IMDG CODE DANGEROUS GOODS CLASSIFICATIONS
1. PURPOSE AND SCOPE
This document aims to inform our employees about the safe temporary storage, stacking, handling, loading and unloading of dangerous and harmful loads in the danger class within the scope of the IMDG Code in port areas, without harming living things and the environment. Operators, dispatchers, helmsmen, port service employees and relevant subcontractor employees involved in all operations carried out on containers carrying dangerous products constitute the scope of this handbook.
2. DEFINITIONS
2.1 IMDG Code: It is an internationally accepted guide for the safe shipping and shipping of dangerous goods by sea.
2.2 Hazardous Cargo:Any solid, liquid or gas that may cause harm to humans, other living organisms, property or the environment.
2.3 Hazardous Substance: Substances and preparations that have at least one of the following properties: explosive, oxidizing, very flammable, flammable, very toxic, toxic, harmful, corrosive, irritating, sensitizing, carcinogenic, mutagenic, toxic to the reproductive system and dangerous for the environment. -compounds.
2.4 IMO: International Maritime Organization
2.5 Classification: It is the distinction made by the International Maritime Organization, taking into account the chemical properties of dangerous substances.
2.6 Hazard Label: It defines the label containing letters, numbers and figures expressing the characteristics of the loads in the packages used in dangerous cargo transportation, such as class, degree of danger and content.
2.7 Packaging & Packaging: A receptacle or multiple receptacles means the materials or other components required for the receptacles to perform containment and other safety functions.
2.8 Hazard Label: It defines the label containing letters, numbers and figures expressing the characteristics of the loads in the packages used in dangerous cargo transportation, such as class, degree of danger and content.
2.9 Packaging Group: It means a group to which certain substances are assigned according to their degree of danger for packaging purposes. There are 3 types of packaging groups.
Packing group I: Goods highly dangerous
Packing group II: Goods presenting medium danger
Packing group III: Goods presenting low danger.
2.10 Danger Plate: It is a plate that must be kept on the container for information purposes, depending on the characteristics of the dangerous substance in the container.
2.11 Hazard Label: It is the label that must be placed on the package for information purposes, depending on the characteristics of the dangerous substance in the package.
2.12 Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS): Hazardous chemicals; It is a document that contains detailed information about its properties, the safety precautions to be taken in the workplaces where the chemical is located, according to its properties, and the necessary information to protect the environment and human health from the negative effects of the chemical. In accordance with the Regulation No. 29204 on Safety Data Sheets Concerning Harmful Substances and Mixtures and the Regulation No. 27092 on the Preparation and Distribution of Safety Data Sheets Concerning Hazardous Substances and Preparations, MSDS forms must be prepared in Turkish.
3. IMDG CLASSIFICATION & LABELS
It is a guide code by the World Maritime Organization (IMO) in which all chemical materials carried by maritime transport within the scope of the IMDG code are classified, taking into account their properties. Chemical materials carried by the World Maritime Organization are examined under 9 classes.
Class 1 Explosives: Substances in solid or liquid form that cause great damage to their surroundings thanks to high heat and pressure waves. They are very dangerous to transport and are prohibited from being handled in most ports. They can only be moved with permission from the competent authorities. Ports must be careful against factors that may activate passive explosives and take the necessary precautions. This class consists of six subclasses. In ports, they pose a great risk for the integrity of both the ship and the port structure and the safety of the personnel.
Class 2 Gases: They have the properties of explosion, poisoning and burning when mixed with air. They cause damage to the environment due to the disruption of the integrity of the containers they are transported in. This class consists of three subclasses. Gases are important for port personnel, both because they burn and cause harm or because they poison. As they mix with the air, their danger areas expand.
Gases are generally transported in compressed form under high pressure or cooled under low pressure. Gases depending on their chemical properties; They are classified as flammable gases, non-flammable gases, non-toxic gases, gases that contribute to combustion and corrosive gases. In some cases, gases display one or more of these properties simultaneously.
Class 2.1 Flammable Gases: These are substances that are flammable and explosive and exist in gaseous form below 20 C. For example, LPG, natural gas, acetylene, etc. Since the Class 2.1 substance is easily flammable, no source of fire or flame should be kept near the container. Intervention is performed with KKT or CO2 tube. Water is not used.
Class 2.2 Non-Flammable and Non-Toxic Gases: In this class, pressurized gases are liquefied gases. For example, helium, nitrogen, argon, etc. Although it does not have flammable properties, it is possible to explode due to any impact, high temperature or other reasons due to its pressure.
Class 2.3 Toxic Gases: Gases that are known to be harmful to the health of humans and other living things and pose a health hazard during transportation. For example, hydrogen fluoride, Carbon dioxide, chlorine. These are substances with an LC50 value over 5000 ml/m3 in the tests performed. LC50 is an abbreviation for lethal concentration. The presence of more than 5 liters of poisonous gas in 1 cubic meter of water creates toxic effects for living things. Direct contact and inhalation should be avoided.
Class 3 Flammable Liquids: In this class, pressurized gases are liquefied gases. For example, helium, nitrogen, argon, etc. Although it does not have flammable properties, it is possible to explode due to any impact, high temperature or other reasons due to its pressure.
Liquids in this class are liquids that form flammable gases below 61 °C in their containers. There is no subclass. They are divided into three groups according to the burning points of the gases they emit when heated. Liquids allow the fire to spread around faster during combustion due to their ability to spread rapidly on the surface. An unnoticed leak during the operations of port personnel can cause major accidents.
Intervention is performed with KKT or CO2 tube. Water is not used. *Flash Point: It is the lowest temperature sufficient for liquids to burn.
Class 4 Flammable Solids: It is divided into 3 subclasses: substances that can spontaneously ignite, can catch fire suddenly, and emit flammable gases when in contact with water.
Class 4.1 Flammable Solids: Solid materials that can burn due to a heat source. In case of fire, intervention can be made with water, KKT and CO2 cylinder. Explosion at high pressure is also possible.
Class 4.2 Substances Prone to Spontaneous Combustion: These are substances that catch fire within the fifth minute of contact with air or heat up without the need for an additional energy source when they come into contact with air. It can also be called pyrophoric substances. Intervention is performed with KKT or CO2 tube. Water is not used.
Class 4.3 Substances that Emit Flammable Gases in Contact with Water: These are substances that emit flammable or toxic substances in contact with water. The danger level is the creation of more than 1 liter of gas per hour for 1 kg of substance. Intervention is performed with KKT or CO2 tube. Never interfere with water.
Class 5 Oxidizing Substances and Organic Peroxides (Caustic Substances): Substances that cause significant heat in contact with other substances, especially flammable substances. Substances in this class provide the environment necessary for flammable substances or accelerate fire or cause explosions in their structures. This class is divided into two subclasses.
It is possible that the oxygen needed by flammable substances can be supplied from these substances. It is important to keep the air flow under control in the environment where these substances are present.
In case of fire, intervention can be made with water, KKT and CO2 cylinder.
Class 5.1 Oxidizing Substances: These are substances that cause or accelerate the combustion of other substances by releasing oxygen. They should never be kept in the same environment with flammable materials.
Class 5.2 Organic Peroxides: Organic peroxides are susceptible to exothermic decomposition at normal or elevated temperatures. Degradation can be initiated by heat, interactions (e.g., acids, heavy-metal compounds, amines), contact, friction, or impact. The rate of deterioration increases with temperature. Deterioration may result in the evolution of harmful or flammable gases or vapours.
Class 6 Toxic and Infectious Substances: Substances that cause death or acute or chronic damage to human health when inhaled, taken orally or absorbed through the skin. It has high carcinogenic effects. Direct contact and inhalation should be avoided. They pose a great danger to port personnel when contacted, inhaled or ingested. In particular, cases of transmission of infectious substances to more people may occur by using personnel as carriers.
Class 6.1 Poisonous (Toxic) Substances: It covers substances known through experience or experiments on animals, which are harmful or fatal to human health in very small quantities with a single effect or a short-term effect, and are effective through inhalation, absorption through the skin or digestion.
Class 6.2 Biologically Harmful Substances: Substances containing infectious diseases are substances known or suspected to carry a pathogen. Pathogens are microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, fungi, etc.) or other factors that cause disease in animals or humans.
Class 7 Radioactive Substances: These are substances that contain radiation in their structure and whose radiation level is above a certain level. Naturally, it is PROHIBITED to take IMDG containers carrying radioactive materials into the port area and carry out any operations on them. Handling of Class 7 in ports is only possible with permission from the competent authorities. Many ports do not allow Class 7 cargo to enter the ports because they do not have sufficient infrastructure.
Class 8 Corrosive Substances: Substances and preparations that, in contact with living tissue, can cause tissue destruction. They are substances that have an abrasive, thickness-reducing effect on human skin upon contact for a certain period of time. Substances that have a corrosive effect on steel and aluminum are also included in this class. This class consists mainly of acids and bases. Direct contact with these materials should be avoided.
Class 9 Other Dangerous Goods: Substances that pose a danger during transportation but do not fit into any of the defined classes are included in this class. These materials should be stored in well-ventilated, moisture-free areas.
They should be protected from direct sunlight. All these materials should be stored in an area that is easily accessible and easily intervened in case of an emergency.
There is no generalization for loads in this class, and there are many types of loads. Separate security measures must be taken for each load. IMDG Code specifies these loads by name.
Containers containing hazardous materials must have danger signs on them depending on the characteristics of the chemical material in question.
NOTE: MSDS forms of hazardous materials must be checked to obtain information on fire extinguishing and first aid measures.
As mentioned above, the number of dangerous cargoes is quite high. Labeling and marking is applied for these loads specified in the IMDG Code. In the marking application, the "name used in transportation" of the cargo and the four-digit number determined by the United Nations Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods, starting with UN, must be marked on the outside of the packaging of the cargo.
They should be protected from direct sunlight. All these materials should be stored in an area that is easily accessible and easily intervened in case of an emergency.
In this way, during transportation of the cargo, the cargo can be identified with the UN number on the brand and the precautions to be taken in case of emergency can be learned. During the labeling process of the cargo, rhombus-shaped labels measuring at least 10x10 cm are attached to visible parts of the exterior of the container containing the cargo.
FLOUR NUMBERS
In order to facilitate instant identification of hazardous substances, the United Nations (UN) has assigned a standard four-digit number to each substance on the dangerous substances list. These may be referred to as substance identification numbers or proper shipping names, but are more commonly known as UN numbers (UN NOs). It should be noted that for these numbers, it must always be a four-digit number.
PACKAGING GROUP
The packaging group provides information about the danger level of hazardous substances. The riskiest items should be packaged in the most durable packages and precautions should be taken against possible risks. Substances of classes 1, 2, 5.2, 6.2 and 7 and self-dissolving substances other than class 4.1 (classes 3, 4.2, 4.3, 5.1, 6.1, 8, 9) are divided into packaging groups (PG) for packaging due to their degree of danger.
Packing group (PG) indicates how dangerous a substance is. The packaging group is divided into three parts: PG I is designed for substances with the highest risk, PG II for substances with medium risk and PG III for substances with low risk.
Packaging Group Packaging Group I Highly hazardous substance
Packaging Group II Medium hazardous/dangerous substance
Packaging Group III means less hazardous material.