Changes to the IMO code of safe practice for solid bulk cargo

Members will be aware of the general concerns that exist with regard to the carriage of Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) by sea.

These concerns have increased significantly since the loss of life arising from the incidents involving carriage of DRI on board the Ytha (2004) and the Adamandas (2003). We have previously provided information on DRI and refer in particular to the Loss Prevention Advice which published in 2006.The explosion and accompanying tragic loss of life on the Ythan, resulted from the interaction between the vessel’s cargo of “HBI Fines” and the fresh water (moisture) contained in the cargo at the time of loading. At the time of the incident the IMO Code of Safe Practice for Solid Bulk Cargo (the Code) categorized two types of DRI, namely hot moulded briquettes or hot briquetted iron (subsequently redesignated as DRI (A)), and pellets, lumps etc. (subsequently redesignated as DRI (B)). The DRI/HBI fines cargo could not in reality be categorized as either (A) or (B) under the Code and the expert advice was to treat it as the more dangerous and reactive type of DRI (B).Following the above mentioned incidents and their subsequent investigation, the IMO Sub-committee on Dangerous Goods, Solid Cargoes and Containers (DSC) considered amendments to the relevant Schedules of the Code as part of a review of the Code.

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