The international rules for shipping dangerous goods by sea in cargo transport units (containers and ro-ro vehicles) are contained in the IMDG Code, which is produced by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) which is an agency of the United Nations. The Code is updated by the IMO with a new edition every two years⁶².

The IMDG Code is implemented through the international Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SO LAS). Nation states that sign up to the SOLAS Convention agree to enact domestic legislation to enforce the IMDG Code on their registered ships internationally and other ships in their territorial waters.

Any organisation involved in any way with the transport of dangerous goods by sea cannot function without reference to the IMDG Code.

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⁶² The IMDG Code is developed from the UN Model Regulations, which are drawn up by the United Nations Economic and Social Council’s Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods on a biennial basis. The Model Regulations aim to allow uniform development of regulations governing all modes of transport. See www.unece.org/trans/danger/publi/unrec/rev13/13nature_e.html

Part 1        General Provisions, Definitions and Training (including forbidden goods, legal status and security)

Part 2        Classification

Part 3        Dangerous Goods List, Special Provisions and Exceptions (including segregation groups, Limited and Excepted Quantities)

Part 4        Packing and Tank Provisions (Use of Packaging)

Part 5        Consignment Procedures (including marking and labelling, placarding and marking CTUs, documentation and special provisions)

Part 6        Construction and Testing of Packagings, IBCs, Large Packagings, Portable Tanks, MEGCs and Road Tank Vehicles

Part 7        Provisions Concerning Transport Operations (including stowage and segregation)

The IMDG Code is the mandatory guidance document for manufacturers, shippers, cargo transport unit packers, forwarding agents, ports and of course mariners for carriage of dangerous goods on contain ships and ro-ro ships. All dangerous goods are listed in the Dangerous Goods List⁶³ which is in the form of a matrix and is the key point of reference to locate the rules for identification, packing, marking labelling and documenting any dangerous goods for sea.

Dangerous goods are listed numerically by their UN Number in the Dangerous Goods List which displays references at the head of each of 18 columns to where in the Code the relevant information for aspect of the Code can be found.

This is a simplified representation of the information that can be found in the 18 columns in the Dangerous Goods List. It shows the information that can be retrieved from the Dangerous Goods List for UN 2210, MANEB or MANEB PREPARATION with not less than 60% maneb.

If you are in the business of preparing dangerous goods documentation or packing dangerous goods for transport by sea, it is impossible to work safely and legally without reference to the instructions and information in the IMDG Code, using the Dangerous Goods List as the focal point of reference.

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⁶³ IMDG Code, 2022 Edition Amendment 41-22, Chapter 3.2

At the end of Volume 2 of the Code there is an Index of Proper Shipping Names of dangerous goods listed alphabetically, showing the class and UN Number of each to enable reference to the full details in the Dangerous Goods List.

Included in this Index are synonyms, alternative names to those PSNs that occur in the dangerous goods list. If the word ‘see’ appears after the name of the substance, material or article, the name concerned is not the official description to be used when it is transported. The Proper Shipping Name and associated transport provisions can be found using the UN Number listed against it.

As an example, for chloroethane, the index includes the word ‘see’ and directs us to UN 1037 which has the correct Proper Shipping Name of ‘ETHYL CHLORIDE’. This PSN is the one that must be included on the transport documentation.