DOCUMENT OF COMPLIANCE FOR SHIPS

CARRYING DANGEROUS GOODS

Document of Compliance for Ships

Carrying Dangerous Goods in
Packaged or Dry Bulk Form
Why is it required?
SOLAS II-2 Regulation 19 – Carriage of Dangerous Goods

Click here for the IMO page on dangerous goods>

4 Document of compliance

“The Administration shall provide the ship with an appropriate document as

evidence of compliance of construction and equipment with the requirements of this
regulation. Certification for dangerous goods, except solid dangerous goods in bulk,
is not required for those cargoes specified as class 6.2 and 7 and dangerous goods in
limited quantities and excepted quantities.”

What ships require the document?

 Passenger ships constructed on or after 1 September 1984
 All other ships of 500 tons or over constructed on or after 1 September 1984
 All other ships of under 500 tons constructed on or after 1 February 1992

Which are intended, or which have cargo spaces which are intended for the carriage of
dangerous goods on international voyages.

How long is it valid?

Cargo ship: Not more than 5 years and should not be extended beyond the expiry date of the
valid Cargo Ship Safety Construction Certificate.

Passenger ship: One year and should not be extended beyond the expiry date of the
valid Passenger Ship Safety Certificate.

What surveys are required?

Surveys required on cargo ships:

 An Initial Survey
 An Annual Survey, in conjunction with SEC or SCV survey,
 A Renewal Survey

Passenger ships:

 An Initial Survey
 A Renewal Survey, in conjunction with the passanger ship survey

See the UK Instruction to surveyors MSIS 23 chapter 9

What information is contained on the Document of Compliance for

Ships Carrying Dangerous Goods in Packaged or Dry Bulk Form?
 Name of ship
 Distinctive number or letters:
 Port of registry
 Ship type
 IMO Number (if applicable)
 Schedule 1: A table of the dangerous goods approved for carriage and their stowage
locations
 Schedule 2 A of list the special requirements for this ship to carry dangerous goods

Click here for IMO MSC.1/Circ.1266 Carriage of dangerous goods>

What does the Document of Compliance Certify?

 That the construction and equipment have been found to comply with the provisions of
regulation II-2/19 of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, as
amended.
 That the ship is suitable for the carriage of those classes of dangerous goods as
specified in the appendix subject that any provisions in the International Maritime
 Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code and the Code of Safe Practice for Solid Bulk Cargoes
Code for individual substances, materials or articles area also being complied with.

What are Dangerous goods?

Dangerous goods are those substances and articles, carried as cargo, which are listed or
classified in the latest edition of the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code.

Which dangerous goods do not require a document of

compliance?
Classe 6.2 Infectious substances

Class 7 Radioactive substances

Carriage of dangerous goods in Limited Quantities.

What are limited quantities?

Limited Quantities are small amounts of some dangerous goods that can be carried on a vessel
not holding a Document of compliance. In Section 18 of the General Introduction to the IMDG
states on limited quantities:

“The applicable quantity limit for the inner packaging or article is specified for each
substance in column 7a of the dangerous Goods list of chapter 3.2. In addition, the
quantity “0” has been indicated in the column for each entry not permitted to be
transported in accordance with this chapter”

Therefore, in order to determine is a small quantity of dangerous goods can be carried without at
Document of Compliance the IMDG code must be referrred to.

Schedule 1
This schedule contains simple layout diagram of a ship and a table. The table has along its
vertical axis numbers corresponding to the holds and cargo spaces on the layout, and the
dangerous goods classifications down the vertical.
 Schedule 1 from UK MGN 36- Click here to view>

The boxes of the table are filled in with letter codes that signify what goods are permitted in those
spaces.

P = Packaged Goods Permitted

A = Packaged & Bulk Permitted

X = Not Permitted

Schedule 2
This states what is required requirements specified below are necessary for compliance with
National and International Regulations. For example the UK schedule 2 in MGN 36 lists:

 Immediate availability of water

 Quantity of water
 Water spray system
 Cargo space flooding
 Electrical arrangements
 Fire detection system
 Power ventilation
 Bilge pumping
 Protective clothing
 Fans
 Breathing apparatus
 Fire extinguishers
 Insulation