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    5 Tips to Consider Regarding Dangerous Goods Transport

    Transportation of goods is a tricky business itself because there is always a risk of damage or something breaking if enough precautions are not taken. Also, when transporting dangerous goods, it is not possible to be careful all the time. A slight carelessness can lead to a major danger. Therefore, while transporting these goods, one should take extra precautions and measures and keep a few basic tips and guidelines in mind to prevent unwanted situations.

    Ensuring that the packaging and the carrier is safe enough and other such measures along the same line is important. There are different classifications of dangerous goods and each have a different approach toward packaging and transporting.

    The major maxims or guidelines toward careful dangerous goods transport have been mentioned and explained in detail below. Following these will ensure maximum safety.

    How to Go Ahead with Transporting Dangerous Goods?

    #1 Packing- At checkpoints, a thorough check is done to see if there is any seeping or leakage. It is extremely important to ensure that the packaging is done more than just right. In case of dangerous goods, the packaging has to be perfect to ensure there is no danger to anyone surrounding the good. Before transporting the good, it should be thoroughly checked for breaches. The forwarders and freighters should be well instructed as to what actions to take in the event of a leakage or seepage of some kind. When transporting dangerous goods, it should be ensured that the transporting team has expertise in this field or a specialty of some kind.

    #2 Correct markings- This is an important tip that one should always remember and consider when dangerous goods transport leaves the storehouse. Marking of the goods is important because it helps the people differentiate between the normal goods and the dangerous ones. The goods should be handled carefully and checked for typographical mistakes and errors. Markings help the consignee and the freighters to figure out exactly what kind of goods are they and then they should handle the goods exactly the way it should be handled.

    #3 Filling out the DGD properly- This is perhaps the most important tip of all. It is a basic thing when it comes to the transportation of dangerous goods. DGD or Dangerous Goods Declaration is like a formal form that has to be filled out if dangerous goods are being transported. The DGD has to be filled out according to the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations otherwise the shipment may be cancelled and the goods may never be transported. Filling up of the DGD correctly is of utmost importance and all the Material Safety Data Sheets need to attach or sent along with the goods.

    #4 Label placing- This is one area that most people get wrong. Placing the label is not tricky but surprisingly few people manage to get it right. Labels denote what kind of goods are being transported and the kind of hazards it may cause. This helps the shipper and the retriever to decipher exactly what kind of goods are they and how to handle that. The labels should always be placed on the outward facing direction and not above or below the package. This should be considered with emphasis when it’s a matter of dangerous goods transport.

    #5 Segregation and unloading- The goods must be properly segregated from the normal goods in order to prevent any kind of damage. Unloading of the good should be done carefully as well.

    Hence, those were the major tips and guidelines to remember when transporting dangerous goods. This way, the risk factor is minimized.