Bahamas Maritime Authority: Guidance on voluntary early adoption of amended IMSBC Code

The Bahamas Maritime Authority issued a maritime bulletin informing of the voluntarily “early” implementation of the revised IMSBC Code concerning all ships registered in the Bahamas Authority.

Namely, the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) adopted amendments to the IMSBC Code at its 101st session – see Resolution MSC.462(101), and decided that the amendments will come into force in January 1, 2021.

Additionally, the Maritime Safety Committee also agreed that SOLAS contracting governments may apply the amended IMSBC Code in whole or in part from 01 January 2020.

Thus, the Authority informs that they decided to adopt the amended IMSBC Code and has entered this in the IMO Global Integrated Shipping Information System (GISIS).

Therefore, any company interested in applying the amended IMSBC Code earlier may apply to the Recognised Organisation that classes the ship for the issue of a new Document of Compliance for Carriage of Dangerous Goods, referring to the new Schedules in Appendix 1 of the amended IMSBC Code.

In the meantime, the MSC also approved amendments in MSC.1/Circ.1395/Rev.4 Lists of solid bulk cargoes for which a fixed gas fire-extinguishing system may be exempted or for which a fixed gas fire-extinguishing system is ineffective (click here).