Managing risks in the transport of dangerous goods: the role of international regulations

The use of applicable international conventions and agreements related to various types of transport helps to ensure safe and efficient movement of passengers and goods, as well as confirmation of transport by providing appropriate, standardized documentation. International conventions and agreements allow for better coordination of flow of people and goods between countries, introduce safety standards but also help to minimize environmental risks. In the context of increasing challenges related to environmental protection and different levels of experience reflected by solutions in this field implemented in different countries, international regulations, applicable in these countries play a key role in shaping responsible and safe flow of goods. It concerns first of all flow of dangerous goods, which, in general can be described as any material posing a threat to human health and life. The objective of the paper is to describe the impact of the use of international conventions and agreements on reducing the risk when transporting different types of dangerous goods. This article primarily focuses on the regulations regarding the treatment of dangerous goods in road, rail and sea transport because these regulations are among the most frequently used. For the practical organization and supervision of the flow of dangerous goods, the groups of risk factors discussed in the article, the comparison of dangerous goods classifications across road, rail, and sea transport conventions, as well as the examples of universal risk-reducing solutions based on regulatory requirements, prove particularly useful.