These Guidelines, prepared by the Marine Environment Protection
Committee of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), contain
information for the preparation of Shipboard Emergency Plans for Ships
Carrying Materials Subject to the IMO Code for the Safe Carriage of
Irradiated Nuclear Fuel, Plutonium, and High-Level Radioactive Wastes
in Flasks on board Ships (INF Code). These
Guidelines were developed as part of the work assigned by the Assembly
to the Committees regarding the review and amendment of the INF Code.
The main objectives of these Guidelines are:
– to assist shipowners in preparing comprehensive shipboard
emergency plans for ships carrying INF Code materials;
and
– to assist in responding to shipboard emergencies
involving INF Code materials and in providing
information in accordance with international law to authorities involved
in assisting or handling incidents at sea involving INF
Code materials.
In the interest of uniformity, Governments are requested
to refer to these Guidelines when preparing appropriate national regulations.
While in port or an offshore terminal, the carriage of a shipboard
emergency plan for ships carrying materials subject to the INF Code should be subject to inspection by duly
authorized officers.
The type of emergency planning and preparedness that is
needed for responding to transport incidents involving INF
Code materials is, to some extent, similar to that required
for responding to transport accidents involving non-radioactive hazardous
or noxious substances. Accordingly, emergency response organizations
and personnel may apply the concepts used to respond to incidents
involving other types of hazardous or noxious substances, employing
special knowledge, skills and equipment to deal effectively with the
wide range of possible consequences of incidents involving INF Code materials.
In the case where a ship is required to have a shipboard
emergency plan by other international instruments, the plan provided
for in these Guidelines may be combined with such other plans. In
this case, the title of such a combined plan should be “Shipboard
Marine Emergency Plan”.