IMDG Code 36th amendment section 7.3.4.1 states “Dangerous goods which have to be segregated from each other shall not be transported in the same cargo transport unit. Exception when segregation requirement is “away from” each other, in which case they may be transported in same container provided such consolidation is approved by the competent authority.
Below table may be used for checking whether different dangerous goods are allowed to be loaded in same container or not.
IMDG Code, the mandatory instrument under SOLAS and MARPOL conventions of International Maritime Organisation for carriage of dangerous goods in packaged form by sea, undergoes biennial revisions. The latest amendment is 36th amendment published in 2012. With amendment number and year of publication this edition is called as IMDG Code 36-12.
IMDG Code 36-12 came into voluntary usage from 1st January 2013 and will come into force from 1st January 2014. Click here to see IMDG Code Amendment cycle 2010-2019.
IMDG Code 36th amendment (36-12) brought out many revisions and additions including total reshuffling of provisions concerning transport operations in chapter 7.x. Click here to see changes to IMDG Code 36-12 or search ’36-12′ in search box on top right hand side of this page.
October 2014 new IMDG Code will be published which will come into voluntary and mandatory application from 1st Jan 2015 & 1st Jan 2016 respectively. This edition will be called as 37-14.
Time flies by before we realize seasons changing. Similarly regulations for transport of dangerous goods by sea continuously gets revised and modified. If we do not keep up with regulatory changes we will fall short on compliance which may pose risk to personnel and property or environment with deadly consequences.
IMDG Code 37th amendment (37-14) is about to bring out revolutionary revisions in stowage and segregation requirements by replacing stowage segregation rules by codes and various other changes including but not limited to tank hazard communications, marine pollutant communications, vehicle shipments clarifications and exemptions etc.
Training is the first step to Compliance and Safety. Timeline for training for dangerous goods by sea is as below;
Since training became mandatory in 35th amendment of IMDG Code (34-08) four years have passed. There are still a great lot of personnel in shore side who are either not trained or not undertaken mandatory refresher training.
It is the organization’s responsibility to ensure all personnel are trained commensurate with their responsibilities and timely refresher training is provided. Training can be provided either as classroom training, in house training or eLearning. The requirement of IMDG Code is ‘you SHALL be trained to handle dangerous goods’.
Click here to see details of classroom training and ELearning.
Be safe and ensure safety!
Any material which is easily ignited and supports combustion is called as combustible material.
Example: Wood, Paper, Straw, Vegetable Fibres, products made from such materials, coal, lubricants and oils.
For the purpose of segregation, from combustible materials, packaging material or dunnage is not considered as combustible material as they are essential for containing and securing the cargo.
Combustible material may or may not be dangerous goods.
Definitions in SOLAS chapter II-2, Construction, fire protection, detection, extinction, (Regulation 3)
1. Combustible Material: is any material other than a non-combustible material.
2. Non-combustible material: is a material which neither burns nor gives off flammable vapours in sufficient quantity for self-ignition when heated to approximately 750 Deg C, being determined in accordance with the Fire Test Procedures Code (FTP Code).
IMDG Code 37th amendment will become mandatory from 1st Jan 2016. Training is Mandatory for shore side personnel since 34th Amendment of IMDG Code.
IMDG Code requires all those involved in dangerous goods transport by sea shall be trained in General Awareness, Function Specific and Security.
An indicative list of functions and example job roles are listed below. If you or your organization handles one or more of these functions persons involved must receive required training.
Functions and related Job Roles
Classify: Shippers / Manufacturers of Dangerous goods, Those who decide whether goods are dangerous or not, Related chemists, Those who prepare Safety Data Sheets.
Pack: Chemical manufacturers who package their products, Those who repackage dangerous goods, Those who palletize dangerous goods, Those who fill tanks / bulk containers.
Mark, label, placard : Chemical manufacturers who package their products, Those who repackage dangerous goods, Those who palletize dangerous goods, Those who packs containers, road vehicles, Those who fill tanks/ bulk containers
Load/unload cargo transport units: Those who are in charge of packing containers, filling tanks, shippers, CFS staff
Prepare transport documents: Those who prepare or sign a Dangerous Goods Declaration or sign a Container Packing Certificate
Offer for transport: Those who handle Dangerous goods bookings, Shippers, Freight Forwarders etc.
Accept for transport: Those who accepts Dangerous Cargo Bookings for carriage: Freight forwarders, Shipping Lines
Handle in transport: Those who handles Dangerous Cargo in transport to/from ports/CFS etc.
Prepare loading/stowage plans: Those who prepare stowage plans for ships
Load/unload from ships: Those who load/unload Dangerous Goods to/from ships (Stevedores/Gantry operating staff)
Carry dangerous goods: Employees of Lines who are responsible for safe Carriage on board their vessels
What must be trained?
Below is an indicative list of sections to be trained for different job roles
Backed with long experience in Application, Implementation and delivering training in IMDG Code we offer General Awareness, Function Specific and advanced training in IMDG Code.
Fill out below for individual and Corporate Training Inquiries
From 1st Jan 2014 Dangerous Goods Declaration for fireworks shipments by sea consisting of UN Nos. 0333, 0334, 0335, 0336 & 0337 shall include a classification reference issued by the competent authority.
This reference must consist
– The State of the competent authority indicated by the sign for motor vehicles in international traffic
– The competent authority identification
– And a unique serial reference
Example : IND / DGS 01234
Below are new entries in IMDG Code 36-12
There are total 2800 entries in Dangerous Goods List of IMDG Code 36-12
IMDG Code Compliance Centre 