The Merchant Shipping (Reporting Requirements for Ships Carrying Dangerous or Polluting Goods) Regulations 1999 (As amended)
03 January 2023
(This is a reissue of Notice 04 of 2017, which is hereby cancelled)
Notice is hereby given that these regulations implement minimum requirements for vessels bound for or leaving United Kingdom ports and carrying dangerous or polluting goods.
The Regulations aim to ensure that in the event of an incident, the relevant ‘Competent Authority’ has ready access to information about the cargo on board the ship involved. In the United Kingdom the Competent Authority is the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA).
Definitions (from Statutory Instrument 2004 No. 2110)
For the purposes of these Regulations, “dangerous goods” means:
(a) goods classified as dangerous in the IMDG Code,
(b) dangerous liquid substances listed in Chapter 17 of the IBC Code,
(c) liquefied gases listed in Chapter 19 of the IGC Code,
(d) solids referred to in Appendix B of the BC Code, or
(e) goods in respect of whose carriage appropriate preconditions have been imposed in accordance with paragraph 1.1.3 of the IBC Code or paragraph 1.1.6 of the IGC Code.
‘Polluting goods’ are defined as:
(a) any oil, oily mixture, oil fuel or crude oil, as defined in Annex I to the MARPOL Convention,
(b) any noxious liquid substance, as defined in Annex II to the MARPOL Convention, or
(c) any marine pollutant identified in the IMDG Code.
Application
Masters of vessels carrying dangerous or polluting goods and bound for the Port of Cowes are required to inform the shipping agent or Cowes Harbour office in accordance with Schedule II of the regulations before entering the Southampton (Cowes) Pilotage area.
Two copies of Schedule II should be prepared; one copy to be handed to the pilot on boarding and one copy to be sent in advance by e-mail to chc@cowes.co.uk to the Harbour Master, Cowes.
Where no e-mail facilities exist on board the Master shall inform Cowes Harbour radio on VHF Channel 69 during office hours or Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) Southampton on VHF Channel 12 that Schedule II has been completed and of any deficiencies that exist.
An MCA Merchant Shipping Notice (MSN) explains how the operator (defined in the regulations as the owner, charterers, manager or agent) and the ship’s Master should comply with the regulations. An example of Schedule II can be found in the MSN.
Duties of the Pilot
Any pilot engaged in berthing, unberthing or manoeuvring a ship who concludes:
• Through his own observations,
• By reference to the completed Schedule II check list received from the Master of the ship or
• By the absence of the check list
That it has deficiencies that may prejudice its safe navigation must inform the Cowes Harbour Authority immediately and Southampton VTS, when appropriate. The Harbour Authority must forward this information to the MCA.
These procedures do not relieve Masters or Operators of their obligations under the Dangerous Goods in Harbour Areas Regulations 2016.
This Local Notice to Mariners shall remain in force until further notice
