A Guide To The IMDG Code And Dangerous Goods Regulations

Posted by Harry Voges on April 9th, 2019

Safe maritime shipping requires cooperation not just within a country but on an international level. It also requires an international governing body. The tackle the global nature of this industry, the United Nations created the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which is responsible for creating and maintaining international maritime shipping regulations. There are various comprehensive codes associated with safety shipping sourced from this organization.

The International Maritime Dangerous Goods code, or simply known as IMDG code is one of the most important codes created by the IMO. It is a collection of rules and regulations that governs safe practices for the maritime transport of various hazardous materials. It divides dangerous goods into nine categories, establishing robust policies and procedures specifically for handling each item.

IMDG’s categories of dangerous goods

The nine hazard categories in the IMDG are--

Class 1- Explosives

Explosives are materials or items which have the ability to detonate as a result of chemical reaction.

Examples: fireworks, ammunition, airbag inflater.

Class 2- Gases

Gases are defined by dangerous goods regulations as substances which are completely gaseous at 20°c at standard atmospheric pressure.

Examples: aerosols, natural gas.

Class 3- Flammable Liquids

Flammable liquids are defined by the regulation as liquids, mixtures of liquids or liquids containing solids, which give off a flammable vapor at temperatures of not more than 60-65°C.

Examples: alcohols, lacquers, diesel fuel.

Class 4- Flammable Solids

Flammable solids are materials which, under suitable conditions become readily combustible or may cause fire through friction.

Examples: metal powders, celluloid.

Class 5- Oxidizing Substances and Organic Peroxides

Substances which may cause or contribute to combustion, generally by yielding oxygen as a result of a redox chemical reaction.

Examples: ammonium nitrate fertilizers, hydrogen peroxide.

Class 6- Toxic and Infectious Substances

Toxic substances are those which can either cause death or serious injury to a human life if swallowed, inhaled or through skin contact.

Examples: medical waste, biological specimens.

Class 7- Radioactive Substances

Radioactive substances are materials containing radionuclide where both the activity concentration and the total activity exceeds certain predefined values.

Example: uranium compounds.

Class 8- Corrosives

Substances which by chemical action degrades or disintegrates other materials upon contact.

Examples: batteries, acids, formaldehyde.

Class 9- Miscellaneous Hazardous Goods

These are substances, which during transport present a danger or hazard not covered by any other class.

Examples: dry ice, internal combustion engines.

Implementing the IMDG code at an organization

The most important thing that you need to consider while implementing IMDG code’s regulations is to make sure that they are readily available to any employee who needs to learn them. There are various sites that offer a full step-by-step guidance to IMDG codes and other regulation standards. You can also purchase the annual subscription to the guide’s on-line version. The subscriptions come with multiple user licenses that you can be distributed among staff members and departments.

Author: The author is a blogger and the article is about IMDG code.