If you ever stop to think about why “safety first” is the old maxim, you’ll realize that it’s because safety is the base on which everything else rests. Without safe operation, everything else — efficiency, innovation, profit — is impossible. When you’re shipping dangerous goods, the stakes are extremely high, and safety isn’t just part of the job; in many ways, it is the job.
Maritime and air hazmat shipping are the big time in several ways. Cargo sizes are large. Scheduling is tight. And cargo ships often transport many different types of goods at once, many of which may present different hazards of their own. In such an environment, it’s critical to have airtight procedures in place that follow the rules to a tee.
Since 1991, AirSea Containers has been an industry leader in hazmat shipping and packaging solutions. We’ve spent decades helping our clients ship hazardous materials safely. However, that involves much more than simply having the right containers and packing materials. It also demands a workforce with a thorough and up-to-date knowledge of industry regulations for hazmat transport.
For our customers’ convenience, we’ve assembled this guide to accessing and implementing the relevant safety codes. Think of it as another dimension of our packaging expertise!
Read on to learn all about the hazmat regulations that are vital to safe and successful shipping and how you can implement them in your organization.
WHAT IS THE IMDG CODE?
Because safe maritime shipping requires international cooperation, it needs an international governing body. To address the global nature of the industry, the United Nations created the International Maritime Organization, which is responsible for creating and maintaining international maritime shipping regulations. Several comprehensive codes that address different aspects of shipping safety come from this organization.
The International Maritime Dangerous Goods code is among the most important of those codes. The IMDG is the collection of rules and regulations that dictates safe practices for the maritime transport of various hazardous materials. It divides dangerous goods into nine categories and establishes policies and procedures for handling each one. For a hazmat shipper, the IMDG code is your detailed road map to success.
WHAT ARE THE IMDG’S CATEGORIES OF DANGEROUS GOODS?
The nine hazard class categories in the IMDG are:
- Class 1: Explosives.
- Examples: fireworks, ammunition, rockets, explosive charges, airbag inflators.
- Class 2: Gases.
- Examples: aerosols, refrigerant gases such as Freon, propane, natural gas.
- Class 3: Flammable Liquids.
- Examples: alcohols, lacquers and varnishes, gasoline, diesel fuel.
- Class 4: Flammable Solids.
- Examples: metal powders, phosphorous, matches, celluloid.
- Class 5: Oxidizing Substances and Organic Peroxides.
- Examples: ammonium nitrate fertilizers, chemical oxygen generators, hydrogen peroxide.
- Class 6: Toxic and Infectious Substances.
- Examples: medical waste, biological specimens, mercury compounds.
- Class 7: Radioactive Substances.
- Examples: uranium compounds, radioactive ores, medical isotopes.
- Class 8: Corrosives.
- Examples: batteries, acids, formaldehyde, fire extinguisher charges.
- Class 9: Miscellaneous Hazardous Goods.
- Examples: dry ice, internal combustion engines, magnetized materials, life saving devices.
As you might have noticed, not everything in these categories is something the average person would consider obviously hazardous. They include many household staples most people wouldn’t think twice about. The key idea is that all these substances can present hazards to workers, equipment or other cargo if mishandled. That’s why it’s so important to understand hazmat shipping practices in depth.
HOW CAN I IMPLEMENT THE IMDG CODE AT MY ORGANIZATION?
The first step in implementing the IMDG code’s regulations is to make sure they’re easily available to any employee who needs to learn them. Purchasing one or more copies of the complete IMDG code is a great way to start. You should also consider buying an annual subscription to the guide’s online version. These subscriptions come with multiple user licenses that you can distribute among staff and departments.
However, knowing the rules is only one piece of the puzzle. The next step to IMDG compliance is to receive training from an expert instructor, either online or in person. Numerous options are available, such as Dangerous Goods Training USA and Hazmat School. Any employee who’s handling hazardous materials will need to complete this training prior to beginning their duties, including training specific to their particular functions. Once an employee has completed the course, they’ll be required to recertify every three years with a refresher course.
Finally, you should ensure that all employees understand the paperwork standards associated with the IMDG. IMO rules authorize port authorities in most countries to demand any or all of several manifests and documents, for which the IMO provides standardized forms. These include a Dangerous Goods Manifest that provides a detailed summary of all dangerous goods on board, including hazmat classifications, stowage positions, flash points and more. Shippers will need to send all the relevant information to their logistics providers, and maritime carriers will need to ensure that their workers know how to fill out this paperwork correctly and completely.
OTHER IMPORTANT SEA SHIPPING GUIDES TO KNOW
Decades of research on best practices for maritime shipping have produced a considerable knowledge base in the field. It’s a good idea to familiarize your organization with as many as possible of the following:
- SOLAS: The Safety of Life at Sea code is the IMO’s cornerstone maritime safety code and covers a wide range of issues besides hazmat transport. The SOLAS Consolidated Edition 2014 is the latest version.
- IAMSAR: The International Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue manual is another key safety document covering a critical aspect of maritime safety. The 2016 IAMSAR manual is available from AirSea in three volumes.
- MARPOL: Protecting the environment from pollution is key to implementing sustainable practices in maritime shipping. MARPOL is the IMO’s code aimed at guiding the shipping industry toward more sound environmental practices. The MARPOL Consolidated Edition 2017 guidebook is now available from AirSea.
- Other IMO Publications: The IMO produces numerous important publications detailing its safety regulations for the maritime industry. AirSea offers many of these for sale as part of our total commitment to helping our customers develop safety solutions.
SAFETY IN THE SKY: UNDERSTANDING THE IATA DGR
Air transport is another common way to move hazardous goods, and it’s just as important to follow industry regulations in the air as on the water. The International Air Transport Association is responsible for regulating the majority of the world’s air traffic. Unlike the IMO, the IATA is a trade organization rather than a government one, made up of 290 airlines from all over the world, and it regulates both freight and passenger air travel. The IATA regulates airborne hazmat shipping through its IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) code.
Any reputable air freight carrier will have an in-depth knowledge of the DGR and will follow best practices for staying in compliance. However, it’s important for shippers to know the code themselves so that their cargo arrives at the carrier ready to fly. Lack of knowledge about regulations — including those that have changed since previous editions — can cause issues including additional carrier fees and even rejection of cargo. To avoid these issues, make sure your organization has up-to-date copies of the DGR on hand and has implemented the extensive training resources available from the IATA.
OBTAINING AND IMPLEMENTING THE DGR
The IATA issues a new edition of the DGR every year by the end of January, and the 2019 edition is now available. AirSea Containers offers a complete range of DGR resources, including:
- Comprehensive perfect-bound and spiral-bound editions of the full basic DGR
- Digital download and CD-ROM versions of the DGR
- Training workbooks for all hazmat handling positions, including shippers, warehouse workers, flight crew and load planners
- An instructor’s toolkit for teaching your own DGR classes
- Supplemental materials detailing specific regulations for shipping certain cargo types, including live animals, infectious agents and lithium ion batteries
- A combo pack featuring the complete basic DGR code plus the complete basic IMDG code
- The 2019 DGR in Spanish and French
If you’re experienced with previous versions of the DGR and are curious about the major changes, the IATA provides a handy cheat sheet. However, this list shouldn’t be considered exhaustive, and it’s always preferable to get the complete new version to ensure that you don’t miss any critical changes.
Although you can run your own trainings, it’s smart to take advantage of the many high-quality resources that IATA provides. Because the IATA is privately funded by its members, the organization offers many of its own training programs. Check sub-section 1.5 of the DGR to determine the minimum training requirements for each hazmat handling position, from managers and inspectors to cargo crew and warehouse workers. Some of the trainings IATA offers include:
- Flexible, self-paced distance learning courses
- Detailed instruction in specific cargo handling procedures, including those for infectious substances and lithium ion batteries
- In-house instruction in your workplace from IATA’s own mobile trainers
- On-site training at over 180 IATA-certified DG training centers
- Higher-level DG certifications that give an in-depth understanding of DGR compliance
WHAT’S IN THE DGR?
The DGR contains hundreds of pages of regulation for many different types of cargo, so you’ll need to determine for yourself which elements are relevant to your organization. However, here is a quick outline of its major components:
- The DGR uses the same nine UN hazmat categories as the IMDG. It outlines the unique risks that each category of goods presents to the crew, the aircraft and the environment, and details the correct steps to mitigate them.
- One of the DGR’s most useful elements is its simple but effective dangerous goods checklist. This checklist provides a basic framework for verifying that dangerous goods cargo is ready to be shipped or received. Its 53 items are designed to ensure that all proper documentation is present and all special considerations have been addressed. It even includes helpful citations for the pages in the DGR that correspond to each listed item. Shippers, carriers and receivers should all be familiar with this list.
- Special versions of the DG checklist are available for radioactive materials and for cargo containing dry ice. Make sure to use them when shipping either of these special cargo types.
- The Shipper's Declaration for Dangerous Goods form is another key document from the DGR. This form is essential to ensure a smooth and safe air journey for your hazmat cargo. It’s the form that airport authorities and cargo handlers will rely upon to tell them how to safely handle your cargo. The DGR provides detailed instructions for filling out this form correctly.
Some carriers and consignees may also require you to submit documentation through the IATA’s Electronic Dangerous Goods Shipper’s Declaration system. The IATA developed this paperless digital framework in 2016 to increase efficiency and facilitate seamless collaboration between hazmat shipping stakeholders. It creates a shared platform between shippers, carriers and consignees on which DG information can be freely shared between and accessed by credentialed employees. For more information on this exciting initiative and how you can implement it, see the e-DGD Implementation Guide.
THE CFR 49: PROTECTING AMERICA’S ROADWAYS
Although we’ve mainly focused on maritime and air transportation in this guide, it’s important to remember that you’ll likely ship your cargo to these destinations via ground freight. That means that you’ll also need to follow the U.S. Department of Transportation's Code of Federal Regulations for shipping dangerous goods. You can obtain relevant sections of the CFR from AirSea in a convenient perfect-bound volume for quick reference.
Whether in the sea, in the sky or on land, safety is the foundation for profitable and efficient hazmat shipping. Every day, millions of hard-working men and women around the globe put in the effort to make hazmat shipping safe, and AirSea Containers is proud to help them by providing access to the most up-to-date safety regulations. If you’ve got hazmat shipping questions or need help determining which of our products meet the relevant standards, our experts have the answers you need! Call us at 866-801-2581 or contact us through our website. 
