk cargo during transport by sea. When a cargo is listed in this Code, the Bulk Cargo Shipping Name of the cargo is identified by capital letters in the individual schedules or in the index. When the cargo is a dangerous good, as defined in the IMDG Code, as defined in regulation VII/1.1 of the SOLAS Convention, the Proper Shipping Name of that cargo is the Bulk Cargo Shipping Name. **Bulk density** means the weight of solids, air and water per unit volume. Bulk density is expressed in kilograms per cubic metre (kg/m3 ), in general. The void spaces in the cargo may be filled with air and water. **Cargo space** means any space in a ship designated for carriage of cargoes. **Cargoes which may liquefy** means cargoes which contain a certain proportion of fine particles and a certain amount of moisture. They may liquefy if shipped with a moisture content in excess of their transportable moisture limit. **Cohesive material** means materials other than non-cohesive materials. **Competent Authority** means any national regulatory body or authority designated or otherwise recognized as such for any purpose in connection with this Code. **Concentrates means** materials obtained from a natural ore by a process of enrichment or beneficiation by physical or chemical separation and removal of unwanted constituents. **Consignment means** a solid bulk cargo presented by a shipper for transport. **Flow moisture point** means the percentage moisture content (wet mass basis) at which a flow state develops under the prescribed method of test in a representative sample of the material (see paragraph 1 of appendix 2). **Flow state means** a state occurring when a mass of granular material is saturated with liquid to an extent that, under the influence of prevailing external forces such as vibration, impaction or ships motion, it loses its internal shear strength and behaves as a liquid. **Group A consists of cargoes which may liquefy if shipped at a moisture content in excess of their transportable moisture limit.** **Group B consists of 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 (Group A) nor to possess chemical hazards (Group B).** **High-density solid bulk cargo** means a solid bulk cargo with a stowage factor of 0.56 m3 /t or less. **IMDG Code** means the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code adopted by the Maritime Safety Committee of the Organization by resolution MSC.122(75), as may be amended by the Organization. **Incompatible materials** means materials that may react dangerously when mixed. They are subject to the segregation requirements of subsection 9.3 and the schedules for individual cargoes classified in Group B. **International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code** means the International Code for the Security of Ships and of Port Facilities consisting of Part A (the provisions of which shall be treated as mandatory) and part B (the provisions of which shall be treated as recommendatory), as adopted, on 12 December 2002, by resolution 2 of the Conference of Contracting Governments to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974 as may be amended by the Organization. **Materials hazardous only in bulk (MHB)** means materials which may possess chemical hazards when carried in bulk other than materials classified as dangerous goods in the IMDG Code. **Moisture content** means that portion of a representative sample consisting of water, ice or other liquid expressed as a percentage of the total wet mass of that sample. **Moisture migration** means the movement of moisture contained in a cargo by settling and consolidation of the cargo due to vibration and ship's motion. Water is progressively displaced, which may result in some portions or all of the cargo developing a flow state. **Non-cohesive material** means dry materials that readily shift due to sliding during transport, as listed in appendix 3, paragraph 1, "Properties of dry bulk cargoes". **Representative test sample** means a sample of sufficient quantity for the purpose of testing the physical and chemical properties of the consignment to meet specified requirements. **Shipper** means any person by whom or in whose name, or on whose behalf, a contract of carriage of goods by sea has been concluded with a carrier, or any person by whom or in whose name, or on whose behalf, the goods are actually delivered to the carrier in relation to the contract of carriage by sea **Solid bulk cargo** - means any cargo, other than a liquid or a gas, consisting of a combination of particles, granules or any larger pieces of material generally uniform in composition which is loaded directly into the cargo spaces of a ship without any intermediate form of containment. **Stowage factor** means the figure which expresses the number of cubic metres which one tonne of cargo will occupy. **Transportable Moisture Limit (TML) of a cargo which may liquefy** means the maximum moisture content of the cargo which is considered safe for carriage in ships not complying with the special provisions of subsection 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. Trimming means any levelling of a cargo within a cargo space, either partial or total. Ventilation means exchange of air from outside to inside a cargo space. Continuous Ventilation means ventilation that is operating at all times. Mechanical Ventilation means power-generated ventilation. Natural Ventilation means ventilation that is not power-generated. Surface Ventilation means ventilation of the space above the cargo. The IMSBC Code Categories of Cargoes: **Group A consist of the cargoes which may liquefy if shipped with moisture content in excess of their transportable moisture limit.** **Group B** consists of cargoes which possess a chemical hazard which could give rise to a dangerous situation on a ship. **Group C** consists of cargoes which are not liable to liquefy (Group A) and do not possess chemical hazards (Group B). **Liquefaction** - means that a cargo becomes fluid (liquefies). On ships, this happens when the cargo is compacted by the ship's motion. Cargoes which are prone to liquefaction contain a certain quantity of moisture and small particles, although they may look relatively dry and granular when loaded. Liquefaction can lead to cargo shift and even to the capsize and total loss of the ship, and can occur even when cargoes are cohesive and trimmed level. Group A cargoes **Mineral concentrates** **Mineral concentrates** are refined ores in which valuable components have been enriched by eliminating most waste materials. They include copper concentrate, iron concentrate, lead concentrate, nickel concentrate and zinc concentrate. **Nickel ore** There are several types of nickel ore which vary in color, particle size and moisture content. Some may contain clay-like ores. **Coal** **Coal** (bituminous and anthracite) is a natural, solid, combustible material consisting of amorphous carbon and hydrocarbons. It is best known as a Group B cargo due to its flammable and self-heating properties, but it can also be classed as Group A because it can liquefy if predominantly fine (i.e., if 75% is made up of particles less than 5mm in size). In these cases, it is classed as both Group A and B. Information required from the shipper To control the risks of liquefaction, Group A cargoes are tested to determine their Transportable Moisture Limit (TML) and their actual moisture content before they can be shipped. The TML is the maximum moisture content considered safe for carriage. The actual moisture content of the cargo must be below the TML. The information supplied by the shipper to the master must include a signed certificate stating the TML, and a signed certificate or declaration of the cargo's actual moisture content. Steps when carrying Group A cargoes to reduce the risk of liquefaction: Make sure the shipper has supplied the required information, including the TML and the actual moisture content. Only accept the cargo if the actual moisture content is less than its TML. Carry out visual monitoring during loading. If there are any indications of high moisture content, stop loading and seek further advice. Consider trimming the cargo to reduce the likelihood of cargo shift. Take measures to prevent water or other Group B cargoes (cargoes with chemical hazards) Group B cargoes are classified in two ways within the Code: 'Dangerous goods in solid form in bulk' (under the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code; and 'Materials hazardous only in bulk' (MHB). Dangerous goods in solid form in bulk In the Code these cargoes are classed as follows: Class 4.1: Flammable solids Class 4.2: Substances liable to spontaneous combustion Class 4.3: Substances which, in contact with water, emit flammable gases Class 5.1: Oxidizing substances Class 6.1: Toxic substances Class 7: Radioactive materials Class 8: Corrosive substances Class 9: Miscellaneous dangerous substances and articles. Materials hazardous only in bulk (MHB) MHB cargoes are materials which possess chemical hazards when transported in bulk that do not meet the criteria for inclusion in the IMDG classes above. They present significant risks when carried in bulk and require special precautions. They are described as follows: Combustible solids: materials which are readily combustible or easily ignitable Self-heating solids: materials that self-heat Solids that evolve into flammable gas when wet: materials that emit flammable gases when in contact with water Solids that evolve toxic gas when wet: materials that emit toxic gases when in contact with water Toxic solids: materials that are acutely toxic to humans if inhaled or brought into contact with skin Corrosive solids: materials that are corrosive to skin, eyes, metals or respiratory sensitizers