The IMSBC Code does not permit the carriage of castor meal, castor pomace or castor flakes in bulk as exposure todust from these cargoes is a health hazard.
A vessel entered with Gard was recently scheduled to load a cargo of castor meal at Kandla, India. The accompanying shipper’s declaration
referred to the cargo as “Indian Castor Extraction Meal, Group B, to be loaded in bulk”. When the parties involved learned that the International
Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes (IMSBC) Code explicitly prohibits the carriage of castor meal in bulk, the contract was cancelled.
We have subsequently been informed that the vessel was not the only vessel scheduled to load castor meal in bulk at Kandla at that time and
that this may have been an ongoing practice at this port.
Castor bean products – key facts
Castor oil is a vegetable oil obtained from the seed (also referred to as a bean) of the ricinus communis plant and has been used for centuries
for its therapeutic and medicinal benefits. Castor meal, the residue remaining after the oil has been extracted, is predominantly used as an
organic fertiliser. India is reported to be one of the largest producers of castor beans in the world.
The castor bean contains an extremely potent allergen and a highly toxic protein, ricin (http://emergency.cdc.gov/agent/ricin/). Ricin can be
fatal if ingested and the allergen contained in the dust from crushed bean products can, by inhalation or skin exposure, give rise to severe
irritation of the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes in some people. Ricin does not blend with the castor oil during the extraction process but
can remain in the residues unless these are detoxified, e.g. by heat treatment. However, according to the International Castor Oil Association
(http://www.icoa.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/FAQ-Castor-clean.pdf), while the ricin can be destroyed at high temperatures, the castor
bean allergen is very stable and is known to retain its allergenic properties under most normal heating conditions.
Applicable maritime regulations
Castor beans and the residues from the oil extraction process are categorised as dangerous goods Class 9 substances (UN No: 2969) and are
covered in both the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code and IMSBC Code under the shipping name “CASTOR BEANS or
CASTOR MEAL or CASTOR POMACE or CASTOR FLAKE”.
However, the IMSBC Code only permits whole castor beans to be carried in bulk as the following precautionary remark is included in the
applicable IMSBC Code schedule: “Castor meal, castor pomace and castor flakes shall not be carried in bulk”. This means that castor bean
products other than whole beans must be carried in packed form in accordance with the relevant packing instruction found in the IMDG Code.
Recommendations
Gard’s Members and clients are advised to note that only whole Castor beans are permitted to be carried in bulk under the IMSBC Code, and
to exercise caution when entering into agreements involving the loading and carriage of any type of castor bean product.
When castor bean products are loaded and carried in accordance with the applicable requirements of the IMSBC and IMDG Codes, the
following precautionary measures should be considered:
persons who may be exposed to dust from the cargo must wear dust masks, goggles and protective clothing;
the cargo must be stowed separate from foodstuffs and oxidising materials (Class 5.1 substances);
care should be taken to prevent cargo dust from entering accommodation, control, or service spaces during cargo transfer operations;
bilge wells of the cargo spaces must be protected from ingress of the cargo; and
the cargo spaces should be thoroughly cleaned after discharge.