New Technology Platform supports compliance with EU SRR 31 December 2020 legislative deadline and ongoing maintenance requirements

Verifavia Shipping has launched the world’s first “3-Way Plug & Play” IHM Maintenance Dashboard to ensure efficient and continuous maintenance of Inventory of Hazardous Materials (IHM) reports. The digital system ensures the IHM can be updated accurately, effectively and in real-time to comply with the EU Ship Recycling Regulation (EU SRR) deadline of 31 December 2020, as well as its ongoing maintenance requirements.

On 31st December 2018, the EU Ship Recycling Regulation (EU SRR) came into force, prohibiting or restricting the use of hazardous materials onboard EU-flagged newbuildings and EU-flagged vessels heading for demolition at recycling yards. From 31st December 2020, it will be further extended to cover all other EU-flagged  ships, as well as ships trading under the flag of a third country that call at an EU port or anchorage.

The regulation prohibits or restricts the installation and use of hazardous materials (like asbestos or ozone-depleting substances, among others) on board ships, as well as making it mandatory for ships to carry onboard a certified and maintained IHM specifying the location and approximate quantities of those materials. The EU SRR also requires the IHM to be continuously updated with relevant suppliers documents such as Material Declarations (MDs) and Suppliers Documents of Conformity (SDoCs) throughout the ship’s operational life and renewed every five years. It covers all items and equipment that are installed, modernised or replaced.

Verifavia’s “3-Way Plug & Play” IHM Maintenance Dashboard is the industry’s first online platform providing shipowners, superintendents, vessels and even Port State Control (PSC) and Class with live access to the IHM maintenance status of the vessel. The dashboard can be connected to any procurement system, as well as the suppliers’ data portal, and is hosted on Hazinvent-M, the tool Verifavia uses to conduct IHM surveys where the data is automatically and continuously updated.

The dashboard can function on any IHM Part 1 prepared by any service provider across the globe. It is maintained by one of world’s largest in-house team of hazmat experts who are all marine engineers or naval architects with expertise in Port State Control (PSC), IMO and EMSA regulations. The system can automatically generate monthly or ad-hoc IHM maintenance reports to demonstrate implementation and compliance with regulations, and ensures vessels are prepared for PSC inspections.

Julien Dufour, CEO, Verifavia Shipping, commented: “Launching shipping’s first IHM Maintenance Dashboard ensures the industry has access to a simple, reliable, digital solution to maintaining a vessel’s IHM. The regulations dictate the IHM must be constantly up-to-date and this system will ensure this is done efficiently and accurately, and also helps to facilitate the renewal survey which is required every five years.”

Yuvraj Thakur, Global Head of IHM, Verifavia Shipping, added: “Our international hazmat experts have now completed IHM preparation on over 670 vessels and it is a testament to our innovative approach and expert knowledge that our dashboard is already used by over 500 ships from 25 shipping companies worldwide. As we get closer to 31 December, it is essential for the industry to be confident that its operations comply with the EU SRR regulation. Verifavia’s IHM Maintenance Dashboard provides industry-wide confidence – not only for this deadline but also the ongoing maintenance requirements of the legislation.”

Verifavia is the most widely accredited IHM company in the world, approved for IHM by the Korean Register, Indian Register of Shipping, ABS Group, Lloyd’s Register, RINA, DNV GL, China Classification Society and Bureau Veritas. Verifavia Shipping also provides IHM services for Class NK. Verifavia is also one of the first companies to be approved by the LISCR and RMI flag states.