IMO GUIDELINES ON SHIP RECYCLING
(Adopted
on 5 December 2003)
THE
ASSEMBLY,
RECALLING
Article 15(j) of the Convention on the International Maritime Organization
concerning the functions of the Assembly in relation to regulations and
guidelines concerning maritime safety, the prevention and control of marine
pollution from ships and other matters concerning the effect of shipping on the
marine environment,
NOTING
the growing concerns about environmental safety, health and welfare matters in
the ship recycling industry, and the need to reduce the environmental,
occupational health and safety risks related to ship recycling and, at the same
time, securing the smooth withdrawal of ships that have reached the end of
their operating lives,
NOTING
ALSO the roles of the International Labour Organization, the Basel Convention
and other stakeholders in ship recycling,
HAVING
CONSIDERED the Technical Guidelines for the Environmentally Sound Management of
the Full and Partial Dismantling of Ships, adopted by the Sixth Meeting of the
Conference of Parties to the Basel Convention, and the Guidelines on Safety and
Health in Shipbreaking, developed by the International Labour Organization
(ILO),
HAVING
CONSIDERED ALSO the Code of Practice on Ship Recycling developed by the
shipping industry to establish a body of best practice for shipping companies
to adopt in respect of ships destined for recycling,
RECOGNIZING
that, in order to contribute towards improvements in ship recycling, it is
necessary to consider the ship throughout its life cycle,
RECOGNIZING
ALSO that the use of hazardous materials should be minimized in the design,
construction and maintenance of ships, without compromising their safety and
operational efficiency, and that there is a need to prepare ships for recycling
in such a manner as to reduce environmental and safety risks and health and
welfare concerns as far as practicable,
HAVING
CONSIDERED the recommendation made by the Marine Environment Protection
Committee at its forty-ninth session,
1.
ADOPTS the IMO Guidelines on Ship Recycling set out in the annex to the present
resolution;
2.
INVITES Governments to take urgent action to apply the annexed Guidelines,
including the dissemination thereof to the shipping and ship recycling
industries, and to report to the Marine Environment Protection Committee on any
experience gained in their implementation;
3.
REQUESTS the Marine Environment Protection Committee to keep this matter under
review with a view to further developing the Guidelines in the future;
4.
REQUESTS FURTHER that the Marine Environment Protection Committee consider the
most appropriate means to promote the implementation of the Guidelines,
including a review of the progress made in achieving their intended purpose;
5.
URGES the Marine Environment Protection Committee to continue co-operating with
the International Labour Organization and the appropriate bodies of the Basel
Convention in this field and to encourage the involvement of other
stakeholders.
Annex.
IMO GUIDELINES ON SHIP RECYCLING
1.1
Ships, at some stage, reach the end of their operating life. The life cycle for
most ships, from cradle to grave or makers to breakers , gives a life span of
operation of 20 - 25 years, or more. In 2001, the OECD noted an increasing
casualty rate for older ships remaining in operation, especially for bulk ships
and tankers. The steady withdrawal of older ships and their replacement by new
tonnage, therefore, is a natural commercial process which provides the
opportunity for the introduction of safer and more environmentally friendly
designs, greater operating efficiency and a general reduction in marine risk.
1.2
In general, recycling is one of the basic principles of sustainable
development. For the disposal of time-expired ships there are few alternatives
to recycling lay-up only postpones the issue; there is only a limited
opportunity to convert ships for other uses such as storage facilities,
breakwaters or tourist attractions; scuttling, strictly controlled by the
London Convention, gives no opportunity for the steel and other materials and
equipment in a ship to be recycled.
1.3
So, recycling is, generally, the best option for all time-expired tonnage.
Furthermore, demand for ship recycling is expected to rise in the near future
as ships, particularly oil tankers, which do not conform to the new
international requirements set by the MARPOL Convention, reach the end of their
commercial lives.
1.4
While the principle of ship recycling is sound, the working practices and
environmental standards in the recycling facilities often leave much to be
desired. Although responsibility for conditions in the recycling facilities has
to lie with the countries in which they are situated, other stakeholders can contribute
towards minimising potential problems related to health, safety and protection
of the environment in the recycling facilities and should apply these
Guidelines.
1.5
These Guidelines have been developed to give guidance to all stakeholders in
the ship recycling process. This includes flag, port and recycling States,
authorities of shipbuilding and maritime equipment supplying countries, as well
as relevant intergovernmental organisations and commercial bodies such as
shipowners, shipbuilders, marine equipment manufacturers, repairers and
recycling facilities. Additional stakeholders include workers, local
communities, environmental and labour bodies.
1.6
These Guidelines seek to:
.1 encourage recycling as
the best means to dispose of ships at the end of their operating lives;
.2 provide guidance in
respect of the preparation of ships for recycling and minimising the use of
potentially hazardous materials and waste generation during a ship s operating
life;
.3 foster inter-agency
co-operation; and
.4 encourage all
stakeholders to address the issue of ship recycling.
1.7
In general, these Guidelines accept that the obligation for environmental and
worker protection in ship recycling facilities must rest with the recycling
facility itself and with the regulatory authorities of the country in which the
recycling facility operates. Nevertheless, it is acknowledged that shipowners
and other stakeholders have a responsibility to address the issues involved.
2.1
These Guidelines have been developed to provide guidance to flag, port and
recycling States, shipowners, shipbuilders, marine equipment suppliers, and
recycling facilities as to best practice , which takes into account the ship
recycling process throughout the life cycle of the ship.
2.2
They take into account the "Industry Code of Practice on Ship
Recycling"* and complement other international guidelines addressing this
issue; notably those produced by the Conference of Parties to the Basel
Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and
their Disposal focusing on issues related to ship recycling facilities** and
those of the International Labour Organization addressing working conditions at
the recycling facilities***. Further information on the above-mentioned
guidelines is provided in sections 9.5 and 9.6 of these Guidelines. The
provisions of other international instruments, or work of their governing
bodies, may be applicable to those ship recycling activities addressed by these
Guidelines. The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer,
the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), the
Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other
Matter (London Convention 1972) and the United Nations Convention on the Law of
the Sea are relevant.
______________
* In co-operation with other industry
organizations, ICS has produced the "Industry Code of Practice on Ship
Recycling", outlining the measures that shipowners should be prepared to
take prior to recycling.
** Technical Guidelines for the
Environmentally Sound Management of the Full and Partial Dismantling of Ships
adopted by the Sixth Meeting of the Conference of Parties to the Basel
Convention on 13 December 2002.
*** Guidelines on Safety and Health in
Shipbreaking developed by the International Labour Organization (ILO).
For
the purpose of these Guidelines:
Administration
means the Government of the State under whose authority the ship is operating.
With respect to a ship entitled to fly the flag of a State, the Administration
is the Government of that State. With respect to fixed or floating platforms
engaged in exploration and exploitation of the sea-bed and subsoil thereof
adjacent to the coast over which the coastal State exercises sovereign rights
for the purpose of exploration and exploitation of their natural resources, the
Administration is the Government of the coastal State concerned.
Existing
ship means a ship which is not a new ship.
Hazardous
material means materials posing harm to human health or the environment
identified in the IMDG Code, the Basel Convention, or other international
authorities or instruments.
New
ship means a ship:
.1 for which the building
contract is placed on or after 31 December 2003; or
.2 in the absence of a
building contract, the keel of which is laid or which is at a similar stage of
construction on or after 30 June 2004; or
.3 the delivery of which is
on or after 31 December 2006.
Organization
means the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
Recycling
facility means a site, yard or facility used for the recycling of ships which
is authorized or permitted for this purpose by the competent authority of the
State where the site, yard or facility is located (Recycling State).
Ship
means a vessel of any type whatsoever operating in the marine environment and
includes hydrofoil boats, air-cushion vehicles, submersibles, floating craft
and fixed or floating platforms and a vessel that has been stripped of
equipment or is towed.
Shipowner
means the person or persons or company registered as the owner of the ship or,
in the absence of registration, the person or persons or company owning the
ship. However, in the case of a ship owned by a State and operated by a company
which in that State is registered as the ship s operator, owner shall mean such
company. This term also includes those who have ownership of the ship for a
limited period pending its sale to a recycling facility.
Ship
Recycling means all associated operations including, mooring or beaching,
dismantling, recovery of materials and reprocessing.
The
operating life of a ship means the time when it is capable of performing its
current functions.
4. IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS
MATERIALS
4.1
The principal materials of a ship (e.g., steel, aluminium) are not an
overriding concern from the standpoint of human health or marine pollution.
However, there are a number of potential sources of concern that should be
addressed such as:
.1 fuel, lubricants, and coolants;
.2 floatable materials
(e.g., plastics, Styrofoam insulation);
.3 materials possibly
containing PCBs such as wiring insulation;
.4 sludges;
.5 harmful aquatic organisms
in ballast water; and, currently (on older ships)
.6 asbestos used as insulation
material and in accommodation panelling.
4.2
Items on ships that may potentially contain substances of concern include:
.1 electrical equipment
(e.g., transformers, batteries, accumulators);
.2 coolers;
.3 scrubbers;
.4 separators;
.5 heat exchangers;
.6 storage facilities for
production and other chemicals;
.7 tanks, diesel tanks
including bulk storage tanks;
.8 stored solvents, and
other chemical stocks;
.9 paints;
.10 electrical cabling
installed before 1975 (plastic covering may contain PCBs);
.11 sacrificial anodes;
.12 fire extinguishing and
fire fighting equipment;
.13 piping, valves and
fittings;
.14 pumps and compressors;
.15 engines and generators;
.16 oil sumps;
.17 hydraulic systems; and
.18 light fittings and
fixtures.
4.3
In identifying potentially hazardous materials on board ships, there are two
key lists to consider for guidance, which are set out as Appendices 1 and 2 to
these Guidelines: Appendix 1 is based on the "List of Hazardous Wastes and
Substances under the Basel Convention that are relevant to Ship
Dismantling" (Appendix B to the "Technical Guidelines for the
Environmentally Sound Management of the Full and Partial Dismantling of
Ships"), and Appendix 2 is based on the list of Potentially hazardous
materials which may be on board vessels delivered to recycling yards (Annex 1
of the Industry Code of Practice on Ship Recycling ).
5.1
The Green Passport for ships is a document facilitating the application of
these Guidelines providing information with regard to materials known to be
potentially hazardous utilised in the construction of the ship, its equipment
and systems. This should accompany the ship throughout its operating life.
Successive owners of the ship should maintain the accuracy of the Green
Passport and incorporate into it all relevant design and equipment changes,
with the final owner delivering the document, with the ship, to the recycling
facility.
5.2
The Green Passport should contain, at least, the following information:
.1 Ship details:
.1 the name of the State
whose flag the ship is entitled to fly;
.2 the date on which the
ship was registered with that State;
.3 the date on which the
ship ceased to be registered with that State.
.4 the ship s identification
number (IMO number);
.5 hull number on
new-building delivery;
.6 the name and type of the
ship;
.7 the port at which the
ship is registered;
.8 the name of the shipowner
and its address;
.9 the name of all
classification society(ies) with which the ship is classed; .10 the ship s main
particulars (Length overall (LOA), Breadth (Moulded), Depth (Moulded),
Lightweight);
.11 shipbuilder s name and
address;
.2 Inventory of the
materials known to be potentially hazardous, containing the location and the
approximate quantity/volume of each identified material on board the ship,
split into the following parts:
Part 1 - Potentially
hazardous materials in the ship s structure and equipment
Part 2 - Operationally
generated wastes
Part 3 - Stores
5.3
Any changes relating to the entries referred to in paragraph 5.2 should be
recorded in the Green Passport so as to provide updated and current information
together with the history of the changes.
5.4
Ship details referred to in paragraph 5.2.1 should be included in the Green
Passport by the shipowner.
5.5
Part 1 of the inventory of potentially hazardous materials should be prepared:
.1 for new ships by the
shipbuilder, in consultation with the equipment manufacturers, at the
construction stage and passed to the shipowner;
.2 for existing ships by the
shipowner, as far as is practicable and reasonable, by reference to ship s
plans, drawings, manuals, technical specifications and ship stores manifests,
in consultation with the shipbuilder, equipment manufacturers and others as appropriate.
5.6
Parts 2 and 3 should be prepared by the shipowner prior to the final voyage to
the recycling facility.
5.7
The format contained in Appendix 3 may be used as a model for the preparation
of the inventory referred to in paragraph 5.2.2.
5.8
Administrations, designers, shipbuilders, and equipment manufacturers should
take measures to facilitate the preparation of the Green Passport.
6. PROCEDURES FOR NEW SHIPS RELATED TO SHIP
RECYCLING
6.1 Minimization of hazardous substances used
in the construction of new ships and their equipment
6.1.1
Some of the problems associated with ship recycling might be addressed at the
design and construction stage, not only in relation to the ships themselves but
also in respect of ships equipment. The first step is to identify any
potentially hazardous materials which might be incorporated, as a matter of
routine, in the structure of ships and their equipment (see Section 4) and,
where practicable, consider using less hazardous alternatives.
6.1.2
The second step is to minimize hazardous materials generated during the
operating life of a ship and at the end of a ship s life. Shipbuilders should
already be aware of the need to minimize emissions and hazardous wastes to a
level as low as reasonably achievable.
6.1.3
The initial stages might include an evaluation of:
.1 the type, amount and
potential hazard of materials utilized and their location on board a ship;
.2 the activities expected
during the operation of the ship and any potentially hazardous wastes which
might be generated; and
.3 the feasibility of
addressing the potential for hazardous waste generation by considering:
.1 product reformulation
installing components utilizing less potentially hazardous materials;
.2 cleaner production
technologies which generate less wastes;
.3 process modification to
generate less waste;
.4 input substitution
utilizing less potentially hazardous consumables or those which generate less
waste; and
.5 on-site, closed-loop
recycling systems that recycle wastes on board the ship.
6.1.4
Ship designers and shipbuilders are encouraged to take due account of the ship
s ultimate disposal when designing and constructing a ship, by:
.1 using materials which can
be recycled safely and in an environmentally sound manner; and
.2 minimizing the use of
materials known to be potentially hazardous to health and the environment.
6.1.5
In general terms, if opportunities exist, ship or equipment designers should
recommend designs to ship operators that minimize or prevent waste at source
and at the end of the operating life of the ship. Similarly, shipowners and
operators should ask for such design considerations for new buildings and
retrofits.
6.1.6
Administrations and the competent authorities of ship building States are
encouraged to advise shipbuilders to limit the use of hazardous materials in
the construction of ships.
6.1.7
The competent authorities of ship building States have a role in encouraging
research into the use of less potentially hazardous materials in the
construction of ships and promoting the use of techniques which, without
compromising safety or operational efficiency, contribute towards the
facilitation of the recycling operation.
6.1.8
Substances prohibited or restricted by international conventions such as the Stockholm
Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), the Montreal Protocol on
Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, and the International Convention on
the Control of Harmful Anti-fouling Systems on Ships, should not be used in the
construction, refit and repair of ships.
6.2 Design of ships and ships' equipment to
facilitate recycling and removal of hazardous materials
6.2.1
Ship designers and shipbuilders, without compromising safety or operational
efficiency, should take due account of the ship s ultimate disposal when
designing and constructing a ship, by considering:
.1 structural designs that
could facilitate ship recycling;
.2 equipment designs that
facilitate removal from ships during recycling;
.3 the use of structural
materials that can be readily recycled;
.4 providing to the new
owner a brief technical document advising on the optimal approach for recycling
the ship;