Part VI — Specialised Cargo & Operations · Lesson 21
Dangerous & Hazardous Cargo
The nine UN classes of dangerous goods, the codes that govern each transport mode (IMDG, IATA DGR, ADR), and the forwarder's duties — aware, not expert.
Some cargo can hurt people, ships and other goods — explosives, gases, flammable liquids, corrosives, toxics. Moving it safely is tightly regulated, and the rules are unforgiving. NAFL sets the forwarder’s position precisely: a forwarder is not expected to be a dangerous-goods expert, but is expected to be fully aware of the steps and procedures for safe packing, handling and acceptance — enough to guide shippers and to know when something is wrong.
Who is responsible — and who is not
Under all UN dangerous-goods codes, it is the shipper who is legally responsible for correctly classifying, packing, marking, labelling and declaring the goods. Freight forwarders are not authorised to sign the dangerous-goods declaration. But because the forwarder handles the shipment, all the requisite information must be supplied to them — and they must know the rules well enough to check it and refuse what doesn’t conform.
The regulatory framework
The system cascades from one UN body down to mode-specific rulebooks:
- At the top, the UN Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods issues recommendations, consolidated in the “UN Orange Book” (updated regularly).
- From these, each mode’s authority publishes its own regulations:
- IMDG Code — International Maritime Dangerous Goods code, for sea (framed by the IMO under the SOLAS convention, 1974).
- IATA DGR — Dangerous Goods Regulations, for air (based on the ICAO Technical Instructions).
- ADR / RID / ADN — European road / rail / inland-waterway codes respectively.
The nine UN classes — know these cold
NAFL is emphatic that everyone in shipping must know the nine classes, even without the subdivisions:
| Class | Hazard |
|---|---|
| 1 | Explosives |
| 2 | Gases — compressed, liquefied, toxic or dissolved |
| 3 | Flammable liquids |
| 4 | Flammable solids (4.1) · spontaneously combustible (4.2) · dangerous when wet (4.3) |
| 5 | Oxidising substances (5.1) · organic peroxides (5.2) |
| 6 | Toxic substances (6.1) · infectious substances (6.2) |
| 7 | Radioactive materials |
| 8 | Corrosives |
| 9 | Miscellaneous dangerous substances (anything else requiring the rules) |
(Classes 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 have subdivisions, treated slightly differently by mode.)
Packing, marking and the rest
NAFL works through the controls; in summary, the forwarder must be aware of:
- Packaging — well-made, in good condition, chemically compatible with the contents, able to withstand handling and carriage; tested and approved to a UN specification marking and Packing Group I, II or III (by degree of hazard); liquids need ullage (head-space for expansion).
- Marking & labelling & placarding — packages durably marked with the correct technical / proper shipping name (never just a trade name), the UN number, and the diamond hazard label(s); marks must survive at least three months’ immersion in seawater. Transport units (containers, vehicles) carry external placards per IMDG/IATA.
- Segregation — incompatible hazards must be kept apart (NAFL’s image: never stow flammable thinners next to fireworks); each code specifies separation distances.
- Securing — extra care so nothing breaks free and spreads hazardous material.
- Subsidiary hazards — many goods carry more than one hazard; the primary hazard takes the main label, secondary hazards are also shown.
- Documentation — the shipper’s signed DG declaration and proper shipping name must be available before acceptance, so packaging can be checked.
- Training — staff handling DG (especially by air) must hold current certification; in the UAE, Civil Aviation requires formal registration before a company can handle dangerous air cargo.
The framework NAFL teaches is intact and only tightened. The IMDG Code is now mandatory under SOLAS (amended on a 2-year cycle) and the IATA DGR is updated annually with mandatory recurrent training. The big addition since 2003 is the lithium battery problem — phones, laptops, EVs — now among the most regulated and incident-prone air/sea cargoes, with their own evolving rules. The GHS (Globally Harmonized System) has also aligned hazard symbols across transport and workplace. The nine classes themselves are unchanged.
A WorldZone operator’s DG discipline is exactly NAFL’s: aware, not expert. Recognise the nine classes on sight, insist on the shipper’s signed declaration and proper shipping name before accepting, check the packaging/marking conforms, never sign the declaration yourself, and route DG only through staff and partners with current certification. Many everyday products are hidden DG — aerosols, paints, batteries, the very automotive chemicals in the group’s own trade (Class 3 flammables) — so the habit of asking “is this dangerous goods?” on every enquiry is the safeguard.
What to take from this chapter
- The forwarder is aware, not expert — and never signs the DG declaration; the shipper is responsible.
- Framework: UN Orange Book → IMDG (sea), IATA DGR (air), ADR/RID/ADN (road/rail/waterway).
- Memorise the nine UN classes.
- Insist on the proper shipping name, UN number, correct packing/marking and signed declaration before acceptance; use certified staff and partners.
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