Strict global rules for all ocean-going vessels minimise the risks involved in transporting hazardous goods. Regulations include exact specifications for the shipper of the cargo who is responsible for safe stowage in containers. Transporting hazardous goods that cannot be carried safely is prohibited.
Global regulations for sea transport of hazardous goods
The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) and the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code contain basic regulations for sea transport of hazardous goods. National regulations supplement these standards, specifying special safety precautions, official responsibilities and the legal consequences of violations. The applicable German regulation is called Gefahrgutverordnung-See (GGV-See).
The United Nations have issued global identification numbers for all substances that may pose a hazard (UN number). The IMDG Code contains important information on these substances, such as additional hazards, stowage requirements as well as technical and medical measures in an emergency.
Safe transport starts with the shipper
The most important prerequisite for making sea transport as safe as possible is that shippers of hazardous goods comply with specific requirements. They must assign the product to one of the IMDG Code’s nine hazardous goods classes which correspond to the level of danger associated with the substance. Furthermore, the shipper has to declare the product correctly, pack it securely in a suitable container, and pass on this information properly to everyone involved in the transport chain.
Containers of hazardous goods are marked with the appropriate hazardous goods symbol. The shipper must also prepare a transport document that contains all essential information on the hazardous substance in accordance with the IMDG Code. This includes the UN number, the hazardous goods class, specifications for stowage and separation from other dangerous goods, and special requirements for transport.
When booking sea transport, the shipper transmits this data to the shipping company, which passes it on to the ship on a hazardous goods list along with all relevant details. If a shipping company has chartered out its ship, the charterer is responsible for forwarding the shipper’s information to the ship.
Loading and transport by sea-going vessel
The stowage and segregation regulations of the IMDG Code stipulate in what parts of a vessel the various hazardous goods may be stored and what safety distances must be maintained on and below deck. For example, certain hazardous goods must be protected from sunlight or must not be stowed close to other hazardous goods if this could pose a hazard. If the temperature of a hazardous substance must be monitored continuously, the container must be stowed where it is accessible to the crew during the voyage.
The ship’s own cargo stowage plan reveals exactly where individual hazardous goods containers have been stowed on board. Together with the hazardous goods list, this provides the crew with all information they need to handle the cargo properly during transport, and to respond adequately in an emergency.
Prepared for emergencies
Should an accident involving hazardous cargo occur at sea, the ship and crew are well-prepared: in accordance with the SOLAS Convention, every seagoing vessel is equipped with smoke detectors, water and CO2 extinguishing systems, among other measures. The crew practise firefighting and the use of fire extinguishing equipment and life-saving appliances on a monthly or other regular basis.
For incidents involving hazardous goods, there are special instruction sheets on board describing how to respond to a fire or leak, tailored to the individual hazardous goods classes. Substance databases contain additional information on the special properties of relevant hazardous goods, their hazard potential, and any necessary response and rescue measures.
The safety risk of incorrectly declared hazardous goods
Undeclared or incorrectly declared hazardous goods pose a major risk. No shipping company can check every single container on board. The crew must rely on the shipper’s correct classification, packaging and declaration of hazardous shipments. Shippers are obliged to do this properly, as only they know the exact properties of their products. This is the only way to ensure safe transport on board and appropriate action to protect people, the marine environment and the ship in an emergency.
