Out with the old ... in with the new!

By John V. Currie -- Logistics Management, 10/1/2000

After almost 25 years, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has completely reformatted the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code.

The familiar four-volume, blue loose-leaf binder containing the IMO's International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code was introduced in 1977. It includes a General Introduction, a General Index, and an Annex.

The General Introduction prescribes hazard-communication systems, classifications according to a commodity's dangerous characteristics, documentation requirements, tank authorizations, and stowage controls for break-bulk cargoes and freight containers. The General Index is an alphabetical list of Proper Shipping Names for regulated substances. Volumes II, III, and IV contain individual schedules that include observations, chemical formulae, and properties for each substance, and also specify how to segregate incompatible substances. Annex I prescribes the U.N. standards for construction and testing of performance packaging. The code is amended every two years to incorporate technical changes and the recommendations of the U.N. Committee of Experts.

The current IMDG Code has served the maritime industry well for more than two decades. But in response to continual complaints regarding the inconvenient, bulky format and the resulting high cost of purchasing the books, the IMO in May of this year approved Amendment 30. Amendment 30 does not substantially change the rules, but it has changed the code's entire format.

The more portable code will now consist of two volumes containing seven distinct parts. Volume I will include:

Part 1-General Provisions, Definitions, and Training;

Part 2-Classification;

Part 4-Packing and Tank Provisions;

Part 5-Consignment Procedures;

Part 6-Bulk and Non-Bulk Packaging Specifications; and

Part 7-Requirements Applicable to Transporters.

Volume II will include Part 3-the Dangerous Goods List, Limited Quantity Exceptions, the appendices for generic Proper Shipping Names, and a glossary. The Dangerous Goods List will no longer be alphabetical but instead will be organized in ascending U.N. identification-number order and will be 18 columns wide, spanning two adjoining pages.

Some other prominent changes include new packing instructions and design changes for subsidiary risk labels, which may now show the class number at the bottom. The new code also is intended to better delineate which functions are applicable to the carrier and which to the shipper.

The new code will be authorized for use on Jan. 1, 2001, with a one-year transition period and mandatory use on Jan. 1, 2002. During the transition period, shippers and carriers may use either the 29th or the 30th amendment. The new code will cost about one-third less than the current version, but it will undoubtedly still need to be replaced every two years.

As with all things new, the resistance to change will fade over time and those who are well versed in the current version will soon become proficient in navigating the new code.

John V. Currie's firm, Currie Associates Inc., provides safety and compliance audits, consulting services, customized training manuals, and public and in-house seminars on hazardous-materials transportation management and regulatory compliance. He may be contacted at 1118 Bay Road, Lake George, NY 12845. Phone: (518) 761-0668. E-mail: mail@currieassociates.com. Web site: www.currieassociates.com.