3.1 The chemicals to be assessed can be divided
into the following groups:
-
.1 pure or technically pure chemicals (see section 4);
-
.2 mixtures, presenting no safety hazard, containing
at least 97% by weight of components already assessed by IMO (see section 5);
-
.3 mixtures containing at least 97% by weight
of components already assessed by IMO, presenting safety hazards (see section 6);
-
.4 mixtures containing one or more components,
forming more than 3% by weight of the mixture, which have not yet
been assessed by IMO (see section 7).
3.2 The chemicals or mixtures referred to in 3.1.1,
3.1.3 and 3.1.4 will be provisionally assessed by tripartite agreement,
in accordance with regulation 3(4) (now regulation 6.3) of Annex II to MARPOL 73/78 and paragraph 2A.1
of its Unified Interpretation (see annex 2).
3.3 These tripartite agreements will expire after
three years. It is intended that during this period the chemical will
be assessed by IMO (see section 8),
with the exception of mixtures presenting safety hazards which have
been classified by IMO.
3.4 It is in the best interest of the manufacturer/shipper
to submit the data necessary for a provisional assessment to the shipping
or producing country Administration well in advance of the shipment.
The Administration should avoid unnecessary delays.
3.5 After the provisional assessment of the chemicals
in 3.1.1, 3.1.3 and 3.1.4 is completed, an amendment sheet to the
ship's Certificate of Fitness and to the P & A Manual must be
issued by the Administration of the flag State of the ship before
the ship sails. An example of the amendment sheet is given in annex 3.
3.6 Mixtures in 3.1.2 will be assessed in a simplified
manner in accordance with paragraph 2A.3 of the Unified Interpretation.
Due to the purely mechanical nature of such an assessment, it is not
necessary for the shipping or producing country to seek the concurrence
of the flag States and receiving countries. These mixtures will be
shipped under the applicable generic entry to the IBC
Code (i.e. "Noxious liquid not otherwise specified" or "non-noxious
liquid, n.o.s.").
3.7 Until the mixture is included in the MEPC
circular referred to in 2.8 above,
it is still necessary to inform the flag States and receiving countries.