Port Operations and IMDG Code Courses in India: Terminals, Containers and Dangerous Goods by Sea
| Course | For | What it covers | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mastering Sea Port Operations | Port and terminal operations teams, logistics professionals who work with ports | Port governance and economics, vessel call lifecycle, cargo handling, yard and gate, performance, safety, ISPS and customs, terminal operating systems, digitalisation, sustainability | 46 |
| Fundamentals of IMDG | Shipping, freight, port, warehouse, documentation and compliance staff who meet packaged dangerous goods by sea | The IMDG Code's regulatory context and structure, classification, marine pollutants, the shipper's identification process, packaging and UN performance packaging, marking and documentation | 47 |
| Mastering Containerisation and Shipping | Forwarders, shipping-line staff, port and terminal teams, people entering container shipping | Container vessels and fleet, container selection, terminal operations, routes and chokepoints, carriers and alliances, documentation, regulation, freight costs | 45 |
The short answer
If you work in or around a port, Sea Port Operations is the course that explains how the whole terminal works and is measured. If your work touches packaged dangerous goods moving by sea, Fundamentals of IMDG gives you a working understanding of the Code, with one important limit explained below. If you are in or entering container shipping and forwarding, Containerisation and Shipping covers the equipment, the routes, the carriers and the paperwork. All three are self-paced, 45 to 47 guided hours, with Blue Ocean certificates of completion.
The IMDG course: what it is, and what it is not
What it is. A 47-hour foundation in the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code: the maritime regulatory context; the global architecture of IMO, SOLAS, MARPOL and the UN system; how the Code is structured and how to navigate it; hazard classification and the dangerous goods classes; marine pollutants and MARPOL Annex III; the shipper's identification process and accurate cargo description; packaging and packing instructions; UN performance packaging, testing and certification; marking, labelling and documentation; and the operational side of stowage, segregation and handling. For documentation, warehouse, forwarding and port staff who need to read a dangerous goods declaration and know what it means.
What it is not. The IMDG Code requires shore-side personnel involved in the transport of dangerous goods by sea to be trained commensurate with their responsibilities, and places that obligation on the employer, who must deliver and record role-specific training to the standard its regulator applies. This course is not that training and does not satisfy it. It is not a national dangerous goods certificate, it does not authorise anyone to sign a dangerous goods declaration, and it is not refresher training against a specific amendment of the Code. If your employer's compliance programme needs mandated training, this course is the foundation your people take before it, not instead of it. We say this because the words "IMDG certification" are searched for, and a course sold under them that does not say this is misleading its buyers. Course page.
Mastering Sea Port Operations (46 hours)
The global port ecosystem: governance, ownership and economics; ports in the maritime supply chain; port infrastructure and operational flow; the vessel arrival and port call lifecycle; cargo handling processes and productivity; yard management, gate operations and hinterland connectivity; port performance measurement and continuous improvement; port safety and occupational risk; maritime security, ISPS and customs collaboration; terminal operating systems and port community systems; digitalisation; and sustainability and resilience. For port operations teams, terminal staff, logistics professionals who depend on ports, and managers who need to speak the terminal's language. Particularly relevant around the Kochi, Mumbai, Chennai, Mundra and Visakhapatnam gateways. Course page.
Mastering Containerisation and Shipping (45 hours)
The global impact of containerisation; the maritime trade and sea freight ecosystem; container vessels and fleet architecture; selecting the right container for the cargo; port and terminal operations; shipping routes, chokepoints and maritime geopolitics; the container shipping lifecycle; ocean carriers, alliances and market structure; shipping documentation and compliance; international maritime regulation; and freight costs and pricing. For shipping-line and forwarder staff, port and terminal teams, logistics coordinators and people preparing for container shipping roles. Course page. The forwarding and documentation route continues in shipping and freight forwarding courses in India; the air side is in air cargo and dangerous goods awareness courses.
Who should take which
- Terminal and port operations staff: Sea Port Operations; add IMDG if dangerous goods pass through your yard.
- Shipping-line and forwarder documentation staff: Containerisation and Shipping, then IMDG.
- Warehouse and CFS staff handling packaged dangerous goods: IMDG as the foundation, before the employer's mandated training.
- Compliance and HSE staff: IMDG for the Code's logic; the mandated training is a separate programme.
- People entering container shipping: Containerisation and Shipping first.
Delivery in India
All three are self-paced with the guided hours shown, so the content is the same in Kochi, Mumbai, Chennai or inland. Advisors are available in person at our New Delhi, Noida, Pune, Hyderabad and Kochi centres; the Kochi centre sits near the Vallarpadam transhipment terminal and is described on the Kochi training page. Tuition is shown in Indian rupees on the course pages for visitors in India. Port operators and forwarders take these for teams through corporate training in India.
Frequently asked questions
Is this an IMDG certification? No. Fundamentals of IMDG is a foundation course with a Blue Ocean certificate of completion. It is not the role-specific training the IMDG Code requires employers to provide, and it does not authorise anyone to sign dangerous goods declarations.
Who should take the IMDG course? Shipping, freight, port, warehouse, documentation and compliance staff who meet packaged dangerous goods by sea and need to understand the Code before their mandated training.
What does the port operations course cover? Port governance and economics, the vessel call lifecycle, cargo handling, yard and gate operations, performance, safety, ISPS security and customs, terminal operating systems and digitalisation, in 46 self-paced hours.
Is there a container shipping course? Yes. Mastering Containerisation and Shipping, 45 hours, covers vessels, equipment, routes, carriers, documentation and freight costs.
Are these courses online? Yes. All three are self-paced.
Talk to an advisor
Tell us whether you work on the terminal, in the shipping line or forwarder, or with dangerous goods, and we will recommend one course and be clear about what it does not cover. Speak to a course advisor, or see all logistics courses in India.
