Advance notice of arrival/loading hazardous and noxious substances in bulk

1. Pursuant to Regulation (3) of the Maritime and Port Authority Of Singapore (Port) Regulations, the owner, agent or master of any ship shall notify the Port Master if the ship is carrying or intending to load the following hazardous and noxious substances in bulk :

• Noxious liquid substances carried in bulk referred to in Regulation 1(10) of the revised Annex II to the MARPOL 73/78, and those substances and mixtures provisionally categorised as falling in pollution category X, Y or Z in accordance with Regulation 6(3) of the said Annex II (See Appendix 1);
• Dangerous liquid substances carried in bulk listed in Chapter 17 of the International Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Dangerous Chemicals in Bulk (IBC Code), 1973, as amended, and the dangerous products for which the preliminary suitable conditions for the carriage have been prescribed by the Administration and port administrations involved in accordance with paragraph 1.1.6 of the code;
• Liquefied gases as listed in Chapter 19 of the International Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Liquefied Gases in Bulk (IGC Code), 1983, as amended, and the products for which preliminary suitable conditions for the carriage have been prescribed by the Administration and port administrations involved in accordance with paragraph 1.1.6 of the Code;
• Liquid substances carried in bulk with a flashpoint not exceeding 60 Degree Celsius (measured by a closed cup test);
• Solid bulk materials possessing chemical hazards covered by Appendix B of the Code of Safe Practice for Solid Bulk Cargoes (BC Code), as amended, to the extent that these substances are also subject to the provisions of IMDG Code when carried in packages form; and
• Residues from the previous carriage in bulk of substances referred to in (a) to (e) above.

2. The required notification mentioned in paragraph 1 shall be submitted to the Port Master, 24 hours before the vessel’s arrival or if the vessel is in port 24 hours before such loading operation.

3. The submission shall be made through MARINET (MPA’s internet-based services for the shipping community). This is in line with our Government’s policy to promote electronic services, and eliminate manual submissions where possible.

4. The Shipping Community is also reminded to comply with the requirements of MARPOL 73/78 where appropriate, as spelt out in the Prevention of Pollution of the Sea Act, Cap. 243 (as amended) and the Regulations made thereunder.

5. Any declaration, confirmation or undertaking furnished to the Port Master shall in all respects be true and accurate. The penalties for any mis-statement or any statement which is false in any material particular in any return, claim or other document which is required by the Authority are spelt out in Section 10 of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore Act (Cap 170A).

6. For enquiries or any clarification, please contact us at:

Hazardous Cargo Section

Marine Environment & Safety Department

Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore

7B Keppel Road #19-07/09

Tanjong Pagar Complex

Singapore 089055

Tel: (65) 6325 2421

Fax: (65) 6325 2430

Email: mailto:hazmat@mpa.gov.sg

Appendix 1

1. The revised MARPOL Annex II adopted on 15 October 2004 as Resolution MEPC.118(52), and the 2004 amendments to the International Bulk Chemical (IBC) Code, adopted on 10 December 2004 as Resolution MSC.176(79), both come into force on 1 Jan 2007.

2. The five category system of pollution/safety hazards (A,B,C,D and Appendix III) for noxious and liquid substances is revised to a new four category system of Category X (substances presenting a major hazard), Category Y (substances presenting a hazard), Category Z (substances presenting a minor hazard) and OS (Other substances presenting no harm to marine resources).

3. Declarants may also use the revised consolidated texts of chapters 17, 18 and 19 of the IBC, as proposed in IMO Circular Letter No. 2752 dated 2 Nov 06, pending their adoption at MEPC 56 to be held in London from 9 to 13 Jul 07.

Q1. What happens if agents could not find matching chemical names in the HNS database?

A1. The Marinet HNS system allows agent to key in the chemical names or trade name of the substance they are declaring if they are not able to find them in the database.