IMDG Training and Crew Education
IMDG Chapter 1.3 governs shore-based personnel; crew competence follows STCW, ISM/SMS, flag requirements, duties and any applicable specialised training.
Operational Explanation
Two separate paths apply. IMDG 1.3 gives shore-based personnel general awareness, function-specific and safety training proportionate to functions, with employer records and refresher as appropriate. Seafarers and shipboard personnel follow STCW, ISM/SMS, flag, assigned duties, emergency organisation and tanker/specialised requirements.
Regulatory Reference
Chapter 1.3 is not about the crew. That is the premise this page took for granted and the one the Code contradicts in its first operative line. Paragraph 1.3.1.1 of the IMDG Code, in Amendment 42-24 adopted by resolution MSC.556(108), reads: “Shore-based personnel engaged in the transport of dangerous goods intended to be transported by sea shall be trained in the contents of dangerous goods provisions”. Shore-based: personnel ashore. Shippers, packers, whoever classifies, marks, draws up the Dangerous Goods Declaration, hands the container over at the terminal. A footnote to the Chapter refers expressly to the STCW Code for officers and ratings handling dangerous cargo — a sign that the IMDG Code treats the crew as another instrument's business.
The interval remains undetermined: training shall be “periodically supplemented with refresher training to take account of changes in regulations and practice”, and no interval is prescribed by the Code. Paragraph 1.3.1.3 assigns the records to the employer, who keeps them for a period established by the competent authority and makes them available to the employee or the authority on request. The employer of shore-based personnel, not the Master: under Chapter 1.3 there is no shipboard IMDG training register to produce. The fixed two-year interval many take for granted comes from air transport (ICAO TI / IATA DGR) or from national, flag or company requirements — not from the IMDG Code.
Where the crew's obligation does come from. From three distinct sources, best kept apart. From STCW: the safety familiarization and basic training of regulation VI/1, and the cargo-handling competences in Tables A-II/1 and A-II/2 of the STCW Code, with A-V/1-1 and A-V/1-2 for tanker personnel. From the ISM Code, whose § 6.5 requires the Company to identify training needs and to provide for them. And from SOLAS regulation II-2/19, which makes the carriage of dangerous goods conditional on the Document of Compliance issued by the Administration: this is what the PSCO looks for on board, and it certifies the ship, not the people.
Scope of Application
Shore-based personnel with dangerous-goods functions: IMDG 1.3. Crew: shipboard familiarisation and competence under STCW/ISM/SMS and flag. A Company may reuse the 1.3 structure in its SMS, but as a training choice, not direct application of the shore-based requirement.
Procedure / How to Complete It
- Map shore functions subject to IMDG 1.3 and provide awareness, function-specific and safety training.
- Train before responsibility or use direct supervision; retain employer records and refresh as appropriate.
- Map shipboard duties and training from STCW, SMS, flag, emergency organisation and tanker/specialised requirements.
- Record crew training under SMS/flag without automatically calling it IMDG 1.3.
- Verify operational competence against assigned duties.
Practical Example
A shore planner receives the three IMDG 1.3 elements for the function and the employer retains the record. A deck officer receives DG familiarisation and emergency training under STCW/SMS/flag; the Company may use similar modules but states the correct basis.
What Typically Goes Wrong
Directly imposing the three IMDG 1.3 levels on every crew member, inventing a universal refresher interval or treating an onboard register as an express Chapter 1.3 requirement.
Common Mistakes Mistake Library
| Mistake | Consequence | How to avoid it |
|---|---|---|
| Generic IMDG training for the entire crew, without distinguishing between the three levels required by Chapter 1.3 | Personnel with direct responsibilities not adequately prepared for their specific functions | Differentiate training paths for General Awareness, Function-Specific and Safety Training according to the actual role |
| Training register not updated or not immediately consultable on board | PSC deficiency even when the substantive training has actually been delivered | Maintain a structured training register, with date, content and reference edition, always available |
| Training not updated after a significant new amendment to the IMDG Code | Personnel not prepared for new classifications (e.g. sodium-ion batteries under Amendment 42-24) | Schedule the training update to coincide with the entry into force of every new amendment |
What the PSCO Checks
Operational Tips
- Do not settle for a single generic course for everyone: check that each role receives the level of IMDG training actually required by their responsibilities.
- Schedule the training update ahead of the mandatory entry into force of a new amendment, not just before the deadline.
- Prepare the crew to answer direct questions from the Port State Control Officer (PSCO) on the training content received: paper documentation alone is not enough to demonstrate effective training.
Preparation checklist
- Shore personnel and crew separated
- IMDG 1.3 training proportionate to shore functions
- Employer records available
- Refresher as appropriate without invented interval
- Crew training based on STCW/SMS/flag/duties
- Any 1.3-style crew structure labelled as SMS choice
FAQ
Related Topics
Last substantive revision of this page: 31 August 2026 · page fingerprint 280251971b07