This publication, which supersedes the 1983 edition, comprises five parts, containing the texts of the Guidelines for Inert Gas Systems and of relevant IMO documents.
 
The content of the guidelines is based on current general practice used in the design and operation of inert gas systems and incorporates amendments adopted by the Maritime Safety Committee at its forty-second, forty-eighth and fiftieth sessions. Provisions of SOLAS covering application and technical requirements, together with recent developments on regulations for chemical tankers, are included.