UK P&I CLUB

Shipping dangerous goods in

containers
An introduction to the UK Clubs guidebooks on the
workings of the IMDG Code

UK P&I CLUB
IS MANAGED
BY THOMAS
MILLER

Introduction

IMDG Code training package

The Club, with the support of several Members, has

launched Book it right and pack it tight a set of four
guidebooks on the workings of the International
Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code. They are
designed to provide busy operational people, who are
not experts in the IMDG Code, with a quick reference
and practical everyday guidance to the IMDG Code
rules.

The guidebooks come in a boxed set of four. They are

part of a complete IMDG Code training package. Each
book is supported by its own editable PowerPoint
training course. This enables training officers and
managers who are not experts in the IMDG Code to
teach staff their key duties under the Code, and how the
guidebooks work. This is to raise awareness of the
guidebooks in the workplace and overcome the
perception of employees that the IMDG Code is too
complex for them to understand.

Uniquely, each of the four guidebooks is dedicated to

the requirements of one of the principal parties involved
in consigning packaged dangerous goods:

The shipper.

The shipping line booking agency.

The cargo consolidating companies (managers and

supervisors).

Also in the package is a DVD Any Fool Can Stuff a

Container. This DVD focuses on:

The fork lift operators and cargo handlers those

that actually physically pack the containers.

Each of the parties above has key duties under the

IMDG Code, and failure to carry out those duties may
lead to undeclared dangerous goods being loaded in a
ship, an unsafe container load, or unsafe stowage, all
of which lead to an unnecessary increase in the risk of
carrying dangerous goods by sea.

Choosing a container.

Checking the container.

Making a packing plan.

Packaging cargo.

Packing containers.

Container security.

Receiving containers.

Before explaining the guidebooks in detail, it may be of

interest to describe the causes of dangerous goods
incidents and non-compliance with the IMDG Code,
2

rules of the Code must be flexible, or the system

becomes commercially restrictive and discredited.
So, the Code must draw a balance between being easily
understandable for non-technical operational people,
and at the same time comprehensive and technical
enough to take into account all manner of special
considerations.
The Code is wide-ranging and there will always be
sections that are not applicable to a particular party. It is
now so lengthy that some operational personnel are put
off from trying to understand it. In fact, the Code is a
well-designed document, and ordinary operational
people just need guidance to understand its structure
and their key duties. That is the purpose of the Book it
right and Pack it tight guidebooks.
The scope of the Code
Many are surprised to learn that the bulk of the Code
applies to activities carried out ashore by the shipper,
consolidator and packer concerning the preparation and
documentation of the load, not to shipboard activities.
The Code is complex because it provides rules that
apply to activities taking place right at the start of the
transport chain and then throughout the carriage by sea.

and explain why the Club is taking direct action to

improve IMDG Code understanding and compliance.

What is the IMDG Code?

The Code requires the shipper to provide a description
of the product and classification of any hazards. It sets
limits on the type and size of packaging, specifies
warning marks and labels, establishes rules for the types
of hazards that can be co-loaded into one container, and
devises a documentation system that requires shippers
and packers to certify in writing that they have followed
the rules of the Code.

The IMDG Code is a

comprehensive set of
globally accepted rules
that enables packaged
(ie non-bulk)
dangerous goods and
marine pollutants to be
carried safely by sea.

Only when all of these things have been done does the
Code turn its attention to stowage and segregation
aboard ship. As examples of this, shipboard stowage
does not appear until the last section of the main
document, and the emergency instructions for dealing
with dangerous goods incidents aboard ship do not
appear in the Code proper at all, but in the Supplement
to the Code, (sometimes called Volume 3),

Around 10 per cent of

all container cargoes contain
dangerous goods, so virtually all container ship services
fall within the scope of the rules of the Code.
Why is the IMDG Code so complex?
The Code has evolved from a set of brief facts and
instructions for mariners through more than six decades
of committee discussions by experts, to a two-volume
document with a supplement, a total of over 800 pages.

Daunting for new users

The length and density of the text is a psychological
barrier to learning for people whose first language is
English, or one of the main world languages into which
the Code is translated. How much more difficult is this
for users reading the Code in a second language?

The rules are now set about with exemptions and

exceptions. Industries have successfully lobbied for
special rules for particular products, such as paints,
alcoholic beverages and aerosols, and rule makers
must make allowances to take advantage of benefits
from new technologies in products and packaging, as
well as more accurate technical information about the
behaviour of hazardous substances. As in all things, the

Obstacles to knowledge
This problem can be overcome if the employer sponsors
IMDG Code training.


A typical illustration from the guidebook showing good practice for drum packing.

The training problem is compounded if shippers and

packers operate hundreds of miles from the sea and
have no natural contact with maritime affairs. The
situation is even more difficult if the operation is located
in a state or region where business culture is
undeveloped, and regulatory compliance is not a priority.

The IMDG Code rules enable the carriage of dangerous

goods to be acceptable under managed risk conditions.
For example, the carriage of flammable liquid is never
without a fire hazard, but provided the ship is fully aware
of the hazard, the packaging is adequate and intact, and
the stowage and segregation is done according to the
IMDG Code rules, the ship should be able to deal with
an unexpected incident. The risk is recognised,
measurable, minimised and commercially acceptable.

The Club recognises the existence of these knowledge

gaps, and seeks to address them by making the new
IMDG Code guidebooks available through shipping
lines to their customers.

Unplanned risk factors

The substances below are examples of commonly
carried dangerous goods with a history of causing
serious incidents on ships. Remember, it is not the
product but the failure to comply with the IMDG Code
that causes incidents.

Hanjin Pennsylvania

Causes of dangerous goods

incidents
Before looking in detail at how the guidebooks work, it
may be useful to look at the nature of dangerous goods,
and at the main factors that cause dangerous goods
incidents. Then the relationship of compliance with the
IMDG Code to risk reduction becomes apparent.

Calcium hypochlorite, widely used for water

treatment, has a bad reputation for spontaneously
igniting in a ferocious way.

Barbeque charcoal has done the same in a less

violent way, resulting in smouldering block stows on
deck.

Thiourea dioxide, a substance widely used in the

paper, leather and textile industries, was not listed as
dangerous goods until a number of shipboard
incidents caused the experts to classify it as a selfreactive substance.

Why do incidents onboard occur?

Events and circumstances far from the ship can sow the
seeds of incidents arising from:
1 Mis-declaration or non-declaration by shippers.

The hazard and risk factors

2 Quality and selection of the packaging.

The IMDG Code requires shippers to identify cargo as
dangerous goods if it possesses a known hazard such
as flammability, toxicity etc.

3 Provision and accuracy of documentation.

4 Professionalism of the container packing.

5 The completely unexpected.

6 Human factors regional and company attitudes.
1 Mis-declaration or non-declaration by
shippers
There are many ways in which chemicals can be
combined to make new substances. Dangerous goods
not listed by name in the IMDG Code Dangerous
Goods List must be tested by the shipper to check for
hazardous properties, then shipped under a generic
hazard classification.
It is possible for hazards to not be declared under these
circumstances, either because of lack of time to test,
lack of test facilities, making false assumptions, lack of
product knowledge, lack of knowledge of the
requirement to make an IMDG Code declaration or
how to make one, or even wilful withholding of
information to avoid dangerous goods surcharges.

Top photo: When mechanical handling systems drop

containers, cargo can be badly damaged while the container
remains unmarked.
Lower photo: When this container was dropped, several
drums were badly distorted. If the container had not been
inspected but simply loaded to the ship, the likelihood is that
many drums would have burst during the sea voyage.

2 Quality and selection of packaging

Like a time bomb, defective or incompatible packaging
may fail and release product at any point in a voyage.
Defects are difficult to spot until the package fails.
In the example illustrated, new UN standard steel drums
failed because small pieces of clinker (mill scale) were
rolled into the sheet steel from which the drums were
made. During the voyage, the mill scale broke out leaving
holes in the drums. The IMDG Code specifies the quality
of packaging, and failure to meet that standard was the
cause of this incident. Fortunately the cargo was
declared and stowed according to IMDG rules and the
crew were able to deal with the problem appropriately.

Beware of reconditioned drums

There is a market in low-cost second hand and
reconditioned steel and plastic drums. They are often
used for low value, low profit substances such as tar oils
and creosotes. Reconditioned steel drums have been
known to fail because of brittle metal fracture. The

Photos above: These allegedly UN standard drums failed

because of a steel manufacturing fault. Examination showed
also that the internal surfaces of the drums were not painted
and were heavily corroded before filling.

process of cleaning and reconditioning, which may

involve fitting new top and bottom heads, puts stress
on the materials that was not anticipated during original
drum manufacture. Much depends on quality control.
The IMDG Code does not require shippers to notify the
ship of use of reconditioned drums for dangerous
goods. Beware, they are another unknown risk factor.
3 Provision and accuracy of documentation
The IMDG Code requires shippers to provide selfcertified documentation describing the identity of the
dangerous goods, the nature of the hazard, the quantity
and the type of packaging. This data from the
dangerous goods manifest is used to stow the ship and
is available for dealing with onboard incidents.

Photo: Who signed for this one? A container packing

certificate has to be signed by the person responsible for
packing and securing the load as safe for sea.
This was the condition of a stow of plastic drums of corrosive
product after a 50 kilometre road journey to the port. The sea
journey had not yet started.

There is a serious lack of knowledge about the content

and purpose of dangerous goods documentation in the
transport chain between the shipper and the ship. The
knowledge gap may be expected to grow in proportion
to the distance from a port, with shippers being least
well informed, but regional attitudes also have a strong
influence.

However, the maritime industry must face the fact that

many employees of shipping companies, forwarding
agents and container packers are not as well informed
about dangerous goods hazards and IMDG Code
The shipper is
required to provide
this standard of
detail in a certified
document for each
dangerous goods
substance he
offers for shipment

Typical information required in an IMDG Code

declaration (other products may require
different data)
Packaging data required for each substance:
Number and type
of packages:

180 x 200 litre steel drums

Quantity data required for each substance:

Net mass/volume:

17,600 kg

Gross mass/volume:

18,600 kg

Shippers Declaration
I hereby declare that the contents of this
consignment are fully and accurately described
by the Proper Shipping Name, and are classified,
packaged, marked and labelled/placarded and
are in all respects in proper condition for
transport according to the applicable
international and national governmental
regulations.

Identification data required for each substance:

Proper Shipping Name: Acetyl Chloride
Class:

Class 3 Flammable liquid

UN Number:

1717

Supplementary identification data that may be

required for some substances:
Packing group:

PG II

Sub-risk:

Class 8 Corrosive

Flashpoint:

(5C c.c.)

Marine pollutant:

(not applicable for this substance)

Control temperature:

(not applicable for this substance)

The shipper signs a

declaration confirming to
the line that all the products
are correctly described,
packaged and presented
according to the IMDG
Code and all applicable
regulations

Company name of shipper: ABC Chemical

Company
Name/status of declarant: Sam Shipper/
Export supervisor

Emergency temperature: (not applicable for this substance)

Place and date:

Manchester
19.08.2005

Signature of declarant:

Sam Shipper

requirements as is consistent with risk

reduction. Unfortunately, it is the ship
that bears the additional risk, and once
the container is loaded, the ship can
do nothing to correct the mistakes of
others.
Many dangerous goods documents of
very poor quality pass through the
transport chain. How is this so? Either
the parties who should identify the
errors are instructed to wilfully ignore
any problems, or they simply dont
know any better.
4 Professionalism of the
container packer
Cargo securing inside containers is
still as fundamental now to successful
maritime transport as it ever was in
general cargo ships. The lack of
proper securing of cargo in containers
remains a significant cause of
damage, and dangerous goods
leaking from broken packages is an all
too frequent additional risk factor.

Packing certificates
When dangerous goods are packed into containers for sea, the
IMDG Code requires a signed certificate from the packer,
confirming that the packages were sound and the load was
packed, secured, marked, labelled and placarded all according to
the IMDG Code rules.

Container/vehicle packing declaration

I hereby declare that the goods described above have been
packed/loaded into the container/vehicle identified above in
accordance with the applicable provision.
Must be completed and signed for all container/vehicle loads by
person responsible for packing/loading
Name of Company:

XYZ Cargo Packing Co.

Name/status of declarant:

Peter Packer / Supervisor

Place and date:

Southampton 22.08.2005

Signature of declarant:

Peter PPacker
acker

The IMDG Code requires the packer to sign a packing

certificate stating that any dangerous goods have been
safely secured for sea. Despite this, out-turn reports at
container cargo spillage incidents produce a familiar
roll call of defects in cargo stowing and securing:

Unsecured packages rolling and tumbling to selfdestruction inside void spaces in the container.

Photo: Containers subjected to handling methods such as

this should be opened and inspected for damage before
loading to a ship does it happen?

Cargo crushed and collapsed by being overstowed

by heavier cargo.

Point-loading damage to cargo by pallets caused by

lack of horizontal support between tiers.

Collapse of flimsy and badly made pallets causing

stow instability.

Penetration of cargo, particularly drums, from

protruding nails in floors, pallets, dunnage and
broken pallets.

Direct physical damage to packages caused by fork

lift trucks.

Ram-loaded packages split by forcing them into the

container by fork lift.

5 The completely unexpected

From time to time people do unusual things to
containers tip them from road trailers, shunt them into
railway buffers, or drop them from cranes. After such an
event, in an ideal world IMDG Code dangerous goods
warning placards would compel conscience to
overcome carelessness and check the cargo before
loading on a ship, but this is not always the case.
6 Human factors regional and company
attitudes
IMDG Code rules, like any laws and regulations, only

have meaning in proportion to the degree to which

people respect and comply with them. We have looked
at the physical failures that create problems, but it is
people who drive policy, manage companies, operate
production plants, create documents and load
containers.

The quickest way to get into

business:

Why do people fail to comply with

the IMDG Code?

4 Youre in business as a
container packer!

1 Hire a fork lift truck

2 Make a ramp
3 Rent some land by the
side of the road

In newly emerging industrial societies workers may

transfer, overnight, from traditional agricultural work
to industrial processing involving dangerous
chemicals. There will be a time lag before such
societies develop the instinctive understanding of
industrial and chemical hazards that comes from
experience. The IMDG Code has evolved over six
decades, but it is a new concept to many companies
now manufacturing and packing dangerous goods
in newly developing regions. They will need help and
training to assimilate the IMDG Code into their
industrial cultures.

Individual actions are influenced by organisational

procedures and cultures, and vice versa. Here are just
some important areas:

Company rules, standards and resources

A large multi-national company can apply readymade templates for operational safety standards that
include the IMDG Code, and have compliance
officers to plan training and maintain standards. By
contrast, managers of small companies often have
limited resources, and these are directed towards
managing productivity and everyday problems.

Business ethics
There are employers in all societies that encourage
employees to regard regulations as red tape and
barriers to productivity. Operators with this mindset
find it easy to push aside the IMDG Code, when it is
convenient to do so, by simply not declaring cargo
as dangerous goods. Again it is the ship that is
bearing the risk, not them. This is primitive business
thinking, but often prevails, particularly in small
companies.
The container packing industry is vulnerable to this
attitude. Consider container packing at its most
basic. It only requires the rental of a fork lift truck, the
construction of a simple container access ramp and
use of a piece of land by a roadside to set up
business as a container packer. There is not even a
requirement for a building. It is an easy entry-level
business for a budding entrepreneur with limited
funds, and he may not even be aware of the IMDG
Code.

Illustration from Book it right and

pack it tight, of a typical damage
scenario.

Communication
In addition to coping with the industrial culture gap,
many developing regions are doing business with
the world in a second language, usually English.
This adds another barrier to perfect understanding.
Consider the extract from a safety data sheet below,
which is taken from a Far Eastern manufacturers
website. In the list of hazardous properties it says
Danger of Explosion: Not applicable, but in the
next line under Fire Hazards it says, Material is
shock sensitive and potentially explosive. Lost in
translation? The company had a highly technical
website advertising sophisticated speciality
chemicals but made an error in translation of the sort
that can easily be made on a shipping document.

training aimed specifically at their operational

requirements. The result is the Book it right and pack it
tight guidebooks and training set.

Lost in translation?
Extract from manufacturers Product Safety Data Sheet

Flashpoint:

Not applicable

Book it right and pack it tight

Flammability:

Not applicable

Ignition Temperature:

Not applicable

Danger of Explosion:

Not applicable

The Club hopes to make a contribution to boosting

global understanding and use of the IMDG Code with
the Book it right and pack it tight pack of guidebooks
and training material.

Fire Hazards:

Material is
shock sensitive
and potentially
explosive!

The guidebooks look at the role of the shipper, the

shipping line booking agent, the freight consolidator
(manager or supervisor), and the fork lift operator and
cargo handler who physically loads the container, and
identify the key duties of each. The party concerned,
instead of having to search through the 800 pages of
the Code looking for his instructions, starts by
consulting his guidebook.

Individual skills and attitudes

It should not be forgotten that individual employees
make decisions that affect outcomes, albeit against
their organisational background. Many people are
trained to perform a narrow set of technical skills
repetitively, quickly and semi-automatically to
achieve business productivity for example to
create dangerous goods documents on a computer,
process a cargo booking, pack a container or book
containers through a dock gate.

The guidebooks explain in simple terms what duties the

IMDG Code requires, with colour illustrations and
photographs. Each duty described in the guidebooks
includes a reference that takes the reader directly to the
text in the Code where the full technical details are
found.

For such individuals it is more difficult to apply the

IMDG Code rules than to ignore them. Employees
who are disaffected, poorly trained, or poorly
supervised will take short cuts and break the rules to
get the job done with least effort. That may mean
ignoring the IMDG Code.

What the guidebooks contain

IMDG compliance should mean

less incidents
We have seen that there are many potential hidden
causes of dangerous goods incidents, and many
obstacles to the observance of the IMDG Code. While
this situation prevails, the risk to ships from hazardous
cargo will remain unnecessarily high.

Guidebook 1 in the series is for shippers. It explains

the shippers key duties such as:

However, if all dangerous goods are shipped under the

IMDG Code rules, the risks will be considerably lower.
If ships know the nature, the hazard and the identity of
the cargo, it can be stowed and segregated
appropriately, and incidents handled confidently.
Dealing with a deck fire involving a known commodity is
altogether different from dealing with an unknown
commodity burning below deck.
Accepting that increasing IMDG Code compliance is at
the heart of the solution, how can this be achieved? The
Club believes that a significant improvement can be
brought about if shippers and container packers in all
regions could be provided with practical IMDG Code

Classifying the hazard the guidebook explains how

the UN classification system identifies all the
dangerous goods details about a particular
hazardous substance.

Documenting the hazard indicates the details that

the IMDG Code requires be notified about
dangerous substances, and how the IMDG Code
draws them together into a common global format for
documentation. The guidebook includes examples of
how the shipper must make out a shippers
declaration for different types of dangerous goods,
and how they should be presented on the document,

It summarises the shippers duties in less detail, and

concentrates on the additional factors that come into
play when packing dangerous goods into freight
containers. Examples of additional key factors for
consolidators explained in Guidebook 3 include:

Package selection the guidebook outlines the

IMDG Code rules that shippers must follow when
selecting packaging that is suitable for dangerous
goods, and an illustration of the type of UN code that
appears on packages that have been tested and
approved for filling with dangerous goods.

Use of different types of packages the guidebook

has colour illustrations of different types of
packaging used for dangerous goods including the
construction of combination packages made up of
inner receptacles contained within outer wrappers.

Marking and labelling the guidebook explains and

illustrates the shippers prime duty to apply specific
warning marks and labels to each package to give
clear and decisive information about the contents of
each package.

Legal obligation the guidebook explains the

meaning of the legal text that appears on each
dangerous goods declaration, and the commitment
the shipper is making when he presents dangerous
goods for shipment by sea.

Segregation of dangerous goods within a container

the guidebook explains how both the hazard and
the risk of an incident are escalated if the container
packer ignores IMDG Code segregation rules and
packs incompatible dangerous goods in the same
container. The guidebook then shows how the
segregation should be checked either manually or
electronically using internet or proprietary computeraided systems.

together with an example of a completed dangerous

goods document
Documentation checklist this book includes a
checklist for use by shippers and others to ensure
that all the required details have been included on a
dangerous goods shipping declaration.

Taken from an illustration on blocking and bracing technique

Securing cargo against movement inside containers

the conventional methods of blocking and bracing
packages of cargo inside freight containers are
illustrated in a series of drawings covering drum
stacking, use of pallets, stacking intermediate bulk
containers (IBCs) and using timber and other
materials to prevent cargo from moving.

Marking and placarding of containers the

guidebook explains the packers duties regarding
the application of warnings to freight containers.

Packing certificate the guidebook explains the

legal responsibilities of the packer that are
encapsulated in the packing certificate.

Illustration of package
marks and labels that must
be applied by the shipper

UN 1170
ETHANOL

UN 3265

CORROSIVE LIQUID
ACIDIC, ORGANIC
N.O.S. (caprylyl chloride)

Guidebook 4 explains the problems, responsibilities

and techniques of packing dangerous goods into
containers from the point of view of the fork lift truck
operator and cargo handler. It includes photographs of
damaged packages to illustrate what happens to cargo
that is not effectively secured for transport by sea.

Guidebook 2 covers similar ground from the point of

view of shipping line employees. Its purpose is to assist
cargo booking staff to check the information provided
by shippers at the earliest stage, by asking shippers the
right questions, and to help shippers to get the basics
right.

Each book also has a common reference section that

briefly explains classification, technical terms and
common problem areas such as limited quantities and
rules for aerosols.

Guidebook 3 is aimed towards managers and

supervisors of cargo consolidation depots where
dangerous goods are packed into freight containers.

10

Simple guidance

Serious purpose

There are over 800 pages of the IMDG Code, so the

details in the guidebooks are selective. Each topic has at
least one reference to a part, chapter, section or subsection of the main body of the IMDG Code text, taking
the reader directly to the full details of that topic. The aim
is to enable the reader to identify his key requirement in
the guidebook, see an example of what is required, then
if he needs more information easily locate full technical
details in the Code, using the guidebooks as a chart.

Each book ends with a series of photographs of the fire

aboard the Hanjin Pennsylvania, intended to graphically
bring home to shore side people that even the most
modern container ships are vulnerable to undeclared
dangerous goods incorrectly and inaccessibly stowed
below deck. The message is that the IMDG Code is not
red tape, or pointless regulations, but a serious
document whose sole purpose is to protect shippers
cargo, ships and mariners lives.

Practical and accessible

Also in the training package:

The guidebooks are not intended as a replacement for

the IMDG Code, but as everyday guides for ordinary
operational staff to find their way around it. It is not
intended that these guidebooks sit on bookshelves in
the company library, but that they are issued as everyday
operational guides on desks in the manufacturers
shipping office, the freight booking office, the
warehouse supervisors pocket, and the fork lift
operators mess room.
With this in mind the guidebooks are robustly made to
survive heavy handling and spiral bound so they open
flat for photocopying.
Operational checklists
The books include three checklists, one for completing
shippers declarations, one for identifying training
requirements in container packing facilities, and one for
packing containers.

Is anyone responsible for checking

shipping containers before loading?

Tick as appropriate:

Have they been trained in what to

check for?

Do you know who receives dangerous

goods into your site?

Have fork lift operators been trained in

IMDG Code segregation?

Are they trained to check

documentation and package marking?

Have fork lift operators received

training in loading dangerous goods and
non-hazardous cargo into containers?

Does anyone keep a record of

dangerous goods on your site?
Is the record kept up-to-date?

Is anyone responsible for ensuring that

packages have been secured inside the
shipping container?

Is the location recorded?

Have they been trained to secure cargo?

Do your personnel palletise/

re-package/shrink-wrap dangerous
goods packages, or put put them into
overpacks?

Are timber, plywood sheet and securing

materials available?

Have they been trained to mark and

label the packages to IMDG rules?
Are shipping container load plans
prepared?
Do you know who controls loading of
dangerous goods into shipping
containers?
Do they have access to the IMDG Code
rules?
Have they been trained to understand
IMDG Code segregation?

Thomas Miller P&I Ltd 2005

Do you know who supervises the

loading of dangerous goods into
shipping containers?
Do they have access to the IMDG Code
rules?
Have they been trained to understand
the IMDG Code?

Four PowerPoint training

presentations on CD
The guidebooks are supplied in a training package
consisting of the four guidebooks in a slip case, and
PowerPoint training presentations, one for each
guidebook. The purpose of these is to enable
company managers with only a passing knowledge of
the IMDG Code to confidently introduce employees
to key aspects of the IMDG Code, and the
guidebooks themselves and how to use them.

DVD
Also included is a
DVD version of
Any Fool Can
Stuff a Container

The Club together with several Members has made a

major commitment to ship safety by producing this
package. We believe that the pack will be of great
assistance to shippers and packers looking for practical
IMDG Code guidance, and to shipping lines seeking a
means to provide such assistance to their customers.
Especially those operating in the developing regions
beyond the reach of normal IMDG Code training, and
newcomers to dangerous goods everywhere.

Consolidators dangerous goods training and

procedure checklist
This is a checklist to confirm that you have
sound operating procedures.

Ordering
Members may order copies of the above direct from the
Club and non-members through Marisec Publications,
www.marisec.org.

Are tools available for cutting timber

and plywood sheets?
Are people trained to use them?
Are container manifests prepared?
Are manifests checked to include all the
dangerous goods?
Do you know who is responsible for
applying hazard warning placards?
Have they been trained?
Is the stock of placards adequate?
Are seals applied and seal numbers
recorded?
Are packing certificates completed and
signed?
Do you know who signs them?
Have they been trained and do they
understand the legal significance of
packing certificates?

Dangerous Goods is written by Richard Masters

and was first produced as a supplement to LP News 18, March 2006

11

UK P&I CLUB
IS MANAGED
BY THOMAS
MILLER

12

For further information please contact:

Loss Prevention Department, Thomas Miller P&I Ltd
Tel: +44 20 7204 2307. Fax +44 20 7283 6517
Email: lossprevention.ukclub@thomasmiller.com