Classification of Dangerous Goods

The responsibility for classifying dangerous goods lies with the person, organization or government preparing the goods for shipment. Substances are classified according to the main threat they present. Some substances are classified by using test data when the substance meets the classification for a hazard class or division that is not identified in the Dangerous Goods List (DGL). A number of the dangerous goods listed in the IMDG Code are also recognized as substances harmful to the marine environment, known as "marine pollutants." On the DGL section of Part 3 (bound in Volume 2), these are marked with a "P." A short chapter is devoted to these dangerous goods at the end of Part 2. Three important terms are frequently used in the IMDG Code. A class is a grouping of dangerous goods that shares similar characteristics. There are nine classes. A division is a smaller group of substances within a class. Some substances may be assigned a packing group, based on its danger level.

To learn more about IMDG visit our International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code Online Training web page.