What is the IHM?
The IHM (Inventory of Hazardous Materials) is a document, describing in detail all the existing hazardous materials onboard a ship. This inventory defines the quantity and illustrates the location of these materials which are potentially hazardous to people and the environment. These hazardous materials are detailed in the IMO Hong Kong Convention and the EU Ship Recycling Regulation.
The IHM consists of three parts:
- Part I: Hazardous materials contained in the ship’s structure and equipment
- Part II: Operationally generated wastes
- Part III: Stores
Who needs to comply?
According to the EU SRR, all ships, submersibles, floating platforms, etc. flying the flag of a Member State, or ships flying the flag of a third country and calling at a port or anchorage of a Member State with a gross tonnage greater than 500 GT.
Exempted from the aforementioned regulation are the warships, the naval auxiliaries, and other ships owned or operated by a state and used for non-commercial purposes, as well as ships operating throughout their life only in waters subject to the sovereignty or jurisdiction of the Member State whose flag the ship is flying.
What happens in case of non compliance
In case an inspection is carried out by the relevant authorities of a Member State and the ship fails to provide a valid IHM, the ship may be warned, detained, dismissed or excluded from the ports or offshore terminals under the jurisdiction of this Member State.
What is the basic procedure for complying with the regulation
There are some basic steps that need to be followed for the development of an IHM and the subsequent completion of the process for existing ships:
- Collection of the required information: ship drawings, specifications, manuals, etc.
- Assessment of the collected information
- Preparation of the Visual/Sampling Check Plan
- Onboard Visual/Sampling survey
- Preparation of Part I of the IHM
- Submission to the Class
- Verification of the submitted IHM and issuance of a Statement of Compliance