1.1.1 The Code applies to ships regardless of size, including those of less than 500 gross tonnage, engaged in the carriage of bulk cargoes of dangerous chemicals or noxious liquid substances (NLS), other than petroleum or similar flammable products as follows:

　

1.1.2 Products that have been reviewed and determined not to present safety and pollution hazards to such an extent as to warrant the application of the Code are found in chapter 18.

　

1.1.3 Liquids covered by the Code are those having a vapour pressure not exceeding 0.28 MPa absolute at a temperature of 37.81℃.

　

1.1.4 For the purpose of the 1974 SOLAS Convention, the Code applies to ships which are engaged in the carriage of products included in chapter 17 on the basis of their safety characteristics and identified as such by an entry of S or S/P in column d.

　

1.1.5 For the purposes of MARPOL 73/78, the Code applies only to NLS tankers, as defined in regulation 1.16.2 of Annex II thereof, which are engaged in the carriage of Noxious Liquid Substances identified as such by an entry of X, Y or Z in column c of chapter 17.

　

1.1.6 For a product proposed for carriage in bulk, but not listed in chapters 17 or 18, the Administration and port Administrations involved in such carriage shall prescribe the preliminary suitable conditions for the carriage, having regard to the criteria for hazard evaluation of bulk chemicals. For the evaluation of the pollution hazard of such a product and assignment of its pollution category, the procedure specified in regulation 6.3 of Annex II of MARPOL 73/78 must be followed. The Organization shall be notified of the conditions for consideration for inclusion of the product in the Code.

　

1.1.7 Unless expressly provided otherwise, the Code applies to ships, the keels of which are laid or which are at the stage where:

　

on or after 1 July 1986.

　

1.1.8 A ship, irrespective of the date of construction, which is converted to a chemical tanker on or after 1 July 1986 shall be treated as a chemical tanker constructed on the date on which such conversion commences. This conversion provision does not apply to the modification of a ship referred to in regulation 1.14 of Annex II of MARPOL 73/78.

　

1.1.9 Where reference is made in the Code to a paragraph, all the provisions of the subparagraphs of that designation shall apply.

　

　

Hazards of products covered by the Code include:

　

1.2.1 Fire hazard, defined by flashpoint, explosive/flammability limits/range and autoignition temperature of the chemical.

　

1.2.2 Health hazard, defined by:

　

1.2.3 Reactivity hazard, defined by reactivity:

　

1.2.4 Marine pollution hazard, as defined by:

　

　

 The following definitions apply unless expressly provided otherwise. (Additional definitions are given in individual chapters).

　

1.3.1 Accommodation spaces are those spaces used for public spaces, corridors, lavatories, cabins, offices, hospitals, cinemas, games and hobbies rooms, barber shops, pantries containing no cooking appliances and similar spaces. Public spaces are those portions of the accommodation spaces which are used for halls, dining rooms, lounges and similar permanently enclosed spaces.

　

1.3.2 Administration means the Government of the State whose flag the ship is entitled to fly. For Administration (Port) see Port Administration.

　

1.3.3 Anniversary date means the day and the month of each year, which will correspond to the date of expiry of the International Certificate of Fitness for the Carriage of Dangerous Chemicals in Bulk.

　

1.3.4 Boiling point is the temperature at which a product exhibits a vapour pressure equal to the atmospheric pressure.

　

1.3.5 Breadth (B) means the maximum breadth of the ship, measured amidships to the moulded line of the frame in a ship with a metal shell and to the outer surface of the hull in a ship with a shell of any other material. The breadth (B) shall be measured in metres.

　

1.3.6 Cargo area is that part of the ship that contains cargo tanks, slop tanks, cargo pump-rooms including pump-rooms, cofferdams, ballast or void spaces adjacent to cargo tanks or slop tanks and also deck areas throughout the entire length and breadth of the part of the ship over the above-mentioned spaces. Where independent tanks are installed in hold spaces, cofferdams, ballast or void spaces at the after end of the aftermost hold space or at the forward end of the forward-most hold space are excluded from the cargo area.

　

1.3.7 Cargo pump-room is a space containing pumps and their accessories for the handling of the products covered by the Code.

　

1.3.8 Cargo service spaces are spaces within the cargo area used for workshops, lockers and store-rooms of more than 2 m² in area, used for cargo-handling equipment.

　

1.3.9 Cargo tank is the envelope designed to contain the cargo.

　

1.3.10 Chemical tanker is a cargo ship constructed or adapted and used for the carriage in bulk of any liquid product listed in chapter 17.

　

1.3.11 Cofferdam is the isolating space between two adjacent steel bulkheads or decks. This space may be a void space or a ballast space.

　

1.3.12 Control stations are those spaces in which ship's radio or main navigating equipment or the emergency source of power is located or where the fire-recording or fire-control equipment is centralized. This does not include special fire-control equipment which can be most practically located in the cargo area.

　

1.3.13 Dangerous chemicals means any liquid chemicals designated as presenting a safety hazard, based on the safety criteria for assigning products to chapter 17.

　

1.3.14 Density is the ratio of the mass to the volume of a product, expressed in terms of kilograms per cubic metre. This applies to liquids, gases and vapours.

　

1.3.15 Explosive/flammability limits/range are the conditions defining the state of fuel-oxidant mixture at which application of an adequately strong external ignition source is only just capable of producing flammability in a given test apparatus.

　

1.3.16 Flashpoint is the temperature in degrees Celsius at which a product will give off enough flammable vapour to be ignited. Values given in the Code are those for a "closed-cup test" determined by an approved flashpoint apparatus.

　

1.3.17 Hold space is the space enclosed by the ship's structure in which an independent cargo tank is situated.

　

1.3.18 Independent means that a piping or venting system, for example, is in no way connected to another system and that there are no provisions available for the potential connection to other systems.

　

1.3.19 Length (L) means 96% of the total length on a waterline at 85% of the least moulded depth measured from the top of the keel, or the length from the foreside of the stem to the axis of the rudder stock on that waterline, if that be greater. In ships designed with a rake of keel, the waterline on which this length is measured shall be parallel to the designed waterline. The length (L) shall be measured in metres.

　

1.3.20 Machinery spaces of category A are those spaces and trunks to such spaces which contain:

　

1.3.21 Machinery spaces are all machinery spaces of category A and all other spaces containing propelling machinery, boilers, oil fuel units, steam and internal-combustion engines, generators and major electrical machinery, oil filling station, refrigerating, stabilizing, ventilation and air-conditioning machinery, and similar spaces, and trunks to such spaces.

　

1.3.22 MARPOL means the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, as modified by the Protocol of 1978 relating thereto, as amended.

　

1.3.23 Noxious Liquid Substance means any substance indicated in the Pollution Category column of chapters 17 or 18 of the International Bulk Chemical Code, or the current MEPC.2/Circular or provisionally assessed under the provisions of regulation 6.3 of MARPOL Annex II as falling into categories X, Y or Z.

　

1.3.24 Oil fuel unit is the equipment used for the preparation of oil fuel for delivery to an oil-fired boiler, or equipment used for the preparation for delivery of heated oil to an internal-combustion engine, and includes any oil pressure pumps, filters and heaters dealing with oil at a gauge pressure of more than 0.18 MPa.

　

1.3.25 Organization is the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

　

1.3.26 Permeability of a space means the ratio of the volume within that space which is assumed to be occupied by water to the total volume of that space.

　

1.3.27 Port administration means the appropriate authority of the country in the port of which the ship is loading or unloading.

　

1.3.28 Products is the collective term used to cover both Noxious Liquid Substances and Dangerous Chemicals.

　

1.3.29 Pump-room is a space, located in the cargo area, containing pumps and their accessories for the handling of ballast and oil fuel.

　

1.3.30 Recognized standards are applicable international or national standards acceptable to the Administration or standards laid down and maintained by an organization which complies with the standards adopted by the Organization and which is recognized by the Administration.

　

1.3.31 Reference temperature is the temperature at which the vapour pressure of the cargo corresponds to the set pressure of the pressure-relief valve.

　

1.3.32 Separate means that a cargo piping system or cargo vent system, for example, is not connected to another cargo piping or cargo vent system.

　

1.3.33 Service spaces are those spaces used for galleys, pantries containing cooking appliances, lockers, mail and specie rooms, store-rooms, workshops other than those forming part of the machinery spaces and similar spaces and trunks to such spaces.

　

1.3.34 SOLAS means the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, as amended.

　

1.3.35 Vapour pressure is the equilibrium pressure of the saturated vapour above a liquid expressed in Pascals (Pa) at a specified temperature.

　

1.3.36 Void space is an enclosed space in the cargo area external to a cargo tank, other than a hold space, ballast space, oil fuel tank, cargo pump-room, pump-room, or any space in normal use by personnel.