Handling Dangerous Goods: Hapag-Lloyd’s commitment to safety
When it comes to Dangerous Goods (DG), expertise is essential to ensure safe handling and transport. Hapag-Lloyd stands as a trusted leader in this field, backed by decades of experience and a global team dedicated to safety.
Did you know that everyday items like deodorant and lithium batteries are classified as Dangerous Goods in the shipping industry, like more obvious items such as fireworks, though they fall into different classes? These products require careful handling, packaging, and stowage to prevent incidents. To understand why this extra care is necessary, we spoke with, Deniz Kankale Basaloglu, Director Dangerous Goods at Hapag-Lloyd, and Anne Timm, Dangerous Goods Manager at Hapag-Lloyd, who shared their insights on safe, reliable transport. “People shouldn’t fear transporting dangerous goods – what matters is that they are handled correctly, and we can take pride in our strict safety measures,” emphasizes Anne Timm.
Decades of leadership in Dangerous Goods transport
Hapag-Lloyds Dangerous Goods Department is one of the oldest in the liner shipping industry and setting safety benchmarks for over 50 years. The top priority? Safeguarding the crew, vessels, environment, and cargo. This is achieved through a global network of experts – including the Headquarters team, the Knowledge Center in Gdansk (PL), and Regional Dangerous Goods Managers – who collaborate seamlessly to maintain the highest safety standards.
Strict international regulations govern the stowage of DG on board. However, Hapag-Lloyd goes beyond these requirements to ensure the safest possible transport. For example, DG is never stowed on the ship’s sides or near crew accommodations. Depending on their classification, DG may be transported in standard containers, reefer (refrigerated) containers, special tanks, or shipper-owned containers. Some must remain on deck in specific tiers accessible via the lashing bridge for firefighting purposes, while others are also allowed to be stowed under deck in accordance with IMDG (International Maritime Dangerous Goods) Code. Containers are labelled with the required placards in accordance with the IMDG Code, providing warnings about the contents of dangerous goods and the associated hazards.
Deniz Kankale Basaloglu, Director Dangerous Goods at Hapag-Lloyd
"From the initial booking inquiry to final delivery, we work as one team to prioritize safety and quality every step of the way."
Proactive measures against undeclared cargo
One of the greatest dangers in the industry is undeclared or misdeclared cargo, which can pose serious safety threats. To prevent this, Hapag-Lloyd’s Cargo Patrol Team proactively scans bookings to identify and intercept undeclared shipments –catching nearly 4,000 cases annually. An interesting fact: Hapag-Lloyd is the first carrier to implement an advanced search engine for this purpose, pioneering an industry standard that many others have since adopted.
Beyond adhering to the IMDG (International Maritime Dangerous Goods) Code, Hapag-Lloyd has implemented internal safety policies that exceed standard regulations. These house rules are also regularly updated, ensuring that our safety measures remain ahead of global standards. Many of these internal policies have been so effective that they were later incorporated into the IMDG Code itself.
A comprehensive approach to safety and compliance
The validation of DG bookings is carried out by our Knowledge Center (KC) in Gdansk. The team at the KC handles bookings, ensuring compliance with safety standards while facilitating a smooth approval process. At the same time, the Regional Dangerous Goods Managers serve as the point of contact for operational matters and as representatives in discussions with local authorities. What sets Hapag-Lloyd apart is that regional DG managers also play an active role in planning DG stowage on board, ensuring safety considerations are integrated into every journey.
To ensure safety for all involved, Hapag-Lloyd maintains a prohibited and restricted list that limits the transportation of certain UN numbers or classes. However, Hapag-Lloyd minimizes exclusions whenever possible. Providing secure transport for a wide range of DG commodities, helps prevent these shipments from being transported undeclared. In doing so, Hapag-Lloyd actively contributes to a safer global transport network.
Commitment to environmental responsibility
Hapag-Lloyd’s DG department also includes a Sensitive Cargo Team as part of the department. They are responsible for ensuring that hazardous waste and other sensitive goods are transported by Hapag-Lloyd strictly in compliance with high standards and stringent regulations. “We carefully assess shipments not only for safety but also for ethical and political considerations. Understanding how sensitive cargo may be used is essential. This responsibility shapes our decisions on whether to accept a booking,” explains Deniz. Illegal waste is a big environmental issue and contrary to what Hapag-Lloyd’s goal: by transporting hazardous waste to ports with highly developed recycling plants Hapag-Lloyd plays a role in the recycling circle and support the wish for a sustainable recycling for a healthier environment.
Anne Timm, Dangerous Goods Manager at Hapag-Lloyd
"Hapag-Lloyd has decades of experience and a reputation for handling dangerous goods with precision. Every booking is processed with the same high level of care, involving many dedicated colleagues who all share one goal: ensuring safety."
Team effort: ensuring safe journeys for Dangerous Goods
Transporting DG safely requires close collaboration across the entire organization. In 2024 alone, Hapag-Lloyd safely transported nearly 500,000 TEUs of DG. For Anne Timm, this reflects Hapag-Lloyd’s longstanding expertise: “Hapag-Lloyd has decades of experience and a reputation for handling dangerous goods with precision. Every booking is processed with the same high level of care, involving many dedicated colleagues who all share one goal: ensuring safety.”
Hapag-Lloyd’s Dangerous Goods team remains dedicated to delivering the safest, most responsible, and most reliable transport solutions – protecting people, cargo, and the environment with every shipment.
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