1 The Maritime Safety Committee, at its seventy-sixth
session (2 to 13 December 2002), and the Marine Environment Protection
Committee, at its forty-ninth session (14 to 18 July 2003), recognizing
the need for a standard set of occupational health data for seafarers
that covers the substances to which they are likely to become exposed
on board tankers, agreed that a standard format should be used to
provide seafarers with clear, concise and accurate occupational health
information.
2 Therefore, the Committees, noting that the United
Nations Sub-Committee for the Globally Harmonized System of Classification
and Labelling of Chemicals has developed a single, globally harmonized
system to address classification of chemicals, labels, and safety
data sheets, which are intended to provide essential health and safety
information on chemicals for use by consumers, workers, transport
workers and emergency responders, agreed that, in addition to the
provisions of paragraph 16.2 of the International Code for the Construction
and Equipment of Ships Carrying Dangerous Chemicals in Bulk (IBC Code), any cargo offered for shipment in bulk
which is subject to chapters 17 and 18 of the IBC Code should be accompanied by
safety data sheets based on the format contained in chapter 1.5 of
the Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Classification and Communication.footnote
3 Member Governments are invited to bring the
above recommendation to the attention of shipowners, shipoperators
and other parties involved in the transportation of such cargo.