Guidance for Recording of Operations in Cargo Record Book

 

General Requirements:

• All Cargo Record Book entries shall be made as per the latest IMO regulation /amendments in force.

• All cargo and Ballast operations are, when appropriate, to be recorded in the Cargo Record Book on a tank to tank basis under Regulation 15 of MARPOL Annex II.

• All items to be recorded are grouped into operational sections, each of which is denoted by a letter.

• When making entries in Cargo Record Book, the date, operational code and item number shall be inserted in the appropriate columns and the required particulars shall be recorded chronologically in the blank space.

• Each completed operation shall be signed for and dated by the officer or officers in charge and, if applicable, by a Surveyor authorised by the competent authority of the state in which the ship is unloading.

• Each completed page shall be countersigned by the Master of the ship.

• Do not leave any full lines empty (blank lines) between successive entries.

• The entries in the Cargo Record Book, for ships holding an International Pollution Prevention Certificate for the Carriage of Noxious Liquid Substances in Bulk, shall be in English, French or Spanish. 

• The Cargo Record Book shall be retained on board for the period of 3 years from the last date of entry.

• All entries are to be made with a pen whereas the entries recorded in pencil are not accepted. No white ink (correction fluid) is to be used to delete any entries in the Cargo Record Book.

List of Items to be Recorded:

Entries are required to be made for operations involving all Categories of substances. 

(A) Loading of Cargo

(1)Place of Loading.

(2) Identify tank(s), name of substance(s) and category(ies).

(B) Internal transfer of cargo

(3) Name and category of cargo(es) transferred.

(4) Identity of tanks:

1. from:
2. to:

(5) Was(were) tank(s) in 4.1 emptied?

(6) If not, quantity remaining in the tank(s).

(C) Unloading of Cargo

(7) Place of Unloading.

(8) Identity of tank(s) unloaded.

(9) Was(were) tank(s) emptied?

1. If yes, confirm that the procedure for emptying and stripping has been performed under the Ship's Procedures and Arrangements manual (i.e. list, trim, stripping temperature).
2. If not, quantity remaining in tank(s).

(10) Does the ship's Procedures and Arrangements Manual require a prewash with subsequent disposal to reception facilities?

(11)  Failure of pumping and/or stripping system:

1. Time and nature of the failure.
2. Reasons for failure.
3. The time when the system has been made operational.

(D) Mandatory Prewash under the Ship's Procedures & Arrangements Manual

(12) Identify tank(s), substance(s) and category(ies).

(13) Washing Method:

1. The number of cleaning machines per tank.
2. Duration of wash/washing cycles.
3. Hot/cold wash.

(14) Prewash slops transferred to:

1. Reception facility in unloading port (identify port).
2. Reception facility otherwise (identify port).

(E) Cleaning of Cargo tanks except for mandatory prewash (other prewash operations, final wash, ventilation etc.)

(15) State time, identify tank(s), substance(s) and category(ies) and state:

1. Washing procedure used.
2. Cleaning agent(s) (identify tank(s) and quantities).
3. Ventilation procedure used (State number of fans used, duration of ventilation).

(16) Tank washing transferred:

1. into the sea.
2. to reception facility(identify port).
3. to slops collecting tank (identify tank).

(F) Discharge into the sea of tank washings

(17) Identify tanks:

1. Were tank washings discharged during cleaning of the tank(s)? If so at what rate?
2. Were tank washing(s) discharged from a slops collecting tank? If so, state quantity and rate of discharge.

(18) Time pumping commenced and stopped.

(19) Ship's speed during discharge.

(G) Ballasting of Cargo Tanks

(20) Identity of tank(s) ballasted.

(21) Time at the start of ballasting.

(H) Discharge of ballast water from Cargo Tanks

(22) Identity of tank(s)

(23) Discharge of ballast:

1. into the sea
2. to reception facilities (identify port)

(24) Time ballast discharge commenced and stopped

(25) Ship's speed during discharge

(I) Accidental or other Exceptional discharge

(26) Time of Occurences

(27) Approximate quantity, substance(s) and Category(ies)

(28) Circumstances of discharge or escape and general remarks.

(J) Control by Authorised Surveyors

(29) Identify the port.

(30) Identify tank(s), substance(s) and Categoty(ies) discharged ashore.

(31) Have tank(s), pump(s) and piping system(s) been emptied?

(32) Has a prewash under the Ship's Procedure and Arrangements Manual been carried out?

(33) Have tank washings resulting from the prewash been discharged ashore and is the tank empty?

(34) An exemption has been granted from mandatory prewash.

(35) Reasons for exemption.

(36) Name and signature of the authorized surveyor.

(37) Organization, company, Government agency for which surveyor works.

(K) Additional Operational procedures and Remarks

Any entry concerning the failure of the pump or missed entries can be made under this code.

Reference: IMO Publications & Documents - International Conventions - MARPOL - Annex II - Appendix 2