IHM – Inventory of Hazardous Materials & Maintenance Services
What Is the IHM?
The Inventory of Hazardous Materials (IHM) is a vessel‑specific document that identifies, locates, and quantifies hazardous materials onboard a ship. These materials are regulated under the IMO Hong Kong Convention and the EU Ship Recycling Regulation (EU SRR).
The IHM consists of three parts:
- Part I: Hazardous materials contained in the ship’s structure and equipment
- Part II: Operationally generated wastes
- Part III: Stores
IHM Part I must be maintained throughout the vessel’s entire service life.
Who Must Comply?
Under the EU SRR, the following must carry a valid IHM:
- All ships ≥ 500 GT
- EU‑flagged ships
- Non‑EU ships calling at EU ports or anchorages
- Floating platforms, submersibles, and similar structures
Exemptions: Warships, naval auxiliaries, government‑operated non‑commercial vessels, and ships operating exclusively within their flag state’s waters.
Consequences of Non‑Compliance
If a vessel fails to present a valid IHM Certificate or Statement of Compliance:
- Warning
- Detention
- Dismissal from port
- Exclusion from EU ports and offshore terminals
Not maintaining IHM Part I is not detainable, but missing certificates is.
How IHM Compliance Works
For existing ships, the compliance process includes:
- Collection of ship drawings, manuals, and specifications
- Assessment of collected information
- Preparation of the Visual/Sampling Check Plan
- Onboard visual inspection and sampling
- Laboratory analysis
- Preparation of IHM Part I
- Submission to class
- Verification and issuance of Statement of Compliance
Faroe Maritime Services can handle the entire process.
IHM Maintenance – A Mandatory Requirement
All ships ≥ 500 GT must maintain IHM Part I throughout their operational life.
Shipowners must:
- Establish an IHM Maintenance Procedure & Manual
- Integrate it into the Safety Management System (SMS)
- Appoint an IHM Designated Person (IHM DP)
- Review all vessel purchases regularly (bimonthly or quarterly)
- Collect MD/SDoC for all relevant items
- Update IHM Part I when hazardous materials are added, removed, or relocated
Faroe Maritime Services provides full IHM maintenance support and can act as your externally designated IHM DP.
Digital IHM Manager System
We use an approved IHM Manager system suitable for any class and any fleet.
The system allows:
- Storage of all product data
- Upload of MD/SDoC (PDF, scanned copies, images)
- Location‑based hazardous material tracking
- Adding items stored onboard or in workshops
- Automatic versioning of IHM revisions
- Lifetime historical overview of all changes
- Restoration of deleted items (e.g., asbestos removal)
- Full audit log with user, date, and time stamps
This ensures transparent, traceable, and compliant IHM maintenance.
IHM Designated Person (IHM DP) Service
Faroe Maritime Services can act as your IHM Designated Person(s).
Our responsibilities include:
- Reviewing all vessel purchases
- Filtering items requiring MD/SDoC
- Collecting MD/SDoC from suppliers
- Updating IHM Part I
- Issuing new revisions with date and revision number
- Recording all changes in the change log
- Ensuring compliance with IMO, EU SRR, and class requirements
We work closely with:
- Ship managers
- Purchasing departments
- Technical departments
- Vessel master and chief engineer
What Requires MD/SDoC?
MD/SDoC must be collected for:
- Fixed machinery and equipment
- Installed materials and coatings
- Electrical and electronic equipment
- Fixed batteries (emergency generator, VDR, UPS, etc.)
MD/SDoC not required for:
- Portable equipment (fire extinguishers, flares, lifebuoys)
- Consumer batteries
- General construction metals (steel, aluminum, brass, bronze)
- PCB content inside electronics
Genuine spare parts already covered by existing MD/SDoC do not require new declarations.
IHM Renewal Surveys
During renewal surveys, class surveyors verify:
- Updated and vessel‑specific IHM Part I
- Valid Statement of Compliance
- IHM maintenance procedure integrated into SMS
- Consistency between IHM and actual vessel condition
- Proper documentation for new installations, removals, or modifications
Digital IHM records are fully acceptable during surveys.
PSC Inspections
PSC checks:
- Valid IHM Certificate / Statement of Compliance
- Presence of IHM maintenance procedure
- Consistency between vessel condition and IHM Part I
If clear grounds exist, PSC may conduct a detailed inspection.
IHM Services Offered by FMS
Faroe Maritime Services provides:
- Development of IHM Part I, II & III
- IHM for newbuildings
- IHM for existing ships
- IHM for ships to be recycled
- IHM for offshore units
- Full IHM maintenance
- IHM DP service
- Hazardous material handling & removal supervision
- Recycling planning & supervision
- Environmental audits
- HazMat training
- Global attendance in major ports within hours
We are flexible, fast, independent, and our certified experts can support your vessel anywhere, anytime.
Why Choose Faroe Maritime Services
- Certified IHM specialists
- Global availability
- Fast response
- Approved digital IHM Manager system
- Full lifecycle support
- Transparent audit logs
- Strong cooperation with class, PSC, and shipowners
- Complete compliance from development to maintenance
We make IHM compliance simple, structured, and reliable.
Trusted Across the North Atlantic
Faroe Maritime Services supports shipowners and operators both in the Faroe Islands and abroad. We provide IHM development, maintenance, and hazardous material compliance services for clients in Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Denmark, and other Scandinavian countries. Our certified experts can attend vessels across the region and in major ports worldwide within hours.
Contact Faroe Maritime Services
Faroe Maritime Services Phone (24/7): +298 792001 Office Phone: +298 610000 Email: fms@fms.fo Website: fms.fo Location: Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
We respond quickly to all IHM, compliance, and hazardous material inquiries.
Faroe Maritime Services is part of Faroe Maritime Group
