Part I of the IHM shall remain with a vessel throughout its operational life, and be updated as all new installations enter the ship, as these may potentially contain hazards. The presence of the inventory will then ensure the safety of crew members during the vessel’s operational life.
Liberia Maritime Authority issued practical guidance to shipping on the development and maintenance of inventories of hazardous materials (IHM), in line with Regulation 5 of the Hong Kong Convention and Article 12 of the EU Ship Recycling Regulation (EU SRR).
The entry into force of the sulphur cap in the beginning of 2020 is – and will be – the highlight of the year. However, at the end of 2020, ships must comply with another very important requirement. Specifically, starting from 31 December 2020, ships above 500 GT and flying the flag of an EU/EEA member state, or third-party flagged vessels calling at European ports, must carry an Inventory Hazardous Materials (IHM) certificate on board. To shed light on this matter, DNV GL hosted a webinar, providing more information about the subject.
During the second SAFETY4SEA Singapore Forum, Mrs. Ina Lutchmiah, Specialist Counsel (Solicitor, England & Wales), Wikborg Rein Singapore Pte Ltd opened the second panel by sharing key challenges with respect to the regulatory framework for transboundary movements for recycling. Touching upon the Hong Kong Convention and the Basel Convention, she moved forward by presenting compliance challenges and legal implications associated with transboundary movements for recycling originating from the EU and outside the EU.
During the last SAFETY4SEA Hamburg Forum, Gunther Zeitzmann, Ship Recycling Engineer and member of the International HazMat Association (IHMA), highlighted the importance of preparation, certification and maintenance of an Inventory of Hazardous Materials (IHM) for compliance with the requirements of Hong Kong Convention and EU-Ship Recycling Regulation. He further referred to key steps for effective development of IHM and certification; the operations and maintenance of the IHM and the importance of control with flags, classes and PSC.
EMSA published a practice guide on ship recycling inspections in order to assist the Member States and their designated inspectors, including reference document that provides both technical information and procedural guidance thus contributing to harmonised implementation and enforcement of the provisions of the SRR and the PSC Directive.
As the EU Ship Recycling Regulation is to take effect in 2020, stakeholders should stand up to their responsibilities and IHM Service suppliers should create effective procedures to promote compliance, argues Consulting Engineer Stefanos Magoulas.
It seems that lately the all-consuming, requirements of 2020 sulphur cap are somehow overshadowing those of the Inventory of Hazardous Materials (IHM) which are crucial for ensuring green and sustainable shipping as well, in the ship recycling field though. IHM is one of the most important documents in planning the recycling process of a ship.
There were a total of 181 ships broken in the first quarter of 2019, according to figures released by NGO Shipbreaking Platform. Of these, 142 ships were sold to the beaches of South Asia. Meanwhile, between January and March, three workers lost their lives and four were severely injured in Bangladesh.
BIMCO issued a report according to which only 9 out of 26 shipyards on the EU list of approved recycling facilities are realistically open for ship recycling. From the 26 shipyards, only 3 are in the position of recycling a large ship, as a Panamax-sized vessels or even larger.
