Supplier evidence is where IHM maintenance often breaks. The vessel knows work was done. The Part I record may even be updated. But the Material Declaration or SDoC is still sitting with a contractor, buried in email, or missing entirely.
The fix is to treat MD/SDoC as a deliverable of the work, not an admin task to chase later.
Quick answer
Request supplier MD/SDoC evidence before the work package closes, make the request specific to the vessel and item, and attach every returned document to the exact Part I change it supports. Email can trigger the request, but it should not become the permanent evidence store.
Ask before the work closes
The easiest declaration to collect is the one requested before the supplier has left the job.
For each work package, ask:
- Is equipment, insulation, coating, cabling, refrigerant, or another material being installed or replaced?
- Could it contain a controlled material from the IHM tables?
- Who is responsible for providing the MD/SDoC?
- When will the declaration be delivered?
- Which vessel change will it support?
If the answer is unclear, put the MD/SDoC requirement into the work scope.
Keep the request specific
Generic email requests create vague replies. A useful request includes:
- Vessel name
- Product, equipment, or work package
- Purchase order or job reference
- Declaration type requested
- Due date
- Upload route or reply address
- Contact person
The supplier should not have to guess what the declaration supports.
Supplier request checklist
| Field | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Vessel name | Prevents evidence being filed against the wrong vessel. |
| Product or equipment | Connects the declaration to the supplied item. |
| PO, job, or work reference | Helps supplier and operator find the same transaction later. |
| Document type requested | Makes clear whether MD, SDoC, SDS, or several documents are required. |
| Due date | Keeps the evidence inside the work close-out window. |
| Upload route | Gives the supplier one clean place to return the file. |
Attach evidence to the change
The most important step is not receiving the PDF. It is attaching the PDF to the right Part I change.
The record should show:
- What changed
- When it changed
- Who supplied or installed it
- Which MD/SDoC supports it
- Whether any follow-up is still open
Without that link, the evidence and inventory start drifting apart again.
Avoid inbox-only evidence
Email is fine for communication, but poor as the permanent evidence store. Crew change, managers change, contractors change, and inboxes disappear.
Use email to trigger the request. Use the IHM workspace as the record.
A simple request template
Use this structure:
Please provide the Material Declaration and Supplier’s Declaration of Conformity for
[product/work package]supplied to[vessel]under[reference]. This documentation is required to support the vessel’s Inventory of Hazardous Materials Part I record. Please upload or return the signed documents by[date].
Common supplier evidence mistakes
- Asking for “IHM docs” without naming the exact document type.
- Waiting until months after the supplier has closed the job.
- Receiving the file but not mapping it to the Part I item or change.
- Accepting an SDS when the request actually needed an MD or SDoC.
- Keeping the only copy in an individual inbox.
Related reading:
Stop chasing supplier evidence through inboxes.
MANTIS sends secure supplier upload links and files MD/SDoC evidence against the vessel record, so declarations do not disappear into email.
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