Safer shipping of dangerous goods with new tool "GL Cargo"

News was prepared under the information support of Online Daily Newspaper on Hellenic and international Shipping "Hellenic Shipping News".

30 Sep 2010

New chemicals and other dangerous goods bring new challenges for their safe shipment by sea. This is reflected by a new amendment to SOLAS II-2/19 “Carriage of Dangerous Goods”, which focuses on the corresponding requirements for equipment on board. International agreements control the transport of dangerous goods across international borders. Each mode of transport - inland waterways, sea, air, road and rail - has different safety requirements and therefore its own international convention or code based on the UN Model Regulations.
With the new amendment coming into force on 1 January 2011, Germanischer Lloyd (GL) has launched a database service “GL Cargo”, allowing its users an easy access to all equipment requirements on board of a vessel.
Most goods consigned for transport pose no danger to those involved in transporting them, to members of the public, or to the environment. However, some goods are potentially hazardous - they might, for example, be poisonous to humans and/or the environment, explosive, flammable or radioactive. The use and therefore transport of dangerous goods throughout the world is necessary to maintain both quality of life and sustainable development.
Friedo Holtermann, a Marine Engineer of GL, explains the benefits of the new databank: “With GL Cargo, a user can just tick off the types of cargo space and goods classes, and then leave the remaining work to our system which can automatically generate a report on all requirements about cargo holds and equipments, such as fire extinguishing system, water supplies, ventilation, detection system, etc. This tool makes it no longer drudgery for cargo planners to figure out what specific requirements they have to fulfil because a comprehensive report can be produced no matter how many types of dangerous goods their vessels will transport.”
GL Cargo contains all provisions of SOLAS II-2/19 adopted by Resolution MSC 269(85), as well as the revised standard format for the Document of Compliance for the Carriage of Dangerous Goods according to MSC.1/Circ.1266. It covers all dangerous goods in packaged form carried by multi-purpose vessels, containerships and Ro-Ro vessels and all solid dangerous goods in bulk shipped by bulk carriers and multi-purpose vessels. GL Cargo is also used to generate and print out the Document of Compliance in the new standard format as long as all relevant information about space type and goods classes is uploaded to the database. “This brings further convenience to our clients and GL alike,” Friedo Holtermann added.
GL has been authorized by major Flag State Administrations to provide the new Document of Compliance after conducting surveys and reviewing documents and drawings of ships. Existing documents for ships in service will remain valid until they need to be re-issued on the occasion of change of flag or class renewal.

Source: GL Group