For more than 100 years cargoes have been shipped in bulk. However, in recent years there has been an increased variation in bulk cargoes carried by sea, which now constitute a significant proportion of international seaborne trade. Millions of tonnes of cargoes ? such as coals, concentrates, grains, fertilizers, animal foodstuffs, minerals and ores ? are shipped in bulk by sea every year. While the vast majority of these shipments are made without incident, there have been a number of serious casualties, which resulted, not only in the loss of the ship, but also in loss of life.
The
BC Code itself provides guidance to Administrations, shipowners, shippers and masters on the standards to be applied in the safe stowage and shipment of solid bulk cargoes excluding grain, which is dealt with under separate rules. The
BC Code includes practical guidance on the procedures to be followed and the appropriate precautions to be taken in the loading, trimming, carriage and discharge of bulk cargoes. The current edition includes all amendments to the
BC Code that were adopted by the Maritime Safety Committee at its seventy-ninth session by resolution MSC.193(79).
The major changes that have been adopted are the following:
* Appendices D to G have been renumbered.
The list of solid bulk cargoes appearing in the
BC Code is by no means exhaustive, and the physical or chemical properties attributed to them are intended only for guidance. Therefore, before loading any solid bulk cargo it is essential to ascertain ? usually from the shipper ? the current physical characteristics and chemical properties of the cargo. In circumstances where, consultation with the competent authority is required prior to bulk shipment of cargoes, it is equally important to consult authorities at the ports of loading and discharge concerning requirements which may be in force.
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