Carriage, Handling and Storage of Dangerous Goods along

2.3.4.3 Monitoring and Control of Dangerous Goods
PORTS AND TERMINALS 35
RECOMMENDATION
Member Countries should determine minimum standards for the monitoring and control of
dangerous goods, including dangerous goods register and Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS).
Challenge
Not all ports/terminals keep a register of all dangerous goods on the premises. Sometimes, the register
is not updated or Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) of these dangerous goods are not always
readily available. Having a dangerous goods register and the relevant MSDS is as equally important for
terminals where dangerous goods in bulk are handled/stored as for ports storing packaged dangerous
goods in warehouse and terminal areas as for ports storing containers with dangerous goods. In the
event of an emergency, not having a dangerous goods register can lead to a delayed response resulting
in an escalation of the incident. The dangerous goods register with the adjoining MSDS are part of the
emergency plan and must be readily accessible to any employee at the premises and any other person
who is likely to be affected by the dangerous goods on the premises.
An MSDS is a document that contains information for the safe handling, use, storage and disposal of
dangerous goods. MSDS should be provided by the supplier of the dangerous goods. The port/terminal
must make sure an authorised version of the MSDS is supplied. Generic MSDS should not be accepted,
although the data from generic MSDS can be used as supplementary information. The information
contained in the MSDS will enable employees and emergency services personnel to deal with incidents
such as spillages and damaged packages. MSDS should be readily accessible to all employees, other
personnel on the premises, emergency services, medical personnel and other authority personnel.
Manufacturers of dangerous goods are required to review and, where necessary, revise MSDS every 5
years so attention should be paid that the issue dates of the MSDS should be within the last 5 years.
The sites below contain Material Safety Data Sheets which free for consultation and need no registration:
References
1. http://www.msds.com/
2. http://www.msdsxchange.com/english/index.cfm
3. http://hazard.com/msds/index.php
• Code of Practice for the Storage and Handling of Dangerous Goods, No. 27, 8 December
2000;
• Manifests for Dangerous Goods Storage, Chemical Management and Emergency
Management (CHEM) Services, January 2002;
• IMDG Code, Volume 1-2; and
• Dangerous Goods Safety Guidance Note S02/09, Risk Assessment for Dangerous Goods,
December 2009, Government of Western Australia, Department Mines and Petroleum,
Resource Safety.