Chapter VI – Carriage of Cargoes and oil fuels

  1 Unless expressly provided otherwise, this chapter applies to the carriage of cargoes (except liquids in bulk, gases in bulk and those aspects of carriage covered by other chapters) which, owing to their particular hazards to ships or persons on board, may require special precautions in all ships to which the present regulations apply and in cargo ships of less than 500 gross tonnage. However, for cargo ships of less than 500 gross tonnage, the Administration, if it considers that the sheltered nature and conditions of voyage are such as to render the application of any specific requirements of part A or B of this chapter unreasonable or unnecessary, may take other effective measures to ensure the required safety for these ships.

 For the purpose of this chapter, unless expressly provided otherwise:

  1 IMSBC Code means the International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes (IMSBC) Code adopted by the Maritime Safety Committee of the Organization by resolution MSC.268(85), as may be amended by the Organization, provided that such amendments are adopted, brought into force and take effect in accordance with the provisions of article VIII of the present Convention concerning the amendment procedures applicable to the annex other than chapter I.

  2 Solid bulk cargo means any cargo, other than liquid or gas, consisting of a combination of particles, granules or any larger pieces of material generally uniform in composition, which is loaded directly into the cargo spaces of a ship without any intermediate form of containment.

  1 The carriage of solid bulk cargoes other than grain shall be in compliance with the relevant provisions of the IMSBC Code.

  2 To supplement the provisions of parts A and B of this chapter, each Contracting Government shall ensure that appropriate information on cargo and its stowage and securing is provided, specifying, in particular, precautions necessary for the safe carriage of such cargoes.^footnote

  1 The shipper shall provide the master or his representative with appropriate information on the cargo sufficiently in advance of loading to enable the precautions which may be necessary for proper stowage and safe carriage of the cargo to be put into effect. Such information^footnote shall be confirmed in writing^footnote and by appropriate shipping documents prior to loading the cargo on the ship.

  2 The cargo information shall include:

• .1 in the case of general cargo, and of cargo carried in cargo units, a general description of the cargo, the gross mass of the cargo or of the cargo units, and any relevant special properties of the cargo. For the purpose of this regulation the cargo information required in sub-chapter 1.9 of the Code of Safe Practice for Cargo Stowage and Securing, adopted by the Organization by resolution A.714(17), as may be amended, shall be provided. Any such amendment to sub-chapter 1.9 shall be adopted, brought into force and take effect in accordance with the provisions of article VIII of the present Convention concerning the amendment procedures applicable to the annex other than chapter I;

• .2 in the case of solid bulk cargo, information as required by section 4 of the IMSBC Code.

  3 Prior to loading cargo units on board ships, the shipper shall ensure that the gross mass of such units is in accordance with the gross mass declared on the shipping documents.

  1 When transporting a solid bulk cargo which is liable to emit a toxic or flammable gas, or cause oxygen depletion in the cargo space, an appropriate instrument for measuring the concentration of gas or oxygen in the air shall be provided together with detailed instructions for its use. Such an instrument shall be to the satisfaction of the Administration.

  2 The Administration shall take steps to ensure that crews of ships are trained in the use of such instruments.

 Appropriate precautions shall be taken in the use of pesticides in ships, in particular for the purposes of fumigation.

  1 Cargo, cargo units^footnote and cargo transport units^footnote carried on or under deck shall be so loaded, stowed and secured as to prevent as far as is practicable, throughout the voyage, damage or hazard to the ship and the persons on board, and loss of cargo overboard.

  2 Cargo, cargo units and cargo transport units shall be so packed and secured within the unit as to prevent, throughout the voyage, damage or hazard to the ship and the persons on board.

  3 Appropriate precautions shall be taken during loading and transport of heavy cargoes or cargoes with abnormal physical dimensions to ensure that no structural damage to the ship occurs and to maintain adequate stability throughout the voyage.

  4 Appropriate precautions shall be taken during loading and transport of cargo units and cargo transport units on board ro-ro ships, especially with regard to the securing arrangements on board such ships and on the cargo units and cargo transport units and with regard to the strength of the securing points and lashings.

  5 Freight containers shall not be loaded to more than the maximum gross weight indicated on the Safety Approval Plate under the International Convention for Safe Containers (CSC), as amended.

  6 All cargoes, other than solid and liquid bulk cargoes, cargo units and cargo transport units, shall be loaded, stowed and secured throughout the voyage in accordance with the Cargo Securing Manual approved by the Administration. In ships with ro-ro spaces, as defined in regulation II-2/3.41, all securing of such cargoes, cargo units, and cargo transport units, in accordance with the Cargo Securing Manual, shall be completed before the ship leaves the berth. The Cargo Securing Manual shall be drawn up to a standard at least equivalent to relevant guidelines developed by the Organization.^footnote

  1 Prior to loading a solid bulk cargo, the master shall be in possession of comprehensive information on the ship's stability and on the distribution of cargo for the standard loading conditions. The method of providing such information shall be to the satisfaction of the Administration.^footnote

  1 For the purpose of this regulation, terminal representative means a person appointed by the terminal or other facility, where the ship is loading or unloading, who has responsibility for operations conducted by that terminal or facility with regard to the particular ship.

  2 To enable the master to prevent excessive stresses in the ship's structure, the ship shall be provided with a booklet, which shall be written in a language with which the ship's officers responsible for cargo operations are familiar. If this language is not English, the ship shall be provided with a booklet written also in the English language. The booklet shall, as a minimum, include:

• .1 stability data, as required by regulation II-1/22;

• .2 ballasting and deballasting rates and capacities;

• .3 maximum allowable load per unit surface area of the tanktop plating;

• .4 maximum allowable load per hold;

• .5 general loading and unloading instructions with regard to the strength of the ship's structure including any limitations on the most adverse operating conditions during loading, unloading, ballasting operations and the voyage;

• .6 any special restrictions such as limitations on the most adverse operating conditions imposed by the Administration or organization recognized by it, if applicable; and

• .7 where strength calculations are required, maximum permissible forces and moments on the ship's hull during loading, unloading and the voyage.

  3 Before a solid bulk cargo is loaded or unloaded, the master and the terminal representative shall agree on a plan^footnote which shall ensure that the permissible forces and moments on the ship are not exceeded during loading or unloading, and shall include the sequence, quantity and rate of loading or unloading, taking into consideration the speed of loading or unloading, the number of pours and the deballasting or ballasting capability of the ship. The plan and any subsequent amendments thereto shall be lodged with the appropriate authority of the port State.

  4 The master and terminal representative shall ensure that loading and unloading operations are conducted in accordance with the agreed plan.

  5 If during loading or unloading any of the limits of the ship referred to in paragraph 2 are exceeded or are likely to become so if the loading or unloading continues, the master has the right to suspend operation and the obligation to notify accordingly the appropriate authority of the port State with which the plan has been lodged. The master and the terminal representative shall ensure that corrective action is taken. When unloading cargo, the master and terminal representative shall ensure that the unloading method does not damage the ship's structure.

  6 The master shall ensure that ship's personnel continuously monitor cargo operations. Where possible, the ship's draught shall be checked regularly during loading or unloading to confirm the tonnage figures supplied. Each draught and tonnage observation shall be recorded in a cargo log-book. If significant deviations from the agreed plan are detected, cargo or ballast operations or both shall be adjusted to ensure that the deviations are corrected.