One of the oldest techniques for preserving and moving goods from one location to another is packaging. It also plays a significant role for product protection and product identification.
Packaging is a crucial element
for the safe handling of chemicals in the chemical industry. Every type of Packaging
is created specifically for the type of chemical being moved or stored.
Chemicals should be packaged properly to prevent mishaps and genuine threat to
people's safety and material protection, including material and infrastructure
damages as well as loss of life in the event of fire explosions.
To guarantee that chemicals are
kept appropriately, prevent deterioration, and may be disposed of securely, it
is essential to adhere to the relevant laws and standards for chemical
packaging.
Packaging for chemicals are often divided into
two groups:
1) UN Approved Packaging
2) Non-UN Approved Packaging
UN Approved Packaging
Packaging that has received UN
approval has been confirmed to meet and adhere to UN standards. This is
especially important if you deal with the trading and transportation of
hazardous materials. Chemical packaging in these circumstances must go through
actual transit testing, including being dropped or put under a lot of pressure.
UN-approved chemical packaging
must also have the proper identifying labels and be able to keep the substance
within properly. For instance, glass packing should be used to carry hazardous
products like acid since it is inert and non-porous.
UN packaging can be split into
three further categories:
1)
UN X - suitable for Packing Group 1 and lower
2) UN Y - suitable for Packing
Group 2 and lower
3) UN Z - suitable for Packing
Group 3 only
Hazardous compounds are
categorized into three Packing Groups in accordance with UN standards:
1) Packing Group 1 for
high-danger materials
2) Packing Group 2 for materials posing medium
danger
3) Packing Group 3 for low-danger
materials
Packaging Groups 2 and 3 can also
utilize UN X packaging since it has been tested to the greatest level of hazard
but UN Y or UN Z packaging is not permitted to use for packing group 1 substance.
Non-UN Approved Packaging
Non-UN certified packaging may be
used to store and transport non-hazardous materials with no issues. This is
because if the packaging is damaged, such as by spilling, there is no danger to
the health and safety of people or the environment.
Buffer Solutions are an example
of a non-hazardous material that doesn't need packaging that has been
authorized by the UN.
The relevant hazard messages,
including as labels and shipping documents, must be included in the packaging
of hazardous goods, and this responsibility falls on the manufacturers and
distributors of such materials.
Here are some actions
one ought to take:
1) Use the products SDS to get
the correct transportation hazard classification for the product, as well as
its:
2) Four-digit product number
3) Proper shipping name
4) Hazard class
5) Packing group
Once you have determined
quantities and selected your packaging, you must mark and label your product
appropriately with:
1)
Hazard class labels
2) UN Number
3) Batch Number
4) Weight details
5) Proper shipping name
6) Shippers’ information
7) Manufacturing and expiry dates
8) Hazard Statements
9) Precautionary Statements
10) UN marking number for
packaging
Packaging Alternatives
According to a chemical's
physical characteristics, there are several packaging alternatives for
hazardous and non-hazardous substances. The table below lists a few
alternatives for packing bulk chemicals.
Bags are often preferred for
packing chemicals that have a powder, granular, or crystallised physical
quality. Different materials, such as HDPE, LDPE, PP, paper, etc., are used to
make bags. Some pharmaceutical drugs are kept in fibre drums. Additionally,
there are occasions when materials are moved or kept in corrugated boxes with
inside LDPE packing. Size of bags are different as per the end use and material
properties which is starting from 1 mg pouch to 1 Kg to 10 Kg to 50 Kg to 1250Kg.
Open top barrels with lid and
locking mechanism built from GI, HDPE, or composite materials can be used to
pack materials with slurry-like characteristics.
Liquid chemicals are having many
options for packaging. Packaging should be chosen base on many different
criteria like chemical characteristics of material, operational convenience,
end use, use preference, etc. For small quantity, majorly glass bottle or Plastic
bottle is preferred. For bulk packaging, Carboys, Barrels, IBC, Flexi Bag and
ISO tank are the options.
Gases which need to transport can be move is different size of cylinders or ISO tank.
1. SS Barrel
2. GI Barrel (Small Mouth &
Open Top)
3. Fibber Drum
4. MS Barrel
5. Jumbo Bag (500 Kg/700 Kg/1000
Kg/1200 Kg/1250 Kg)
6. Flexi Tank
7. Carboys and Jerry Cans
8. HDPE Barrel
9. IBC
10. Corrugated Boxes
11. Gas Cylinders
12. ISO Tank
13. HDPE Open Top Barrels
14. PP Bag
15. Paper Bag and HDPE Bag
16. Brick type paper bag
IMDG Code
International movement of
chemical via ocean should follow IMDG guidelines. IMDG means International
Maritime Dangerous Goods.
Dangerous goods are assigned to
one of the classes 1–9 according
to the hazard they present. Some
of these classes are subdivided
Class 1: Explosives ( 1.1 to 1.6
)
Class 2: Gases
Class 2.1: flammable gases
Class 2.2: non-flammable,
non-toxic gases
Class 2.3: toxic gases
Class 3: Flammable liquids
Class 4: Flammable solids;
substances liable to spontaneous
combustion; substances which, in
contact with water, emit
flammable gases
Class 4.1: flammable solids,
self-reactive substances, solid desensitized explosives and
polymerizing substances
Class 4.2: substances liable to
spontaneous combustion
Class 4.3: substances which, in
contact with water, emit flammable gases
Class 5: Oxidizing substances and
organic peroxides
Class 5.1: oxidizing substances
Class 5.2: organic peroxides
Class 6: Toxic and infectious
substances
Class 6.1: toxic substances
Class 6.2: infectious substances
Class 7: Radioactive material
Class 8: Corrosive substances
Class 9: Miscellaneous dangerous
substances and articles
Some of the dangerous goods are
marine pollutants
Below are a few criteria for dangerous goods
shipping.
- Packages of 30 litres or30 kg
or less = 6 mm
- Cylinders of 60 litres water capacity = 6 mm
2) Overpack
An overpack and unit load shall repeated
the marks and labels if same are not visible on packages.
In addition, an over pack shall be
marked with the word “OVERPACK” unless marks and labels are visible. Overpacks
must be additionally marked with “OVERPACK”. The lettering of the “OVERPACK”
marking shall be at least 12 mm high.
3) IBC: Intermediate bulk containers of more than 450 L capacity and large packaging shall be marked on two opposing sides.
5) Limited and Excepted
Quantities: Dangerous goods in limited and excepted quantities have different
marking requirements in chapters 3.4 and 3.5. They must be consigned according
to column 7a and 7b of dangerous goods list in chapter 3.2.
6) Orientation arrows:
• Combination packagings having
inner packagings containing liquid dangerous goods;
• Single packaging fitted with
vents; and
• Cryogenic receptacles for
refrigerated liquefied gases
• shall be legibly marked with
package orientation arrows
7) Label Specification:
• Square set at an angle of 45°
(diamond-shaped)
• 100 mm by 100 mm
• A line 5 mm inside the edge and
running parallel with it
• Upper half of a label the line
shall have the same colour as the symbol and in the
• Lower half it shall have the
same colour as the figure in the bottom corner
• Labels shall be displayed on a
background of contrasting colour, or shall have either a dotted or solid outer
boundary line
8)Durability of Marks labels: Durability shall be such that marks and labels are still be identifiable on packages surviving at least three months’ immersion in the sea.
9) Marking and Placarding of CTU:
Cargo transport unit (CTU) means
a road transport tank or freight vehicle, a railway transport tank or freight
wagon, a multimodal freight container or portable tank, or an multiple-element
gas container (MEGC).
Freight container must display
1. Class placard
2. Subsidiary Hazard Placard
3. Marine Pollutant Mark
Cargo mass & UN Number
display
1. Single cargo with less than
4000 kg mass no UN number to be displayed
2. Single cargo with more than
4000 kg mass UN Number must be displayed
Single hazardous substance – more
than 4000 kgs : 4 x Diamond placards & 4 x UN Numbers
10) UN Number Display:
UN Number may be displayed with
then placard or in an orange panel.
Against a white background in the
area below the pictorial symbol and above the class number
On an orange rectangular panel not less than 120 mm high and 300 mm wide, with a 10 mm black border, to be placed immediately adjacent to each placard
In black digits not less than 65 mm high
A tank container carrying
dangerous goods or residue of
previously carried dangerous
goods must be marked and
placarded as below.
• UN Number on all four sides
• Proper Shipping Name on two
sides
• Class and subsidiary hazards(s)
placards on all four sides
• If Marine Pollutant, marine
pollutant mark on all four sides
Marking of Proper Shipping Name: The
proper shipping displayed in characters not more than 65 mm high. Contrasting
colour with the background. This may be reduced to 12 mm for portable tank
containers with a capacity of less than 3,000 L.
12) Fumigated Cargo Transport
Unit:
Fumigated containers must display
below mark on the door of the unit. Must be removed only after unloading the
unit
13) Expendable Refringent: Cargo transport units with expendable refrigerants (dry ice, liquid nitrogen etc) must display below warning sign.
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