- cargo ships of 500 gross tonnage or over constructed on or after 1 September 1984 but before 1 July 2002; or
- cargo ships of less than 500 gross tonnage constructed on or after 1 February 1992 but before 1 July 2002,
IMSBC CODE applies to the carriage of cargoes (except liquids in bulk, gases in bulk and those aspects of carriage covered by other chapters) which, owing to their particular hazards to ships or persons on board, may require special precautions in all ships to which the present regulations apply and in cargo ships of less than 500 gross tonnage. However, for cargo ships of less than 500 gross tonnage, the Surveyor General, if it considers that the sheltered nature and conditions of voyage are such as to render the application of any specific requirements of part A or B of this chapter unreasonable or unnecessary, may take other effective measures to ensure the required safety for these ships.
- Solid bulk cargo means any cargo, other than liquid or gas, consisting of a combination of particles, granules or any larger pieces of material generally uniform in composition, which is loaded directly into the cargo spaces of a ship without any intermediate form of containment.
- The primary aim of IMSBC code is to facilitate the safe stowage and shipment of solid bulk cargoes by providing information on the dangers associated with the shipment of certain types of solid bulk cargoes and instructions on the procedures to be adopted when the shipment of solid bulk cargoes is contemplated.