Section 3 Unassessed substances

  3.1 The chemicals to be assessed can be divided into the following groups:

• .1 pure or technically pure chemicals (see section 4);

• .2 mixtures, presenting no safety hazard, containing at least 97% by weight of components already assessed by IMO (see section 5);

• .3 mixtures containing at least 97% by weight of components already assessed by IMO, presenting safety hazards (see section 6);

• .4 mixtures containing one or more components, forming more than 3% by weight of the mixture, which have not yet been assessed by IMO (see section 7).

  3.2 The chemicals or mixtures referred to in 3.1.1, 3.1.3 and 3.1.4 will be provisionally assessed by tripartite agreement, in accordance with regulation 3(4) (now regulation 6.3) of Annex II to MARPOL 73/78 and paragraph 2A.1 of its Unified Interpretation (see annex 2).

  3.3 These tripartite agreements will expire after three years. It is intended that during this period the chemical will be assessed by IMO (see section 8), with the exception of mixtures presenting safety hazards which have been classified by IMO.

  3.4 It is in the best interest of the manufacturer/shipper to submit the data necessary for a provisional assessment to the shipping or producing country Administration well in advance of the shipment. The Administration should avoid unnecessary delays.

  3.5 After the provisional assessment of the chemicals in 3.1.1, 3.1.3 and 3.1.4 is completed, an amendment sheet to the ship's Certificate of Fitness and to the P & A Manual must be issued by the Administration of the flag State of the ship before the ship sails. An example of the amendment sheet is given in annex 3.

  3.6 Mixtures in 3.1.2 will be assessed in a simplified manner in accordance with paragraph 2A.3 of the Unified Interpretation. Due to the purely mechanical nature of such an assessment, it is not necessary for the shipping or producing country to seek the concurrence of the flag States and receiving countries. These mixtures will be shipped under the applicable generic entry to the IBC Code (i.e. "Noxious liquid not otherwise specified" or "non-noxious liquid, n.o.s.").

  3.7 Until the mixture is included in the MEPC circular referred to in 2.8 above, it is still necessary to inform the flag States and receiving countries.