**Executive Summary**
This maritime advisory, NT Wing Cargo Circular – 01 of 2020, issued by the Directorate General of Shipping, Mumbai on 07/08/2020, concerns the safe preparation, storage, handling, and shipment of dangerous goods. It emphasizes the importance of adhering to the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code to prevent incidents. The advisory is a response to recent incidents involving dangerous goods, including the explosion at the Port of Beirut.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Regulatory Framework:**
* The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) provides provisions for the carriage of dangerous goods.
* International regulations prohibit the handling of dangerous goods except as per IMDG Code.
* SOLAS & IMDG Code requires instructions on emergency response procedures and medical first aid for incidents involving dangerous goods.
* **Compliance and Consequences:**
* All stakeholders (ships, ports, shippers, stevedores, transport operators, etc.) must strictly adhere to the IMDG Code.
* Non-compliance can lead to devastating consequences, referencing incidents like Beirut explosion.
* **Guidance and Resources:**
* Stakeholders are advised to strictly comply with the provisions of the IMDG Code, including its supplement containing the EmS Guide and Medical First Aid Guide.
**Impact Analysis**
**Ships, Ports, Shippers, Stevedores, Transport Operators, Customs, Warehouses, Master of Vessels, Seafarers**
**Impact**
They are directly responsible for the safe handling, storage, and shipment of dangerous goods. Failure to comply with IMDG Code provisions can result in legal ramifications, financial losses, and reputational damage.
**Action Required**
Must strictly comply with all provisions of the IMDG Code, including the EmS Guide and Medical First Aid Guide, during the preparation, storage, handling, and shipment of dangerous goods.
Key Entities Referenced
International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code (IMDG Code): A code providing provisions for the safe preparation, storage, handling, and shipment of dangerous goods.
International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974 (SOLAS): An international maritime treaty setting minimum safety standards in the construction, equipment and operation of merchant ships.
Directorate General of Shipping, Mumbai: The issuing authority for this advisory regarding maritime safety for dangerous goods.
Port of Beirut, Lebanon: The location of a recent explosion cited as a consequence of non-compliance with dangerous goods regulations.
भारत सरकार/ GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
पोत प(cid:464)रवहन म(cid:287)ं ालय / MINISTRY OF SHIPPING
नौवहन महा(cid:467)नदेशालय, मबुं ई
DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF SHIPPING, MUMBAI
File No: 25-31/1/2020-NT - DGS Dated: 07/08/2020
NT Wing Cargo Circular – 01 of 2020
Subject: Maritime advisory for the safe preparation, storage, handling &
shipment of dangerous goods – reg.
1. The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974 [SOLAS]
provides provisions for the carriage of dangerous goods in packaged form and in
bulk on ships. The detailed provisions and guidelines for the safe preparation,
storage, and handling of transportation and shipment of dangerous goods or
hazardous materials are enumerated under International Maritime Dangerous
Goods Code (i.e. IMDG Code).
2. International regulations prohibit the handling of dangerous goods except
in accordance with the provisions of the IMDG Code. Also, the provisions of the
SOLAS & IMDG Code requires the issuance of instructions on emergency response
procedures and medical first aid relevant to incidents involving dangerous goods,
taking into account the guidelines developed by the Organization.
3. The provisions of the IMDG Code for the safe preparation, storage,
handling & shipment of dangerous goods needs to be strictly adhered to by all
stakeholders (i.e. ships, ports, shippers, stevedores, transport operators, etc.) in
order to ensure no incidents occur while dealing with dangerous goods on board
ships and in ports.
Non-compliance with the provisions of IMDG Code on board ships or ashore
including at warehouses etc could lead to devastating consequences on ships, ports
and to its vicinity. The recent explosion at the Port of Beirut, Lebanon, on Aug 4,
2020 is reported to have resulted in the loss of innumerable lives and thousands
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
बीटा (cid:466)ब(cid:227) डीगं , 9वी मंिजल, आई (cid:876)थकं टे(cid:200) नो कै(cid:224) पस, कांजुर गौव रोड, काजं ूर माग (cid:91) (पूव)(cid:91), मंबई – 400042
9th Floor, BETA Building, I-Think Techno Campus, Kanjur Village Road Kanjurmarg (E) / Mumbai –400042
फोन/Tel.: 91-22-25752040/1/2/3, फै(cid:200) स/Fax.: 91-22-25752029/35 ई-मले /E-mail: dgship-dgs@nic.in वेबसाईट /Website: www.dgshipping.gov.ininjured with substantial numbers being rendered homeless. According to media
reports, the explosion is reported to have been caused by the detonation of
dangerous goods (i.e. ammonium nitrate) which had been stored at the dock since
it was offloaded from a cargo ship. The tragedy at Beirut on 4th August 2020
highlights what happens when dangerous goods are not stored with care, as the
explosion is reported to have torn through the city, registering a force as strong as
a 3.3 magnitude earthquake with some of the residents claiming that the scenes
looked “like an apocalypse” and that the port was “totally destroyed.”
4. An earlier incident involving dangerous goods at a container storage
station at the Port of Tianjin, China on August 12, 2015 had resulted in a series of
explosions resulting in the loss of lives of a large number of people and injuries
to hundreds of others. Reports indicate that fires caused by the initial explosions
continued to burn uncontrolled resulting in additional explosions on subsequent
dates.
5. An even earlier incident involving dangerous goods at the Port of Texas
City, Texas, at Galveston Bay, USA on April 16, 1947, resulted in a fire on board
the vessel SS Grandcamp and detonation of her cargo of dangerous goods, which
started a chain reaction of fires and explosions in other ships and nearby oil-
storage facilities leading to the loss of large number of lives and damage to ships
and property.
6. Incidents involving dangerous goods may not remain limited to a small
area and can have wide ranging impact including vessels, ports and its
surrounding areas. To avoid such occurrences during the preparation, storage,
handling & shipment of dangerous goods, all stake holders including ships, ports,
customs, warehouses, master of vessels, seafarers, stevedores, transporters,
etc., are advised to strictly comply with the provisions of the IMDG Code
including its supplement containing the EmS Guide and Medical First Aid Guide
for all cargoes listed as dangerous goods.
7. This is issued with approval of the Competent Authority
(Capt. P.C. Meena)
Nautical Surveyor-cum-DDG (Tech)
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
बीटा (cid:466)ब(cid:227) डीगं , 9वी मंिजल, आई (cid:876)थकं टे(cid:200) नो कै(cid:224) पस, कांजुर गौव रोड, काजं ूर माग (cid:91) (पूव)(cid:91), मंबई – 400042
9th Floor, BETA Building, I-Think Techno Campus, Kanjur Village Road Kanjurmarg (E) / Mumbai –400042
फोन/Tel.: 91-22-25752040/1/2/3, फै(cid:200) स/Fax.: 91-22-25752029/35 ई-मले /E-mail: dgship-dgs@nic.in वेबसाईट /Website: www.dgshipping.gov.in