Inventory of Hazardous Materials (Green Passport)

The Ship Recycling Convention, adopted in May 2009, aims to improve standards of safety and reduce environmental pollution resulting from the recycling of ships.

The Inventory of Hazardous Materials (also known as the Green Passport) is a key requirement of the Ship Recycling Convention. It is designed to aid safer and more environmentally sound recycling of ships.

By approving and verifying an Inventory of Hazardous Materials for your vessel, we can help you to comply with the Convention and enjoy a number of additional through-life benefits. 
 
Wallenius Marine AB attained a Lloyd's Register-approved Green Passport for its vehicle carrier, Tristan

What is the Inventory of Hazardous Materials?

The Ship Recycling Convention, adopted in May 2009, aims to improve standards of safety and reduce environmental pollution resulting from the recycling of ships.

The Convention will require ships to have an Inventory of Hazardous Materials (IHM). This is essentially an inventory of materials present in a ship’s structure, systems and equipment that may be hazardous to health or the environment. The IHM was previously called the Green Passport under the 2003 Guidelines on Ship Recycling.

Invaluable tool

A ship’s IHM is maintained throughout its life. Prior to recycling, details of additional hazards in stores and wastes are added, and the document can then be used to help the recycling yard formulate a safer and more environmentally sound plan for decommissioning the ship.

As well as being an invaluable tool for the ship recycling facilities, the IHM also helps to raise staff awareness of the materials onboard a ship that may require special handling.

IHM verification

Lloyd’s Register was the first classification society to issue an independently verified Green Passport, in 2004. We provide an IHM (Green Passport) approval and verification service for both newbuilds and existing ships.

IHM for newbuilds

The IHM for newbuilds is compiled by the shipyard and verified by Lloyd’s Register during the normal construction survey process.

IHM for existing ships

If your ship is already in service, you compile the necessary information yourself using an interactive template that we supply. This is completed by a ship superintendent or by senior ship’s staff, with advice from our dedicated IHM approval offices.

Once the completed inventory is submitted to us for approval, we will arrange for a surveyor to verify that the inventory is a reasonable representation of the hazardous materials on board ship.

Additional benefits

As well as facilitating safer and more environmentally sound dismantling of ships, the IHM provides a formal summary of hazards, which can help to promote better hazard management onboard your ship, enhancing safety and enabling better long-term liability planning.

It can also aid your financial planning by promoting a better awareness of the changing value of assets due to more stringent dismantling requirements, and of potential onboard hazard liabilities.

The IHM will help you demonstrate your company’s commitment to improving environmental standards. It provides measurable and achievable objectives for ISO 14001 certified companies and may also help to boost your reputation in the market.

Summary of benefits

• Helps ensure compliance with the Ship Recycling Convention.

• Promotes better hazard management, enhancing onboard safety enabling better long-term liability planning.

• Promotes better overall environmental awareness.

• Provides measurable and achievable objectives for ISO 14001 certified companies.

• Aids safer and more environmentally sound decommissioning of your ship at the end of its life.

• May help to enhance your reputation in the market.

• Assists financial planning through better awareness of the changing value of assets and of onboard hazard liabilities.

• Assists with meeting the required TMSA elements. 3A and 10B.