What is IMO Industrial Personnel Code?

The International Code of Safety for Ships Carrying Industrial Personnel (IP Code) is a safety code developed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to ensure the safe transportation of personnel on board ships engaged in industrial activities, such as offshore oil and gas exploration and production.

The code provides standards for the design, construction, and operation of ships carrying industrial personnel, including requirements for lifesaving appliances, firefighting equipment, and communication systems. The IP Code also includes guidelines for the management and training of personnel on board, as well as procedures for emergency situations. The code aims to ensure the safety of industrial personnel during transportation by sea, as well as their safe embarkation and disembarkation from ships. The IP Code is mandatory for ships engaged in international voyages carrying industrial personnel, as well as for ships carrying such personnel in domestic trade in some countries.

All ships to which the IP Code applies shall have on board an Industrial Personnel Safety Certificate.

Aim of IP Code?

The aim is to provide minimum safety standards for ships that carry industrial personnel, as well as for the personnel themselves, and address specific risks of maritime operations within the offshore and energy sectors, such as personnel transfer operations. Such personnel may be engaged in the construction, maintenance, decommissioning, operation or servicing of offshore facilities, such as wind farms, as well as offshore oil and gas installations, aquaculture, ocean mining or similar activities.

What are the major requirements?

The IP Code and its design and construction requirements are to a large extent based on the Code of Safety for Special Purpose Ships (2008 SPS Code), but with a few adaptations, mainly:

• Training: Requirements to the industrial personnel (age, fitness, language, training and familiarization)
• Safe transfer: Requirements to the arrangement for the safe transfer of personnel
• Lifesaving appliances: For HSC cargo crafts, illuminated or luminous notices or video information system(s) are to be provided for the IP personnel and a safety equipment sub-center for the crew.
• Dangerous goods: If simultaneously carrying dangerous liquid chemicals and/or liquified gases as cargo in bulk and industrial personnel, be certified in accordance with SOLAS VII Part B or C or comply and be certified in accordance with the OSV Chemical Code (Res. A.1122(30)) or a standard not inferior to it. Ships carrying toxic products, low-flashpoint products and acids are not allowed to have more than 60 persons on board in total.

Adoption and entry into force

The IMO has adopted a new mandatory International Code of Safety for Ships Carrying Industrial Personnel (IP Code), anchored in a new SOLAS Chapter XV.

Maritime Safety Committee (MSC 106) adopted the mandatory International Code of Safety for Ships Carrying Industrial Personnel (IP Code).

The new SOLAS Chapter XV and the IP Code were adopted in November 2022, and are entering into force on 1 July 2024 and enable cargo ships and high-speed cargo craft to transport and accommodate industrial personnel working offshore.

Application Industrial Personnel Code on Existing Ships

In the past, there were few regulations, and flag requirements, which addresses the requirements for the vessel which carries industrial personnel.  These were mainly “Interim recommendations on the safe carriage of more than 12 industrial personnel on board vessels engaged on international voyages” (Res. MSC.418(97), SPS code (2008), passenger ship requirement from SOLAS. In order to bring consistency, IP Code is adopted.

for existing ships, IP Code will be used as a “Grandfathering clause” under which regardless of their date of construction, the regulation applies to all existing ships. However, the application will be limited to:

• Cargo ships and high-speed cargo craft
  • of 500 gross tonnages and upwards, and
  • which will carry more than a total of 12 industrial personnel, special personnel and passengers combined, and
  • which will be operating on international voyages.
• High-speed cargo craft shall not carry more than 60 persons on board.

The application date for existing ships will remain 1 July 2024.

Application Industrial Personnel Code on New Builds

New building projects for which the carriage of more than 12 industrial personnel is relevant should plan for compliance with the new IP Code. The application will be limited to:

• of 500 gross tonnage and upwards, and which
• will carry more than a total of 12 industrial personnel, special personnel and passengers combined

The application date for existing ships will remain 1 July 2024.