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International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes (IMSBC) Code
The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974 (SOLAS
Convention), as amended, deals with various aspects of maritime safety and contains, in
chapter VI, the mandatory provisions governing the carriage of solid bulk cargoes. These
provisions are extended in the International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes Code (IMSBC
Code).
The primary aim of the International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes Code (IMSBC
Code), which replaces the Code of Safe Practice for Solid Bulk Cargoes (BC Code), is to
facilitate the safe stowage and shipment of solid bulk cargoes by providing information on
the dangers associated with the shipment of certain types of solid bulk cargoes and
instructions on the procedures to be adopted when the shipment of solid bulk cargoes is
contemplated.
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The prime hazards associated with the shipment of solid bulk cargoes are
those relating to structural damage due to improper cargo distribution, loss or
reduction of stability during a voyage and chemical reactions of cargoes. Therefore,
the primary aim of the IMSBC Code is to facilitate the safe stowage and shipment of
solid bulk cargoes by providing information on the dangers associated with the
shipment of certain types of solid bulk cargoes and instructions on the procedures
to be adopted when the shipment of solid bulk cargoes is contemplated.
Observance of the Code harmonizes the practices and procedures to be
followed and the appropriate precautions to be taken in the loading, trimming,
carriage and discharge of solid bulk cargoes when transported by sea, ensuring
compliance with the mandatory provisions of the SOLAS Convention.
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The IMSBC Code was adopted on 4 December 2008, by resolution
MSC.268(85), and entered into force on 1 January 2011, from which date it was made
mandatory under the provisions of the SOLAS Convention. Since then, the Code has
been amended by resolutions MSC.318(89), MSC.354(92) and resolution
MSC.393(95).
It is worth noting that the IMSBC Code does not cover the carriage of grain in
bulk. The specific requirements for the transport of grain are covered by the
International Code for the Safe Carriage of Grain in Bulk (
International Grain Code, 1991).
The Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) is authorized by the IMO's Assembly to
adopt amendments to the Code, thus enabling the IMO to respond promptly to
developments in transport.
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Angle of Repose
The maximum slope angle of non-cohesive (ie, free- flowing) granular
material. It is measured as the angle between a horizontal plane and the cone
slope of the material.

Cargoes That May Liquefy

Cargoes that contain a certain proportion of fine particles and a certain
amount of moisture. They may liquefy if shipped with a moisture content in excess
of their transportable moisture limit.
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Flow State
A state occurring when a mass of granular material is saturated with liquid
to an extent that, under the influence of prevailing external forces such as
vibration, impaction or ship's motion, it loses its internal shear strength and
behaves as a liquid.

Transportable Moisture Limit (TML) of a Cargo Which May Liquefy

The maximum moisture content of the cargo which is considered safe for
carriage in ships.
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Preparation of cargo holds
When nominated to load grain cargo ship staff shall remember the following issues:
1. Even after discharging other grain cargo prior to nomination, the holds will
require as thorough cleaning and preparation as required for any other
previous cargo.
2. There shall be no trace of any previous cargo residue anywhere in the holds and
its structures.
3. There shall be no Loose Rust or flaking paint patches allowed at any part of the
cargo holds.
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4. The hatch covers underneath and hatch coamings with their channels &
drainage shall be free of loose rust, paint flakes and cargo residue.
5. Cargo holds bulkheads and sides and hopper plates shall have no previous
cargo dirty stains (coal or dark ore cargo stains).
6. Rust on the Tank top is common on bulk carriers. Loose rust is not accepted.
Hard adhering rust need not be removed.
7. Cargo holds and weather decks shall be inspected after cleaning and washing to
ensure that there is no trace of any live or dead insect/weevils
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8. The cargo hold bilges shall be clean, free of any trace of previous cargo residue
or rust particles and odour-free. The bilge suction effectiveness shall be verified
Weather deck including cross decks and around the coaming stays and underneath
pipelines shall have no trace of previous cargo residue.
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Hold cleaning criteria:
1. Previous cargo determination
Find out what was last 3-5 cargoes carried and inform all crew so that all
know what cargo residue to look for.
2. Removal of cargo residue:
Air Blow from top using high pressure air ( air nozzle tied to long pole to
reach all accessible corners) or if available, close washing with high pressure (250
bars and above) water lance gun special attention to following areas:
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Australian ladder and its platforms and stanchions
Beams and girders under cross decks
Pipe guards recess behind the pipes
Large pipes holding brackets behind the pipes
Behind the flat face of the transverse frames
Horizontal stringer plates wherever fitted
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Cargo hold-cargo residue
of cement sticking all over
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Frame face plate

Cargo residue stuck hard

behind shell frames

Cargo residue
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Brackets for pipes
where cargo residues
usually accumulate
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Cargo residue sticking

to plain bulkhead
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The areas under cross
decks where the beams
and girder flanges can have
cargo residue
Flanges of
beams &
girders
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Solid plate guards of pipes brackets
passing through holds. Cargo
residue remains inside the
guard plates and brackets

Cargo
residue
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3. Removal of Loose Rust & Paint Flakes:
Wherever loose rust is suspected (general appearance of paint flakes or
blisters on painted surface) a sharp hand scraper shall be used to take off the
peeling rust & paint flakes. Special attention to following areas:
Australian ladder and its platforms, hand rails and stanchions
Beams and girders under cross decks
Pipe guards recess and behind the pipes
Large pipes holding brackets and behind the pipes
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Behind the flat face and vertical face of the transverse frames and brackets- also
hopper tank plates
Hatch coamings and under hatch covers
Man entry booby hatches & covers
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Loose rust and
rust blisters and
Loose rust flakes and blisters paint blisters
on hold bulkheads
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Widespread rust blisters on

cargo hold bulkhead
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Rust scales on side frames

which come off with scraper
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Rust flaking and loose on the

pipes
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Perfectly painted surface have

isolated loose rust blister
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4. Condition of underneath of hatch covers
Inspect condition of underneath of H/Covers when in open condition
Any loose rust or cargo residue shall be scraped off
Areas around the grain hole/ cement holes –special attention
H/Cover vent louvres and nets are usually found rusty
Paint the scraped areas to have clean look
H/Cover channels and drains require clean appearance-no cargo residue
accepted
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Loose rust flakes and cargo

residue underneath hatch Vent. Louvers
covers
Loading of grain
Cargo using conve
Yor.
4. Condition of underneath of hatch covers
Inspect condition of underneath of H/Covers when in open condition
Any loose rust or cargo residue shall be scraped off
Areas around the grain hole/ cement holes –special attention
H/Cover vent louvres and nets are usually found rusty
Paint the scraped areas to have clean look
H/Cover channels and drains require clean appearance-no cargo residue accepted
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Loose rust flakes underneath

hatch covers
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Special attention to be paid

for any grain hole or cement
hole covers

Grain holes on hatch covers

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Hatch cover underneath-

Acceptable condition
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Man entry booby hatch

entrance and its cover rust
and cargo residue
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Hold entrance booby hatch

acceptable condition
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5. Removal of previous cargo stain

Cargo stains left by previous dirty cargos such as Coal and Mineral Ores must be
remove as much as possible
Such stains shall not be acceptable if it comes off on a white cloth rubbing –
surveyor/inspectors do carry out this process
Vessel shall have sufficient cleaning chemical like Aquatuf available on board along
with spraying equipment, chemical resistant personal protective clothes and
safeguards.
Vessel must have Air pressure Combi-Gun/Tobey Gun to clean such stains at higher
places
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Cargo stains of coal cargo on

the end bulkhead and hopper
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Cargo stains of coal cargo on

the hopper plates
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6. Removal of tank top loose rust

Tank tops of bulk carriers can never stay painted as heavy bulldozers and grabs
work on them.
Tank top should be free of loose rust and cargo residue
Any rust which can be scraped by hand scrapers should be removed. Hard
adhering rust is not a hindrance to hold acceptability.
The tank top should be rinsed with fresh water.
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Cargo hold tank top- loose

rust patches
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Tank top extensive loose rust

coming up by scraping
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7. Presence of Insect/ Weevil/Larvae in cargo holds.

If vessel had carried grain cargo in the recent past it is possible to have such live
or dead insect/weevil/larvae in holds.
They are usually found at the welding seams of tank top & hopper or bulkheads,
in the hold bilges upper corners, corners of frames and brackets.
Crew shall look for these insect specifically and carefully after all cleaning is done.
Brooms, Mops and burlaps used for preparation may also bring them in.
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Stored Grain Pests and Weevil

Larvae
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Weevils found in Rice and

Wheat
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8. Cleanliness of cargo hold bilges

Hold bilges must be cleaned thoroughly to remove all residue, rust particles and
cargo stains etc.
The filter (Rose Box) must be cleaned thoroughly
The bilge well sections shall be washed with continuous running of sea water to
remove all odour and later rinsed with fresh water.
The bilge well must be sponged dry to remove all trace of water and dried.
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Hold bilge clean and dry but

stains and loose flakes
remains.

Rose box dirty and bilge well

stains remain
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Hold bilge acceptable

condition.
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Hold cleaning – Best Practices
Use High pressure Air Blow from starting from top to collecting at bottom all
dusty cargo residue- hold the nozzle tied to a long bamboo pole for cleaning the
difficult to reach areas.
Collect all sweeping of cargo residue from tank top before start of washing.
Use air/water Combi -Gun (also called Tobey Gun) placed on a tri-pod
stand/platform.
The best results of such high pressure jet washing is obtained if followed the
following procedure :
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Start pointing the jet from bottom of the structure like side frames and bulkheads,
slowly moving up- holding enough time at one place so that the jet of water have
the chance to soften the accumulated cargo residue and dislodge them.
The forceful jet acting on the surface at an acute angle will have a scraping effect.
Shift the Tobey Gun platform/stand closer to the hopper edge/bulkhead to obtain
the acute angle.
Once the jet has reached the top of the structure, make a down sweep of the water
jet to wash down all the debris which is now soft and dislodged. Patiently holding
the water jet while going up and down is the key to remove all possible cargo
residue from the difficult to reach areas.
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Operating the water jet from first upper platform of Australian ladder for
removing all cargo residue from flanges of beams and girders under cross decks.
When the holds are dry- all side frames, pipe guards, spiral & other ladder steps
to be hit with sledge hammers- loose rust will fall down.
Any loose rust areas and peeling paint need to be scraped using hand scrapers
Aluminum extension ladders to be used for reaching upper areas of the holds.
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Aluminum multi stage

Extension ladders
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Tower Extension ladder

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A typical washing of cargo

hold by Tobey Gun
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A typical washing of cargo

hold by Tobey Gun
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Maxijet powerful water jet

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Maxijet working in a Panamax

size hold
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How closely the inspectors

check for hold condition