Following the continuing loss, sometimes without a trace, of ships carrying solid bulk cargoes and the heavy loss of life caused by such accidents, the IMO Assembly, in the early 90s, requested the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) to develop requirements for the design, construction, operation, maintenance and survey of bulk carriers and specific precautionary measures with respect to type of cargoes. Consequently, extensive deliberations of the issues involved took place at the MSC meetings over a number of years and a raft of measures, many derived from Formal Safety Assessment (FSA) studies conducted by various Member States of IMO, were considered. One of the many items on the list was “Improved coatings: Controls and/or performance standards for protective coatings, in relation to compatibility with cargoes”.
 
This publication contains performance standards and guidelines developed as a result of the above considerations.