Inspections of the transport of packaged dangerous goods by sea (IMDG inspections)
If your organisation transports or arranges the transport of dangerous goods to and from seaports in the Netherlands, your organisation must comply with national and international regulations. The Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) oversees this to protect people and the environment.
The type of inspection determines what ILT inspectors examine and how they do so.
Inspectors board seagoing vessels during loading and unloading. They check aspects such as segregation and documents, labels (in Dutch) on transport units such as containers, tank containers and loaded trucks, and how the cargo is secured. Inspections inside transport units occur after a gas measurement.
Inspectors visit various locations within port areas, including:
Sea terminals.
Roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) terminals and RoRo ships.
Departure and arrival points for offshore transports to and from drilling platforms.
During random checks, inspectors examine labels and characteristics of transport units such as containers, tank containers and loaded trucks. They retrieve transport documents and decide whether to inspect the contents or open transport units for examination. Inspections inside transport units occur after a gas measurement.
Company inspections take place, for example, when the ILT detects irregularities from a sender or recipient in the Netherlands dealing with dangerous goods. The ILT steers companies in making changes to company processes to prevent issues in the future.
For certain substances, transport flows and countries of dispatch, violations have been identified in the past. ILT inspectors carry out risk-based inspections for these types of cargo. During these inspections, the ILT collaborates with Douane (Customs Administration of the Netherlands) and the Nederlandse Voedsel- en Warenautoriteit, NVWA (Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority). This includes inspections at the State Inspection Terminal Rotterdam (S.I.T.) at Maasvlakte. Read more about selection, inspection and release of transport (in Dutch).
During thematic inspections, ILT inspectors focus on specific aspects of transport or specific transport routes. These inspections are often prompted by the sector failing to comply with laws or amended laws effectively. The ILT conducts thematic inspections similar to random inspections at port areas.
Tips for loaders and carriers
Loaders and carriers involved in the transport of dangerous goods to and from seaports in the Netherlands must:
Carefully check the tank's suitability, valve quality and correct filling level when filling tanks.
Carry out checks when goods are received to make sure they meet transport rules. Give feedback if you find any differences. Problems that the sector does not report will persist.
Ensure that each partial shipment has its own CPC.
