Amendment 38-16 to the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code will enter into force on 1 January 2018, with voluntary application from 1 January 2017, and includes many technical and editorial changes to the Code’s operational requirements. 

The amendments will not affect the dangerous goods certification issued by Lloyd’s Register, which is related to SOLAS regulation II-2/19.

The amendments to the Code include:

Part 1: New and amended definitions, as well as updated references to training instruments. 

Part 2: Updates to the classification of substances and new sections defining gases, flammable liquids, toxic substances, and corrosives that are not accepted for transport.

Part 3: Various updates to the Dangerous Goods List and the Special Provisions (SP). Among others, engines and vehicles have been separated; UN3166 now covers only vehicle entries, and engines now fall under new UN entries, with the relevant SPs also amended. 

Part 4: New and amended packing instructions, along with the incorporation of new applicable ISO standards.

Part 5: Revised marking, placarding and transportation documentation requirements.

Part 6: New ISO standards have been incorporated into the applicable design, construction and initial inspection and test criteria of UN pressure receptacles and multiple-element gas containers.

Part 7: A new Stowage Code (SW29) for engines or machinery containing specific fuels and a new note in Definitions explaining that cargo holds cannot be interpreted as closed cargo transport units.  

For more details on the amendments, please see IMO Resolution MSC.406(96).

What should shipowners, operators and shippers do now?

Owners and operators of ships intending to carry packaged dangerous goods cargoes will have to implement the new requirements by 1 January 2018, and are encouraged to consider their early implementation from 1 January 2017. 

Updates to relevant IMO instruments

Issued earlier this year, MSC.1/Circ.1520 Guidelines on consolidated IMO provisions for the safe carriage of dangerous goods in packaged form by sea consolidates existing training provisions for all personnel involved in the transport chain, which includes ships carrying dangerous goods in packaged form by sea.

The Dangerous Goods Manifest (FAL Form 7) found in the IMO Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic (FAL) Convention, a way for ships to achieve compliance with the relevant requirement under SOLAS Chapter VII, MARPOL Annex III and the IMDG Code, was revised this year in order to align with the IMDG Code consignment documentation requirements. The revision will enter into force on 1 January 2018.