IMDG Code 2024 Edition

IMDG Code Supplement 2024 Edition

If you ship dangerous goods by sea, the IMDG Code tells you how to classify, pack, mark, and document them. It does not tell your crew what to do when a drum starts leaking in heavy weather, or how to treat someone exposed to a toxic cargo. That guidance sits in a separate book. This guide explains what the 2024 edition of the IMDG Code Supplement contains, why it matters, and who needs it on board or in the office.

What is the IMDG Code Supplement?

The IMDG Code sets the rules for handling dangerous goods and marine pollutants at sea. It deliberately leaves out the operational detail of what to do in an emergency and how to give medical first aid. The Supplement fills that gap. It gathers the publications linked to the Code into one volume, so masters, crews, and shore staff keep the response and reporting guidance in a single place.^{[ 1 ]}

The 2024 edition aligns with Amendment 42-24 of the IMDG Code, which could be applied voluntarily from 1 January 2025 and became mandatory on 1 January 2026.^{[ 2 ]}

What’s inside the 2024 Supplement

The 2024 edition brings together the following material.

EmS Guide (emergency response procedures)

EmS stands for the Revised Emergency Response Procedures for Ships Carrying Dangerous Goods. It sets out the emergency schedules a crew follows when there is a fire or a spillage involving packaged dangerous goods. The guidance is written for situations where the master and crew must act without outside help. The 2024 edition reflects Amendment 42-24.^{[ 1 ][ 4 ]}

Medical First Aid Guide (MFAG)

The MFAG is the IMO, WHO and ILO Medical First Aid Guide for Use in Accidents Involving Dangerous Goods. It gives practical advice for the initial treatment of chemical exposure and poisoning, using the facilities available on a ship. Crews use it alongside the EmS Guide.^{[ 3 ]}

Reporting procedures

The Supplement sets out the procedures for reporting incidents involving dangerous goods, harmful substances, or marine pollutants, so the right authorities are notified in the right way.^{[ 1 ]}

INF Code

The 2024 edition includes the International Code for the Safe Carriage of Packaged Irradiated Nuclear Fuel, Plutonium and High-Level Radioactive Wastes on board Ships, known as the INF Code.^{[ 1 ]}

Resolutions and circulars

It also reproduces other IMO resolutions and circulars relevant to dangerous goods. These include the guidelines for inspection programmes for cargo transport units (MSC.1/Circ.1649) and the list of non-exhaustive voluntary guidance on pest contamination (MSC.1/Circ.1650).^{[ 1 ]}

How the Supplement relates to the IMDG Code and SOLAS

The IMDG Code is made mandatory under Chapter VII of the SOLAS Convention.^{[ 2 ]} The Code carries the classification, packing, marking, labelling, and documentation rules. The Supplement carries the emergency and medical response material that the Code refers to but does not print in full. The two work as a pair. If you keep the Code on board to meet your SOLAS obligations, the Supplement is what your crew reaches for when something goes wrong.

See also: IMDG Code 2024: What It Is and Who Needs It and SOLAS Consolidated Edition 2024.

Who needs the IMDG Code Supplement?

The Supplement is aimed at maritime administrations, shipping companies, manufacturers, packers, shippers, feeder services such as road and rail operators, and port authorities.^{[ 1 ]} In practice, anyone responsible for emergency response planning, crew training, or incident reporting for sea cargo should have access to the current edition. Ships carrying dangerous goods are expected to have the EmS Guide and the MFAG available, and the Supplement is the single volume that holds both.

Which version should you buy?

The Supplement is sold as a companion to the IMDG Code. Three options cover most needs.

Print Code plus print Supplement: best for vessels and offices that need hard copies to hand and want the full set in print.

Digital Code and Supplement pack: best for users who want searchable access across devices and a single combined purchase.

Supplement on its own: best if you already hold the 2024 Code and only need the companion volume.

Dandy Booksellers Australia is one of only two IMO authorised resellers in Australia. Print orders ship free to Australia and New Zealand.