Revised Recommendations on the Safe Transport of Dangerous Cargoes and Related Activities in Port Areas (IB290E)

Developments of new techniques in shore and ship operations, and the need to have more comprehensive recommendations that include dangerous goods in packaged form, liquid and solid dangerous substances and liquefied gas carried in bulk, made it necessary to revise and update these Recommendations. The Recommendations are aligned with relevant IMO Codes, most notably the IMDG Code.

A Recommendation on Safe Practice on Dangerous Goods in Ports and Harbours was first circulated by the Organization in November 1973.

Developments of new techniques in shore and ship operations, and the need to have more comprehensive recommendations that include dangerous goods in packaged form, liquid and solid dangerous substances and liquefied gas carried in bulk, made it necessary to revise and update these Recommendations.

The Recommendation, which was originally adopted as resolution A.289(VIII), has been revised on several occasions and circulated as MSC/Circ.299 (12th February 1981), MSC/Circ.299/Add.1 (8th July 1983) and MSC/Circ.675 (30th January 1995).

The Recommendations make a distinction between ‘keeping’ and ‘storage’. Dangerous cargoes temporarily in the port area as part of the transport chain are not considered as being stored, as their presence is solely concerned with awaiting loading onto and further onward movement by another mode of transport. Because this is an operation covered by the Recommendations, the term ‘keeping’ is included in the overall definition of handling. Storage, which involves the holding of substances for an indeterminate period not directly involved with the transportation process, is considered to be outside the scope of these Recommendations and has been excluded from the definitions. Regulatory authorities may wish to regulate the storage of such substances but that would be achieved by other regulations unconnected with the transportation process.

For the purpose of these Recommendations, the term ‘cargo interests’ refers to those organizations that can be involved with the dangerous cargoes even before such cargoes reach the port area and a ship, and also includes consignors (shippers), packers, those concerned with documentation, consolidators and forwarding agents. Experience has shown that this group has a crucial role to play in the safe transport of dangerous cargoes and that the Recommendations should also apply to them.

It is important to emphasise that, in these Recommendations, the term ‘dangerous cargo’ comprises oils, noxious liquid chemicals and gases carried in bulk, solid bulk materials possessing chemical hazards, solid bulk materials hazardous only in bulk, harmful substances in packaged form (covered by Annex III of MARPOL 73/78) as well as dangerous goods in packaged form (covered by the IMDG Code).

Chapter 1 Introduction

Chapter 2 Application and definitions

2.1 Application

2.2 Definitions

2.3 Security related terms

Chapter 3 Warehouses, terminal areas and infrastructure

3.1 General

3.2 Land use planning

3.3 Considerations for specific dangerous cargoes

3.4 Specific considerations for warehouses and terminal areas

Chapter 4 Training

4.1 Regulatory authorities

4.2 Management

4.3 Personnel (cargo interests, berth operators and ships)

4.4 Training content

Chapter 5 Security provisions

Chapter 6 Responsibilities

6.1 Role of regulatory authorities

6.2 Role of Port Authorities

6.3 Role of berth operators and cargo interests

6.4 Awareness

Chapter 7 General recommendations for regulatory authorities, port authorities, ships, berth operators and cargo interests

7.1 Regulatory authorities and port authorities

7.2 Ships carrying dangerous cargoes

7.3 Shore installations

7.4 Cargo interests

Chapter 8 Dangerous cargoes in packaged form
8.1 Documentation

8.2 Supervision

8.3 Information for operational and emergency purpose

8.4 General handling precautions

Chapter 9 Liquid bulk dangerous cargoes (including liquefied gas)

9.1 General

9.2 Ships carrying liquid bulk dangerous cargoes

9.3 Shore installations

9.4 Handling

9.5 Special categories

9.6 Combination carriers

Chapter 10 Solid bulk dangerous cargoes

10.1 Documentation

10.2 Responsibility for compliance

10.3 Emission of harmful dusts

10.4 Emission of dangerous vapour/oxygen deficiency

10.5 Emission of explosive dusts

10.6 Spontaneously combustible substances and substances that react with water

10.7 Oxidizing substances

10.8 Incompatible materials

Annex 1 Advance notification

Annex 2 Transport and handling of explosives of class 1

Annex 3 Segregation of radioactive materials on shore

Annex 4 Minimum safety requirements for carrying out hot work

Annex 5 Bunkering precautions, including bunkering checklist

Annex 6 Alphabetical index of, and cross-references between, recommendations in section 3 and 7

Annex 7 Guide to fumigation

Appendix 1 Glossary of terminology of relevance to the handling of dangerous cargoes

Appendix 2 Selected bibliography list of internationally recognized codes and guides relevant to the transport and handling of dangerous cargoes in port areas

A??s a specialized agency of the United Nations, IMO is the global standard-setting authority for the safety, security and environmental performance of international shipping. Its main role is to create a regulatory framework for the shipping industry that is fair and effective, universally adopted and universally implemented.

In other words, its role is to create a level playing-field so that ship operators cannot address their financial issues by simply cutting corners and compromising on safety, security and environmental performance. This approach also encourages innovation and efficiency.

Shipping is a truly international industry, and it can only operate effectively if the regulations and standards are themselves agreed, adopted and implemented on an international basis. And IMO is the forum at which this process takes place.