Dangerous goods: the paperwork that has to be right before anything moves

Dangerous goods shipping rewards precision and punishes improvisation. Almost every serious incident traces back to a document that was wrong before the container was packed.

Classification first

Everything follows from the UN number and class, which come from the manufacturer's safety data sheet. Get the current version, not one from three years ago, because formulations and classifications change.

From there you need the proper shipping name, the packing group, and the flashpoint or other properties the class requires. These go on the dangerous goods declaration exactly as specified. Approximate wording is a rejected document.

Booking and approval

DG bookings are requests, not confirmations. The carrier reviews the class against vessel stowage rules and port restrictions, and some ports refuse certain classes entirely. Allow a week more than you would for general cargo, and more again for classes with limited acceptance.

The undeclared problem

Shipping dangerous goods as general cargo is a criminal matter in most jurisdictions, carries very large fines, and voids cargo insurance completely. It also causes fires at sea, which is why enforcement has hardened a lot.

If you are unsure whether something is regulated, treat it as regulated until the safety data sheet says otherwise. The cost of asking is an hour. The cost of being wrong is not comparable.