IMDG Code 34-08 2008 English Edition
ISBN: 9-280-14214-3
The International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code, 2008 Edition (incorporating Amendment 34-08) and the IMDG Code Supplement, 2008 Edition, was released November 1, 2008. The English editions will be followed by the French and Spanish versions in January 2009. Please note that the IMDG Code, 2008 Edition, will come into force on January 1, 2010, for 2 years and may be applied voluntarily as from January 1, 2009.
Background
First published in 1965, the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code has become the mandatory framework for all aspects of handling dangerous goods and marine pollutants in sea transport. Although it is directed primarily at sea transport, the provisions of the IMDG Code may affect a whole range of industries and services. Manufacturers, packers, shippers, feeder services such as road and rail and port authorities will find authoritative advice on classification, stowage, segregation, packing, labeling, terminology and emergency response action.
The IMDG Code that was adopted by resolution A.716(17) and amended by Amendments 27 to 30 was recommended to Governments for adoption or for use as the basis for national regulations in pursuance of their obligations under regulation VII/1.4 of the 1974 SOLAS Convention, as amended, and regulation 1(3) of Annex III of MARPOL 73/78. The IMDG Code, as amended, attained mandatory status from 1 January 2004 under the umbrella of SOLAS, 1974; however, some parts of the Code continue to be recommendatory. Observance of the Code harmonizes the practices and procedures followed in the carriage of dangerous goods by sea and ensures compliance with the mandatory provisions of the SOLAS Convention and of Annex III of MARPOL 73/78.
The IMDG Code, which sets out in detail the requirements applicable to each individual substance, material or article, has undergone many changes, both in layout and content, in order to keep pace with the expansion and progress of industry. IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) is authorized by the Organization’s Assembly to adopt amendments to the Code, thus enabling IMO to respond promptly to developments in transport.
Recent Changes
In this most recent edition of the Code, there are many detailed changes throughout the Dangerous Goods List and the rest of the code. Below are some of the significant additions and changes.
Additional items in the Dangerous Goods List
i) There are 12 new UN numbers going up to 3481, with explosives going up to 0508.
| New UN numbers added in Amendment 34-08 | |
|---|---|
| 0505 | SIGNALS, DISTRESS, ship |
| 0506 | SIGNALS, DISTRESS, ship |
| 0507 | SIGNALS, SMOKE |
| 0508 | 1-HYDROXYBENZOTRIAZOLE, ANHYDROUS |
| 3474 | 1-HYDROXYBENZOTRIAZOLE, ANHYDROUS, WETTED with not less than 20% water, by mass |
| 3475 | ETHANOL AND GASOLINE MIXTURE or ETHANOL AND MOTOR SPIRIT MIXTURE or ETHANOL AND PETROL MIXTURE, with more than 10% ethanol |
| 3476 | FUEL CELL CARTRIDGES or FUEL CELL CARTRIDGES CONTAINED IN EQUIPMENT or FUEL CELL CARTRIDGES PACKED WITH EQUIPMENT, containing water-reactive substances |
| 3477 | FUEL CELL CARTRIDGES or FUEL CELL CARTRIDGES CONTAINED IN EQUIPMENT or FUEL CELL CARTRIDGES PACKED WITH EQUIPMENT, containing corrosive substances |
| 3478 | FUEL CELL CARTRIDGES or FUEL CELL CARTRIDGES CONTAINED IN EQUIPMENT or FUEL CELL CARTRIDGES PACKED WITH EQUIPMENT, containing liquefied flammable gas |
| 3479 | FUEL CELL CARTRIDGES or FUEL CELL CARTRIDGES CONTAINED IN EQUIPMENT or FUEL CELL CARTRIDGES PACKED WITH EQUIPMENT, containing hydrogen in metal hydride |
| 3480 | LITHIUM ION BATTERIES |
| 3481 | LITHIUM ION BATTERIES CONTAINED IN EQUIPMENT or LITHIUM ION BATTERIES PACKED WITH EQUIPMENT |
ii) There are also 5 UN numbers which were previously not listed in the IMDG Code because they were not regulated under it, but are now shown with the observation “Not subject to the provisions of this Code but may be subject to provisions governing the
transport of dangerous goods by other modes.”
| UN Numbers not previously listed in IMDG but have been included in Amendment 34-08 | |
|---|---|
| 1910 | CALCIUM OXIDE |
| 2807 | MAGNETIZED MATERIAL |
| 2812 | SODIUM ALUMINATE, SOLID |
| 3166 | ENGINE, INTERNAL COMBUSTION or VEHICLE, FLAMMABLE GAS POWERED or VEHICLE, FLAMMABLE LIQUID POWERED |
| 3171 | BATTERY-POWERED VEHICLE or BATTERY-POWERED EQUIPMENT |
Training
Appropriate training for shore-side staff involved with dangerous goods is now mandatory instead of just recommended, and may be audited by the competent authority. Persons not yet trained may only operate under the direct supervision of a trained person. Please see 1.3.1.1.
Marine pollutant
The concept of a severe marine pollutant PP is deleted, they are just designated as P. The marine pollutant ‘bullet’ symbol is also deleted, but a shipper might need to declare any consignment as a marine pollutant. There is a new section 2.9.3 describing the criteria, and chapter 2.10 is rewritten. The new marine pollutant label is a dead tree and dead fish.
IMO tank instruction column
The IMO tank instruction column disappears from the Dangerous Goods List because the transitional provisions on their use will have expired by the time this amendment becomes mandatory on 1/1/2010.
Excepted quantities
There is a new column 7b in the Dangerous Goods List for excepted quantities. These are small amounts, up to 30g or 30ml per inner package, 1kg per outer package. These are subject only to the rules of the new chapter 3.5, part 2 (classification) and some sections of 4.1 (packing) and 5.4 (documentation). They will be labeled with an ‘excepted quantity’ label and the class number. The dangerous goods note shall state the words “dangerous goods in excepted quantities” together with the description of the shipment. An entry E0 in column 7b indicates that a substance may not be transported in excepted quantities. Codes E1 to E5 indicate different quantity limits according to a table in chapter 3.5. The total number of excepted quantity packages in a CTU shall not exceed 1000.
Limited quantities
For a substance not permitted in limited quantites, the column 7a entry “None” becomes “0”.
Chapter 2.7 Class 7 – radioactive material
For class 7 radioactives, chapter 2.7 is completely rewritten, and there is a new chapter 1.5, ‘general provisions concerning class 7’.
The IMDG Code is available as IMDG Code for Windows, a fully searchable database on CD-ROM (including the items within its Supplement). Intranet and Web Subscription versions are also available.
