IMDG Code or International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code is accepted by MSC ( Maritime Safety Committee) as an international guideline to the safe transportation or shipment of

dangerous goods Dangerous goods, abbreviated DG, are substances that when transported are a risk to health, safety, property or the environment. Certain dangerous goods that pose risks even when not being transported are known as hazardous materials ( syllabi ...

hazardous materials Dangerous goods, abbreviated DG, are substances that when transported are a risk to health, safety, property or the environment. Certain dangerous goods that pose risks even when not being transported are known as hazardous materials ( syllabi ...

by water on vessel. IMDG Code is intended to protect crew members and to prevent

marine pollution Marine pollution occurs when substances used or spread by humans, such as industrial, agricultural and residential waste, particles, noise, excess carbon dioxide or invasive organisms enter the ocean and cause harmful effects there. The major ...

in the safe transportation of hazardous materials by vessel.

Basis for national regulations

It is recommended to governments for adoption or for use as the basis for national regulations and is mandatory in conjunction with the obligations of the members of United Nations under the

International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) is an international maritime treaty that sets minimum safety standards in the construction, equipment and operation of merchant ships. The International Maritime Organization ...

(SOLAS) and the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships ( MARPOL 73/78). It is intended for use not only by the mariner but also by all those involved in industries and services connected with

shipping Freight transport, also referred as ''Freight Forwarding'', is the physical process of transporting commodities and merchandise goods and cargo. The term shipping originally referred to transport by sea but in American English, it has been ...

. Contains advice on terminology, packaging, labeling, placarding, markings, stowage, segregation, handling, and emergency response. The

HNS Convention The HNS Convention (Hazardous and Noxious Substances by Sea Convention) is an international convention created in 1996 to compensate for damages caused by spillage of hazardous and noxious substances during maritime transportation. The convention ...

covers hazardous and noxious substances that are included in the IMDG code.

Updates

The code is updated and maintained by the CCC (formerly DSC) Sub-Committee of the

International Maritime Organization The International Maritime Organization (IMO, French: ''Organisation maritime internationale'') is a specialised agency of the United Nations responsible for regulating shipping. The IMO was established following agreement at a UN conference ...

every 2 years.

Code in 2021

IMDG Code in calendar year 2021 is either the 2018 Edition; Incorporating Amendment 39-18 or 2020 Edition; Incorporating Amendment 40-20. Both the 2018 Edition and the 2020 Edition can be used in 2021.

References

External links

IMO Website: IMDG CodeIMO:Carriage of chemicals by ship

IMO:Preamble:IMDG Code 2006 Edition
{{Dead link, date=July 2017
IMDG CODE in French versionThe codes as an Open Knowledge foundation datasetFree IMDG Code resources including free introduction and summary of recent changes
Water transport Chemical safety International Maritime Organization Law of the sea