Regulations on dangerous goods transported by sea

As well as being one of the world’s leading export nations with a great interest in safe maritime transport, Germany is also a major shipping nation. With a share of over 35 % of the world fleet, the German container ship fleet has a leading global position. New ships are currently under construction which can convey more than 14,000 containers (each equivalent to one truckload). Goods stores of this size are a rarity on land. Available data also shows that 10-25 % of the containers on board carry dangerous goods.. The associated risks for the ship, its crew, the environment and the goods themselves must be taken into account.

Dangerous goods on trucks are also transported by ferry, especially in northern and north-eastern Europe, in so-called RoRo ferries. Special risks exist for the joint transport of dangerous goods and passengers.