Sea container marking according to IMDG requirements
Transporting dangerous goods by sea requires the correct use of hazard class labels on sea containers. The entire contents of the container must also be correctly packaged, marked, documented and segregation rules must be followed. There are of course many more rules, but for now we will focus on choosing the correct hazard class label for a sea container.
Where can I find the right information on which labels to use? The correct answers can be found in chapter 5.3 of the IMDG Code “Placarding and marking of cargo transport units”. Below are some practical examples.
Marking/labeling of sea containers for the transport of dangerous goods
< 4000 kg
Up to 4,000 kg of hazardous substances, all belonging to the same hazard class, in this case hazard class 8.
The same applies to multiple UN numbers if all substances loaded into the container belong to the same hazard class.
Goods packaged in limited quantities (Limited Quantities – LQ)
A sea container loaded with only Limited Quantities of dangerous goods (see IMDG 3.4.5.5).
With one UN number > 4000 kg
Marking of sea containers if the container contains more than 4,000 kg of hazardous substances that fall under a single UN number.
< 4000 kg UN3082
A sea container containing more than 4,000 kg of an environmentally hazardous substance (UN3082).
Various substances in a container
If substances belonging to different hazard classes or substances with additional hazards are loaded into a sea container, all hazards must be marked on the container.
Explosives
When transporting explosives, the UN number is not required to be displayed on an orange plate. It is sufficient to label the container with hazard class stickers (see IMDG 5.3.2.1.1).
Environmental risk as an additional risk
Labelling of containers containing substances hazardous to the marine environment not covered by UN3082 or UN3077. An environmental hazard marking is added to the primary hazard class marking.
The dimensions of the orange placard are
300mm x 120mm
The minimum dimensions of the container label are:
250mm x 250mm