What are dangerous goods at sea?

1, Definition of dangerous goods at sea
Dangerous goods at sea usually refer to substances or items that, due to their inherent characteristics, may cause accidents such as fire, explosion, poisoning, corrosion, and radioactive pollution during maritime transportation, thereby endangering the safety of personnel's lives and property, ship structure safety, cargo integrity, and marine environment. These goods require special safety measures during transportation to ensure their safe arrival at the destination.
2, Classification of dangerous goods at sea
According to the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code (IMDG Code) and relevant regulations of various countries, dangerous goods at sea are strictly classified into multiple categories for better management and transportation. These categories mainly include:
Explosive materials: including substances and items with overall explosion hazard, substances and items with projectile hazard but no overall explosion hazard, etc. Once accidents occur during the transportation of such goods, they will cause serious fires and explosions, posing a great threat to personnel and ships.
Gases: including flammable gases, non flammable and non-toxic gases, and toxic gases. These types of goods require strict temperature and pressure control during transportation to prevent leakage and explosion.
Flammable liquids: These types of goods are prone to volatilization and combustion at room temperature, such as gasoline, diesel, etc. Their presence makes fire and explosion prevention work on ships particularly important.
Flammable solids, self igniting substances, and substances that release flammable gases when in contact with water: These goods include flammable solids, self reactive substances, solid desensitized explosives, self igniting substances, and substances that release flammable gases when in contact with water. They require special packaging and storage measures during transportation to prevent fires and explosions.
Oxidative substances and organic peroxides: These goods have strong oxidizing properties and can react violently with flammable substances, causing fires and explosions. Therefore, it is necessary to strictly control its temperature and humidity during transportation.
Toxic and infectious substances: These goods include toxic and infectious substances that may have serious impacts on human health and the environment. Strict protective measures need to be taken during transportation to prevent leakage and spread.
Radioactive substances: These types of goods can emit large amounts of radiation from within the atomic nucleus that cannot be detected by human senses, causing long-term harm to the human body and the environment. During transportation, special packaging and protective measures need to be taken to ensure its safety.
Corrosive substances: These types of goods have strong corrosiveness and can cause serious damage to human bodies, ships, and cargo. During transportation, special packaging and storage measures need to be taken to prevent leakage and corrosion.
Miscellaneous dangerous goods: This type of goods includes magnetic substances, substances that are prone to producing flammable gases, items containing harmful microorganisms, and temperature sensitive substances. They require special packaging and transportation requirements during transportation to ensure their safety.
3, Requirements for the transportation of dangerous goods by sea
In order to ensure the safe transportation of dangerous goods by sea, countries and relevant international organizations have formulated a series of strict transportation requirements. These requirements include:
Packaging requirements: Dangerous goods must use specialized packaging that meets international standards to ensure safety during transportation. The packaging should have good sealing, compression resistance, and corrosion resistance to prevent the leakage or damage of hazardous materials.
Marking and labeling: All dangerous goods must be marked and labeled in accordance with international regulations so that relevant personnel can quickly identify and take appropriate safety measures. These markings and labels typically include product names, UN numbers, hazard signs, etc.
Transportation documents: When transporting dangerous goods, detailed transportation documents must be provided, including a list of goods, dangerous goods instructions, transportation conditions, etc. These documents help relevant personnel understand the characteristics of the goods and transportation requirements, so as to take corresponding safety measures.
Transportation requirements: The transportation of dangerous goods must comply with strict transportation requirements, including ship structure and facility requirements, professional training requirements for crew, monitoring and emergency measures during transportation, etc. These requirements aim to ensure the safety and stability of dangerous goods during transportation.
Emergency response: Detailed emergency plans must be developed for potential hazardous situations, and regular drills and training must be conducted. Once an accident occurs, the emergency plan should be immediately activated and effective measures should be taken for disposal to reduce casualties and property losses.
4, Safety management measures for dangerous goods at sea
In order to ensure the safe transportation of dangerous goods by sea, countries and relevant international organizations have also taken a series of safety management measures. These measures include:
Strengthening supervision and law enforcement: Governments and relevant agencies of various countries should strengthen the supervision and law enforcement of the transportation of dangerous goods by sea, ensuring the effective implementation of relevant regulations and standards.
Improving crew quality: Crew members are important participants in the transportation of dangerous goods at sea, and their professional quality directly affects the safety and efficiency of transportation. Therefore, professional training and assessment for crew members should be strengthened to enhance their safety awareness and operational skills.
Improve emergency plans: Detailed emergency plans should be developed for potential hazardous situations, and regular drills and training should be conducted. These contingency plans should include accident alarm, emergency response, personnel evacuation, rescue measures, etc., to ensure prompt and effective disposal in the event of an accident.
Strengthening international cooperation and exchange: The transportation of dangerous goods by sea involves multiple countries and international organizations, so international cooperation and exchange should be strengthened to jointly develop and improve relevant regulations and standards, and enhance the safety and efficiency of global maritime dangerous goods transportation.