Transportation of dangerous goods can be carried out by different modes of transport: sea, inland water, road, railway and air transport.
There are special regulations and rules of transportation, documentation, labeling, and special requirements for rolling stock and staff responsibilities in case of emergency for each mode of transport.
Transportation of dangerous goods is a specific mode of transportation in view of the potential danger of the goods being transported. That is why both transport, and the personnel involved into transportation of dangerous goods has to meet exclusive standards.
Main international documents regulating transportation of dangerous goods:
 NTERNATIONAL MARITIME DANGEROUS GOODS CODE (IMDG Code) 2021. Amendment 40-20 |  Freight containers |
 Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods, Model Regulations (Rev.18) |  Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS, Rev.5) |
 European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Inland Waterways (ADN 2015) |  European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR 2015). September 2014. |
 SOLAS (Consolidated edition, 2014) |  SOLAS AMENDMENTS 2010 AND 2011 |
 CSS Code 2011. Code of Safe Practice for Cargo Stowage and Securing |  MARPOL (Consolidated Edition, 2011) |
 RID Regulations Concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Rail |  Òechnical Instructions of the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air (ICAO) |
 Code of Practice for Packing of Cargo Transport Units "CTU Code" |  International Convention on Safe Containers 1972 (CSC 1972), 2014 |
 INTERNATIONAL MARITIME SOLID BULK CARGOES CODE (IMSBC Code) AND SUPPLEMENT (2013 Edition, incorporating amendment 02-13) |
The Russian Federation is a party of all the abovementioned regulation documents.
In addition to the international regulations for transportation of dangerous goods, there are national regulations of the Russian Federation which were developed on the basis or with due consideration of the abovementioned regulation documents:
Declaring and certification of dangerous goods is the responsibility of the shipper (cargo owner) and should be performed in accordance with the requirements of the procedure for declaration, certification and control of issuance of certificates for dangerous goods.
Dangerous goods should be classified by the shipper in accordance with GOST 19433 “Dangerous goods. Classification and marking” and the UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods.
The following goods should be declared as dangerous goods for transportation:
- Goods falling under the classification of dangerous goods;
- Empty cargo units which were not cleaned out after transporting dangerous goods.
Dangerous goods should be allowed for transportation in cargo units if their transport packaging:
- Meets the requirements of regulatory documents for its manufacture;
- Has UN marking, assigned by the competent authority;
- Has a marking informing on the type and danger level of the cargo (danger sign, shipping name of the cargo, UN number and classification code).
When dispatching packaged dangerous goods the shipper should provide the port, the freighter and the carrier or their representatives with the documents specified in the Regulations, as well as with:
- Certificate for transport packaging;
- Dangerous goods declaration. The section 10 of the Declaration should provide information about the certification of transport packaging and information about the assigned UN marking.
When dispatching dangerous goods in a container the person responsible for loading of the container should provide the Certificate of loading the container with dangerous goods in accordance with RD 31.11.21.18-96 “Rules for Maritime Transportation of Cargo in Containers”.
When shipping dangerous goods in bulk the shipper should provide the documents specified in the Rules for Safe Transportation of Not Grain Bulk Cargoes:
- Declaration of the transportation characteristics and conditions for the safe shipment of bulk cargo;
- Certificate of cargo characteristics at the time of loading;
- Certificate of sampling.
Dangerous goods without the abovementioned markings and documents should not be offered for transportation and delivery to the ports. Marine Port Authorities should check the presence of the required documents for dangerous goods sent by sea on board the vessel.
"Russian Register" J.S.C. performs for and on behalf of shippers (cargo owners):
- Elaboration and registration of Multimodal dangerous goods declarations;
- Expertise of documents of packaged dangerous goods;
- Expertise of documents of the package proposed for transportation of dangerous goods;
- Sampling of bulk cargoes;
- Laboratory testing;
- Elaboration and registration of declarations for bulk soil and liquid cargo;
- Certification of goods possessing dangerous properties for compliance with the declaration;
- Expertise of documents on fitness of tank container for transportation of certain dangerous cargo with issuance of the conclusion;
- Elaboration of Emergency Response Assistance Plan (ERAP);
- Elaboration of Oil Spill Response Plan (OSRP);
- Elaboration of safety data sheets of hazardous facilities;
- Elaboration of plans for improvement of protection at the facilities of critical importance;
- Support of licensing of loading and unloading activities in relation to dangerous goods;
- Consultation on the transport of dangerous goods and on incidents involving dangerous goods.
