Hand Sanitizer

As a result of COVID-19 we have seen a big increase in the demand for hand sanitizer from many of our customers.

Maersk wants to support that these products reach their destination safely, on time and without hassle.

Due to the high alcohol content needed to make hand sanitizers, they need to be shipped as dangerous cargo. In general, they are Class 3 Flammable Liquids, but dependent on the exact production they could be classified as either Ethanol Solutions, UN 1170 (if Ethanol is the only alcohol used) or Alcohols, N.O.S., UN 1987 (if multiple alcohols are used). Some hand sanitizers also contain isopropyl alcohol (UN 1219) instead of ethanol (UN 1170); some contain both.

In case you are in doubt of which UN number applies for classification purposes, we suggest requesting the manufacturer for a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) which would have the relevant details.

Maersk expects that all dangerous goods need to be declared, packed and labelled in accordance with the IMDG code. Doing this will ensure that your product arrives safely and does not cause unintended hazards to the people involved in the supply chain.