--- title: Frequently Asked Questions — IHM Maintenance for Suppliers description: FAQs for suppliers visiting the Landing Page. --- [Skip to content](https://help.nautiluslog.com/frequently-asked-questions-ihm-maintenance-for-suppliers#main-content) [Customer Portal](https://tickets.nautiluslog.com/tickets-view?hsLang=en) [![nautilus-logo-uni-light@2x](https://help.nautiluslog.com/hubfs/Website%20Images/nautilus-logo-uni-light@2x.svg)](https://www.nautiluslog.com/) - [Knowledge Base](https://help.nautiluslog.com/) Open main navigation Close main navigation - [Knowledge Base](https://help.nautiluslog.com/) - [Customer Portal](https://tickets.nautiluslog.com/tickets-view) - [Contact us](https://tickets.nautiluslog.com/new) [Contact us](https://tickets.nautiluslog.com/new?hsLang=en) How can we help you? - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. 1. [NautilusLog Knowledge Base](https://help.nautiluslog.com/?hsLang=en) 2. [IHM by NautilusLog](https://help.nautiluslog.com/ihm-by-nautiluslog?hsLang=en) 3. [Suppliers](https://help.nautiluslog.com/ihm-by-nautiluslog?hsLang=en#suppliers) October 14, 2026 # Frequently Asked Questions — IHM Maintenance for Suppliers ## If you've received a request from NautilusLog or from an IHM Expert to provide Material Declarations (MD) or a Supplier Declaration of Conformity (SDoC), this article answers the questions we hear most often. ### 1. Getting Started: **Why am I being asked for this information?** A ship owner or manager you supply to is required to maintain an Inventory of Hazardous Materials (IHM) for their vessel(s), under international and/or EU regulation (see Which regulations require this? below). To do that, they need documentation from every supplier confirming whether the parts, materials, or equipment supplied contain any of a defined list of restricted or hazardous substances. That's the Material Declaration (MD) and, where applicable, the Supplier Declaration of Conformity (SDoC). **Who is asking, and why isn't it the ship owner directly?** Ship owners and managers typically appoint a specialist IHM Expert to manage IHM compilation and maintenance on their behalf across their fleet. When you receive a request through the NautilusLog Supplier Landing Page, it's on behalf of the ship owner/manager named in the request. The IHM Expert is simply coordinating the paperwork, not the party you're contracted with. **What's the difference between a Material Declaration (MD) and a Supplier Declaration of Conformity (SDoC)?** - **Material Declaration (MD)**: A statement from the supplier declaring whether a specific item contains any of the hazardous materials covered by IHM regulations, and in what quantity/location if so. - **Supplier Declaration of Conformity (SDoC)**: A signed declaration, usually accompanying the MD, confirming the accuracy of that declaration and the supplier's conformity with the applicable requirements. Both are typically requested together for each item, unless your NautilusLog contact tells you otherwise. **Do I need an account to submit documents?** No. The Supplier Landing Page link you receive gives you direct access to the relevant request(s) without a separate login.  --- ### 2. Regulations: **Which regulations require IHM documentation?** Several international and EU frameworks apply, depending on the vessel's flag and the ports it calls. Here are the list of regulations below: - [MEPC. Res 405(83) - 2025](https://wwwcdn.imo.org/localresources/en/KnowledgeCentre/IndexofIMOResolutions/MEPCDocuments/MEPC.405(83).pdf) - [SR CONF 45 (HKC) - 2009](https://www.imo.org/en/about/conventions/pages/the-hong-kong-international-convention-for-the-safe-and-environmentally-sound-recycling-of-ships.aspx) - [ISO 30005 - 2024](https://www.iso.org/standard/82971.html) - [REGULATION (EU): No 1257 - 2013](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2013/1257/oj/eng) --- ### 3. NautilusLog Supplier Landing Page: **What file formats are accepted?** Only PDF files. Hence, all SDoCs and MDs to be submitted must be in PDF format. **Are digital signatures accepted?** Yes,  a digital signature on your MD/SDoC is accepted; you don't need to print, wet-sign, and rescan. **Can I upload one document that covers multiple items?** Not yet for most requests.  The documents are generally reviewed per item. We know this creates extra work when one certificate genuinely covers several parts of the same order, and it's an active area of improvement. **I can't find the purchase order or part number referenced in the request.** Contact the IHM Expert or the NautilusLog Support team. --- ### 4. Document Upload: **What happens after I upload a document?** Your submission moves into review by the IHM Expert assigned to that project. You'll be notified if it's accepted, or if something needs to be corrected or clarified. **What if my document is rejected?** You'll be able to see what needs to be corrected and resubmit through the same landing page link. You don't need a new request to be issued.  **How long do I have to respond?** Response windows are set by the ship owner/manager's IHM maintenance schedule and may vary by request. Please check the due date shown against your specific request on the landing page. Requests that go significantly overdue may be followed up directly, since outstanding IHM documentation can affect the vessel's compliance status. ---   - [IHM by NautilusLog](https://help.nautiluslog.com/ihm-by-nautiluslog?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Account](https://help.nautiluslog.com/ihm-by-nautiluslog?hsLang=en#account) - [How-To-Guides](https://help.nautiluslog.com/ihm-by-nautiluslog?hsLang=en#how-to-guides) - [Imports](https://help.nautiluslog.com/ihm-by-nautiluslog?hsLang=en#imports) - [Crew](https://help.nautiluslog.com/ihm-by-nautiluslog?hsLang=en#crew) - [Suppliers](https://help.nautiluslog.com/ihm-by-nautiluslog?hsLang=en#suppliers) - [NautilusLog App](https://help.nautiluslog.com/nautiluslog-app?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Users](https://help.nautiluslog.com/nautiluslog-app?hsLang=en#users) - [Organizations](https://help.nautiluslog.com/nautiluslog-app?hsLang=en#organizations) - [Vessels](https://help.nautiluslog.com/nautiluslog-app?hsLang=en#vessels) - [Activities](https://help.nautiluslog.com/nautiluslog-app?hsLang=en#activities) ## NautilusLog GmbH Copyright © 2026, NautilusLog GmbH