Environment Inventory of Hazardous Materials

An IHM is an integral part of the Hong Kong Convention, adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in 2009. Though not yet in effect, this convention stipulates that every ship must have an inventory of hazardous materials onboard. This convention was designed to make certain that ships and offshore platforms are dismantled without any risk to people or the environment. The IHM has the added advantage of improving safety while vessels are in use.

What are the benefits of an Inventory of Hazardous Materials (IHM)?

SGS experts can perform full IHM for your vessel(s), enabling you to:

• Ensure a safe workplace for your employees
• Identify any dangerous substances on a ship, such as asbestos, mercury, lead-containing paints or polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
• Be compliant to current and future regulations, such as SOLAS and MARPOL
• Take further actions, promoting the safety, usability and durability of your ship

About the inventory

An IHM not only states what types of hazardous materials are present on board, but also in what quantities they occur and what their specific properties are. For example, tests are performed to establish the presence of asbestos, PCBs, mercury (compounds), cadmium (compounds), radioactive substances and chromium-6. An IHM consists of research as well as onboard testing, during which a certified inspector collects samples for analysis in an accredited laboratory. An IHM report is “dynamic”, meaning the report eventually covers the entire life cycle of a vessel: in the building stage, in the operational stage and in the recycling stage.

Why choose SGS?

Flexible, fast and independent, our experts are certified to perform IHM analyses. We are on standby 24 hours a day and, if needed, we can fly our inspector to your ship so that analyses can be performed as you continue your journey while the samples are analyzed in our own laboratory. This means that the results can be made available to you in the shortest time.

We can support the maritime sector across the full spectrum of environmental, safety and health related shipping issues. We offer a variety of environmental studies and analyses to support your operations, ranging from an IHM to scrubber analyses and the testing of ballast water. With a presence in all major ports around the world, our services are available whenever and wherever you need them.

Allow us to provide you with fast and expert service, contact your local SGS office to find out more.