On August 4, a series of explosions at the port of Beirut, Lebanon, left 200 people dead, injured 5,000 and destroyed large parts of the city. The blasts were traced to 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate stored unsafely in a warehouse. The UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods classifies ammonium nitrate as an oxidising agent and hence, hazardous. In India, it is listed as an explosive under the Explosives Act, 1884.
This disaster, and others like it, are a grim reminder of the importance of safety in the transport and storage of dangerous goods. This is why the shipping of dangerous cargo is highly specialised and regulation-heavy. In this blog, we dive deep into hazardous cargo and all that goes into transporting it. Read on to find out:
The Business Dictionary defines dangerous goods as “articles or materials capable of posing significant risk to people, health, property, or environment when transported in quantity”. It also notes that dangerous goods is the “international standard term for goods covered under the UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods”. Dangerous goods are also called hazardous material, hazmat and hazardous cargo.
Dangerous goods can exist in solid, liquid and gaseous form. They can be colourless or coloured, hot or cold, odourless or pungent. They can be corrosive chemicals, explosives, batteries or even daily-use items such as hair spray, perfume, aftershave, liquor and cigarette lighters.
The UN Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods classifies dangerous goods on the basis of the hazard they pose. Under this system, each substance is assigned a class. There are nine classes in total. Some are split into divisions.
Sometimes, a substance meets the criteria for more than one hazard class. In this case, the class that poses the highest level of hazard is the primary class while the class posing a lower level of hazard is the secondary class. A substance can have more than one secondary class.
Apart from class, dangerous goods are assigned a UN number, a proper shipping name (PSN) and a packing group that serve as identifiers.
When it comes to dangerous goods, there are strict rules for each stage of the shipping process – handling, packaging, labelling, marking, stowage, segregation, transport and emergency response. These exist in the form of international agreements, which are closely aligned with the UN recommendations and, while not mandatory, are universally accepted. Additionally, there are national regulations. The rules governing the movement of dangerous goods differ across transport modes.
The International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code is, by its own definition, “the standard guide to all aspects of handling dangerous goods and marine pollutants in sea transport”. Its key objectives are to a) protect human life, b) prevent marine pollution, and c) facilitate free movement of dangerous goods. Developed by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), it applies to all cargo-carrying ships and is amended every two years. It reportedly covers 3,500 dangerous goods transported in packaged form.
However, there are many more dangerous goods shipped in bulk in solid, liquid and gaseous form. The International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes (IMSBC) Code has provisions on the carriage of solid bulk cargo, with the exception of grain. The transport of grain comes under the International Code for the Safe Carriage of Grain in Bulk. Similarly, the International Code of the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Liquefied Gases in Bulk (IGC Code) governs bulk carriage of liquified gases. In shipping by sea, oil spills are a real possibility. To minimise the accidental discharge of oil into the sea, MARPOL Annex 1 regulates the construction and operation of oil tankers.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) calls the Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) “the global reference for shipping dangerous goods by air and the only standard recognised by airlines”. It details shipper/operator responsibilities, transport and storage quantities, and forbidden goods. It also has provision on training, security and incident reporting.
A second set of regulations, the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) Technical Instructions, seeks to ensure airlines carry dangerous goods without the cargo posing a danger to the aircraft or its occupants.
Unlike sea and air transport, which are governed by international rules, many countries, including India, have their own rules for road transport of dangerous goods. In India, these are the Central Motor Vehicles Rules and Hazardous Substances (Classification, Packaging and Labelling) Rules.
Central Motor Vehicles Rules: Enforced by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, these rules cover all aspects of transport by motor vehicles. But some relate strictly to dangerous goods:
Hazardous Substances Rules: Framed by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, these rules cover classification, packaging, marking, testing, certification, transport and documentation. However, they don’t cover certain dangerous goods, including imported goods, radioactive material, pharmaceutical/cosmetic end products meant for consumer use. Imported goods are exempt as they would most likely conform to the IMDG Code and DGR. Radioactive material is regulated by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board safety code.
National regulations aside, there is the European Agreement Concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR), followed by a bloc of predominantly European countries.
In India, the booking and delivery of dangerous goods by rail comes under the Indian Railways Conference Association (IRCA) Red Tariff. Some of its provisions include the pasting of caution labels on wagon doors and the use of special lead seals for wagons carrying explosives, gases, inflammable and oxidising substances.
Additionally, the Container Corporation of India (Concor), a public sector unit under the Ministry of Railways, lays down rules regarding the booking of dangerous goods in containers.
Similar to the ADR, the Regulations concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Rail (RID) is an international agreement between 45 contracting states from Europe, Asia and North Africa. India is not party to it.
In India, the transport of dangerous goods by barge is regulated by the Inland Waterway Authority of India via regulations such as the National Waterways, Safety of Navigation and Shipping Regulations. For explosives, these regulations enforce procedures laid down in the Explosives Act.
Internationally, the European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Inland Waterways (ADN) exists to ensure high levels of security in the carriage of hazardous cargo on inland waterways, promote international trade in dangerous goods and prevent pollution during the movement of such goods. Eighteen countries are parties to the ADN.
Since dangerous goods are a hazard to human life and property, packaging is of utmost importance. Here are some tips on securing your shipment:
Labels, markings and placards are a legal requirement for dangerous goods. They are the first indicators of the cargo’s hazardous nature and hold valuable information on how it should be handled. They should be legible, accurately placed and not obscured by old labels and markings.
Just as important as packaging and labelling is documentation. Incorrect information can lead to the carrier making wrong handling, segregation and stowage decisions, often with disastrous consequences. Documents for dangerous goods differ across transport modes but most have some basic information in common:
Moving hazardous cargo also requires knowledge of which dangerous goods can be stored and transported together and which cannot. The IMDG Code defines the process of separating two or more substances that are considered mutually incompatible as segregation. Some common segregation don’ts include:
But by following segregation rules, some classes of dangerous goods can be loaded and transported with another class of dangerous goods. For example, an oxidising agent can be loaded with other oxidisers as well as with non-flammable gases and toxic gases. But it cannot be paired with flammables (solids, liquids and gases) and corrosives.
From cargo handlers, packers and equipment operators to transporters and workers in charge of documentation, hazardous cargo poses a risk to innumerable lives. Awareness and training are key to their safety.
The safe carriage of dangerous goods requires the full attention of each and every worker in the logistics chain. The biggest responsibilities, however, lie with the shipper and the carrier.
In Europe, there is a practice among companies involved in the transport of hazardous cargo by road, rail and inland waterways to hire a dangerous goods safety advisor (DGSA). Such companies can be involved in any aspect of the business, such as consignment, carriage, packing, loading and filling. A DGSA monitors compliance with legal requirements, provides health, safety and environmental advice, and prepares reports. The company may appoint one of its own employees (trained) as a DGSA or hire one externally. Under certain rules such as the ADR, the appointment of a DGSA is mandatory in most cases.
For shippers and carriers, transporting dangerous cargo is a huge responsibility. The lives of many are literally in your hands. Working with a logistics company with experience and expertise in hazardous cargo, such as Cogoport, makes the experience a lot easier. Cogoport offers:
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