The International Certificate of Fitness for the Carriage of INF Cargo- A Handy Guide

Navsregs>Ship Certification>Irradiated Nuclear Fuel

Carrying  Irradiated fuel, Plutonium and high level waste on board ships

Back to the certificates again, this time one that applies to a small number of specialised vessels.

Why is the certificate required?

It is required by The international code for the safe carriage of packaged irradiated fuel, Plutonium and high level waste on board ships (INF code.)

What other document is required by the INF code?

Every ship carrying INF cargo shall carry on board a shipboard emergency plan.

What information is contained on the Certificate?

• Particulars of ship
  • Name of ship
  • Distinctive number or letters
  • Port of registry
  • Gross tonnage
  • IMO Number
• INF class of ship
• Completion date of the survey on which this certificate is based

The certificate must be drawn up in the official language of the issuing country. If the language used is neither English, French  or Spanish, the text should include a translation into one of these languages

What Surveys are required?

The Harmonised System of Survey and Certification (HSSC) does not apply,  however, the UK MCA recommend that the surveys and certification are harmonised with other Convention certificates where practicable.

The Surveys

• An Initial Survey
• An Annual Survey, within three months before or after each anniversary date of the Certificate, other than where an intermediate survey is required
• An Intermediate Survey, within three months before or after the second or third anniversary date of the Certificate;
• A  Renewal Survey

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The INF code

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This code is required by SOLAS Chapter VII Carriage of dangerous goods Part D-Special requirements for the carriage of packaged irradiated fuel, plutonium and high-level  radioactive wastes on board ships.

The code applies to All ships,  regardless of date and size carrying  INF. It does not apply to warships and naval auxiliary warships used for non commercial purposes.

Click here for the IMO INF website>

What is INF cargo?

 “INF cargo” means packaged irradiated nuclear fuel, plutonium and high‐level radioactive wastes carried as cargo in accordance with class 7 of the IMDG Code.”

“Irradiated nuclear fuel” means material containing uranium, thorium and/or plutonium isotopes which has been used to maintain a self‐sustaining nuclear chain reaction.” _{INF code}

Contents of the INF code

The chapter headings of the code give a good overview of the requirements of INF carriage.

• Chapter 1 General
• Chapter 2 Damage stability
• Chapter 3 Fire safety measures
• Chapter 4 ‐ Temperature control of cargo spaces
• Chapter 5 ‐ Structural consideration
• Chapter 6 ‐ Cargo securing arrangements
• Chapter 7 ‐ Electrical power supplies
• Chapter 8 ‐ Radiological protection
• Chapter 9 ‐ Management and training
• Chapter 10 ‐ Shipboard emergency plan
• Chapter 11 ‐ Notification in the event of an incident involving INF cargo

A Fact Sheet

The  World Nuclear Transport institution have a useful fact sheet on the INF code, Click here to download>

Click here for the WNTI website>

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The Grain Code- What does it contain?

The International Code for the safe carriage of grain in bulk

The last post on the  Document of Authourisation to Carry Grain  referred to the grain code.  Before the blog moves onto the next piece of cargo related certification it will have a very quick look at that code. Only a quick look though; just an overview of the contents.

Click to find the code on Amazon

“1.1. This Code applies to ships regardless of size, including those of less than 500 tons gross tonnage, engaged in the carriage of grain in bulk, to which part C of chapter VI of the 1974 SOLAS Convention, as amended, applies.” _{The Grain Code}

• Part A – Specific requirements
  • 1 Application
  • 2 Definitions
  • 3 Document of authorization
  • 4 Equivalents
  • 5 Exemptions for certain voyages
  • 6 Information regarding ship’s stability and grain loading
  • 7 Stability requirements
  • 8 Stability requirements for existing ship
  • 9 Optional stability requirements for ships without documents of
    authorization carrying partial cargoes of bulk grain
  • 10 Stowage of bulk grain
  • 11 Strength of grain fittings
  • 12 Divisions loaded on both sides
  • 13 Divisions loaded on one side only
  • 14 Saucers
  • 15 Bundling of bulk grain
  • 16 Overstowing arrangements
  • 17 Strapping or lashing
  • 18 Securing with wire mesh
• Part B – Calculation of assumed heeling moments and
  general assumptions

• 1 General assumptions
• 2 Assumed volumetric heeling moment of a filled compartment,
  trimmed
• 3 Assumed volumetric heeling moment of a filled compartment,
  untrimmed
• 4 Assumed volumetric heeling moments in trunks
• 5 Assumed volumetric heeling moment of a partly filled
  compartment
• 6 Other assumptions

Document of Authorization to Carry Grain- A Handy Guide

Navsregs>Ship Certification>Grain Certification

This blog has already covered two cargo related certificates within earlier sections:

• International pollution prevention certificate for the carriage of noxious liquid substances in bulk (NLS)
• Document of Compliance for Ships Carrying Dangerous Goods in Packaged or Dry Bulk Form

Now it will carry on to explore some certificates specific to certain cargoes, starting with grain.

Carrying grain safely

The requirement for grain specific documentation arises from the safety risk arising from grain’s characteristics.  Grain settles about 2% of volume, a settling which causes small voids to open up near the surface that allow the grain to shift. This free flowing of the can greatly  reduce the stability of the vessel, making grain one of the most dangerous cargoes.

Why must a ship carry a Document of Authourisation to Carry Grain?

It is required by SOLAS  Chapter VI Safety of Cargoes.

Regulation 9 – Requirements for Cargo Ships Carrying Grain

“1 In addition to any other applicable requirements of the present regulations, a cargo ship carrying grain shall comply with the requirements of the International Grain Code, and hold a document of authorization as required by that Code. For the purpose of this regulation, the requirements of the Code shall be treated as mandatory.

2 A ship without such a document shall not load grain until the master satisfies the Administration, or the Contracting Government of the port of loading on behalf of the Administration, that the ship will comply with the requirements of the International Grain Code in its proposed loaded condition.”

What code must a grain carrying ship conform to?

The international code for the safe carriage of grain in bulk, this is normally referred to as ‘The Grain Code’ .

What is grain?

Grain Code 2 Definitions

2.1. The term grain covers wheat, maize (corn), oats, rye, barley, rice, pulses, seeds and processed forms thereof, whose behaviour is similar to that of grain in its natural state

1.1. This Code applies to ships regardless of size, including those of less than 500 tons gross tonnage, engaged in the carriage of grain in bulk, to which part C of chapter VI of the 1974 SOLAS Convention, as amended, applies.

What does the Document of authorization signify

It is evidence that the ship is capable of complying with the requirements of the grain code.

A ship without such a document of authorization shall not load grain until the master demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Administration, or of the Contracting Government of the port of loading acting on behalf of the Administration, that, in its loaded condition for the intended voyage, the ship complies with the requirements of the code.

Where must the document be held?

The document shall accompany or be incorporated into the grain loading manual.

Click here for the IMO Grain Code page>

What is shown on the Document?

• Name of ship
• Distinctive number or letters
• Port of Registry
• IMO number
• A statement that the ship is capable of complying with the requirements of the International Grain Code in accordance with the approved grain loading stability information booklet.

When can a ship load without a document of authorization?

When:

• The total weight of the bulk grain shall not exceed one third of the deadweight of the ship
• All filled compartments, trimmed, shall be fitted with centreline divisions extending, for the full length of such compartments, downwards from the underside of the deck or hatch covers to a distance below the deck line of at least one eighth of the maximum breadth of the compartment or 2.4 m, whichever is the greater, except that saucers  may be accepted in lieu of a centreline division in and beneath a hatchway except in the case of linseed and other seeds having similar properties;
• All hatches to filled compartments, trimmed, shall be closed and covers secured in place
• All free grain surfaces in partly filled cargo space shall be trimmed level and secured
• Throughout the voyage the metacentric height after correction for the free surface effects of liquids in tanks shall be 0.3 m or that given by a formula given in the grain code

​SOLAS Chapter VI-Safety of Cargoes

 

SOLAS Chapter VI – Carriage of Cargoes and Oil Fuels

Click for SOLAS on Amazon

What does it cover?

Before this blog dives into the realms of grain cargoes certification it will have a quick look at the contents of SOLAS Chapter VI.  A quick look that may be useful in hunting  for cargo related legislation.

Contents of Chapter VI

Part A – General Provisions

• Regulation 1 – Application
• Regulating 1-1 – Definitions
• Regulation 1-2 – Requirements for the Carriage of Solid Bulk Cargoes other than Grain
• Regulation 2 – Cargo Information
• Regulation 3 – Oxygen Analysis and Gas Detection Equipment
• Regulation 4 – The Use of Pesticides in Ships
• Regulation 5 – Stowage and Securing
• Regulation 5-1 – Material Safety Data Sheets
• Regulation 5-2 – Prohibition of the Blending of Bulk Liquid Cargoes and Production Processes during Sea Voyages

Part B – Special Provisions for Solid Bulk Cargoes

• Regulation 6 – Acceptability for Shipment
• Regulation 7 – Loading, Unloading and Stowage of Solid Bulk Cargoes

Part C – Carriage of Grain

• Regulation 8 – Definitions
• Regulation 9 – Requirements for Cargo Ships Carrying Grain

Some recommended links on cargo safety

• The IMO page on Cargo>
• The IMO page on cargo securing and packing>
• The IMO page on  the Code of Safe Practice for Cargo Stowage and Securing (CSS Code)>

The next post will move on to explore the certification associated with Regulation 9, the carriage of grain.