BRITANNIA LOSS PREVENTION APRIL 2026 IN CONTAINERISED SHIPPING, DANGEROUS GOODS (DGs) ARE FREQUENTLY TREATED AS JUST ANOTHER COMPLIANCE CHECKBOX DURING THEIR ACCEPTANCE AND TRANSPORTATION, YET THEIR SAFE HANDLING AND THE TRUE RISK PROFILE THEY PRESENT DEMANDS FAR MORE THAN PAPERWORK ALONE. When crew confirm a correct UN (United Nations) number is declared, matching placards are affixed, and the container is stowed according to the printed bay plan, it is easy to assume that cargo has been properly declared, and all risks have been adequately managed. However, this assumption is often flawed and relying on paper compliance alone does not guarantee accuracy in practice. This is an issue that has becoming even more prevalent and impactful with mis-declared cargoes. In practice, the most dangerous container on board is often not the one declared as hazardous, but those that are mis-declared or undeclared. When a cargo is incorrectly declared, the cargoes inside the containers may be packed using unsuitable materials, incompatible items may be placed together, wrong placards affixed and the containers loaded without regard to the segregation and compatibility requirements set out by the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code (IMDG Code) 1 . GENERAL UNDERSTANDING OF DANGEROUS GOODS IN CONTAINERS 2 | BRITANNIA LOSS PREVENTION | GUIDANCE When containers are stowed in inappropriate locations without proper placards or hazard identification, they create a false sense of security and are subsequently monitored under incorrect assumptions by the crew. Such mis-declared containers introduce significant hazards that cannot be detected from their outward appearance once loaded on board, leaving the crew unaware of the true risks concealed within. Consequently, when an incident occurs, the crew may be forced to suddenly confront a fire, a chemical reaction, gas release or a spillage without the accurate corresponding information about the substances involved. Moreover, they may refer to incorrect emergency schedules (EMS) or an inappropriate medical first aid guide (MFAG) to handle the situation safely and effectively. FIGURE 1 Container fire Mis-declared or undeclared hazardous cargo not only increases the risk of physical damage and delayed emergency response, but also creates an inherently unsafe working environment for the crew. Such actions from the upper supply chain have unknowingly exposed the crew to concealed dangers, placing their lives, the marine environment and the ship’s integrity at unnecessary risk. THE IMDG CODE PROVIDES A COMPREHENSIVE AND STANDARDISED REFERENCE THAT ENSURES EVERY REGULATED SUBSTANCE IS CONSISTENTLY CLASSIFIED, IDENTIFIED, PACKAGED, DECLARED, STOWED, HANDLED AND SEGREGATED IN A CONSISTENT MANNER THROUGHOUT THE TRANSPORTATION PHASES OF DGs BY SEA. The nine hazard classes such as explosives, gases, corrosive substances, and miscellaneous dangerous substances each pose dangerous characteristics to the ship’s crew and marine environment. GENERAL OUTLINE 3 | BRITANNIA LOSS PREVENTION | GUIDANCE These classes or divisions are as listed below: FIGURE 2 IMDG classification Class 1: Explosives – substances and articles that have a mass explosion hazard, a projection hazard or a fire hazard (i.e., ammunition, fireworks, flares) Class 2: Gases – includes flammable gases (2.1), non-flammable/non-toxic gases (2.2) and toxic gases (2.3) (i.e., propane, helium, chlorine, etc.) Class 3: Flammable liquids – liquids or mixtures o