IATA DGR (Air) common mistakes
IATA DGR (Air) · Understand the traps and how to avoid them.
Treating the DGR 'List of Dangerous Goods' entry as a single substance and ignoring that a proper shipping name may cover multiple UN numbers or that one UN number may have several entries distinguished by packing group, state (liquid/solid), or special provisions.
Candidates memorise 'UN number = name' pairs from study tables and stop reading across the row; the exam deliberately uses names where the state of division or PG changes the applicable entry and column values.
What to do instead
For every identification item, trace the full row: UN number, PSN, class/division, subsidiary risk, PG, labels, special provisions, packing instructions, and quantity limits. Where a name maps to several rows, select the row by state and PG before answering anything about packing or limits.
Quoting a passenger or cargo aircraft quantity limit from memory without confirming whether the exam item refers to the passenger or cargo column, and without checking whether the item is forbidden on one category.
The two columns sit side by side in the same table and candidates recall 'the number' rather than the column heading; many items are permitted on cargo aircraft only or forbidden entirely for passengers.
What to do instead
Before calculating, state the transport category explicitly, then read the limit from the correct column of the quantity limitation table. Confirm the item is not 'Forbidden' in that column and cross-check any special provision that changes the limit.
Assuming a substance with no listed PG or with a 'III' entry can be shipped at any PG, or assigning PG by concentration alone rather than by the classification criteria.
Candidates infer PG from hazard familiarity or from the packing instruction they prefer, rather than applying the class-specific criteria in the classification chapters.
What to do instead
Assign PG strictly from the criteria for that class (e.g. flash point and boiling point for flammable liquids, LC50 bands for inhalation toxicity). Where the list specifies a PG, that PG is mandatory; where it does not, apply the criteria and record the basis.
Selecting a packing instruction by matching the substance name only, without checking the packing instruction's permitted inner packaging types, maximum net quantities per inner and outer packaging, and whether it is single or combination packaging.
Packing instructions look interchangeable and candidates pick the first one that mentions the substance class; the numeric limits in the instruction are the part most often skipped.
What to do instead
Read the whole packing instruction row: packaging type (single/combination), permitted inner packaging materials, max net quantity per inner, max net quantity per outer, and any special packing provisions. Verify the actual package components against each limit before declaring the package compliant.
Marking the package with the UN number and PSN but omitting or misplacing required elements such as the full PSN including technical name, the name and address of shipper and consignee, or the correct orientation and specification marks on combination packagings.
Candidates treat the UN number plus PSN as the complete marking set and forget conditional elements that apply only to certain classes or packing levels.
What to do instead
Use a fixed checklist for every package: UN number, PSN (with technical name where required), shipper/consignee identification where required, specification mark, orientation arrows for liquid combination packagings, and any class-specific marking such as the environmentally hazardous substance mark. Tick each element against the applicable rule before accepting.
Applying the primary hazard label only and missing a required subsidiary risk label, or using a label that does not match the division (e.g. class 1 compatibility group letter omitted from the explosive label).
Candidates read the class column and stop; subsidiary risk and label columns are separate and the explosive label requires the division and compatibility group to be shown.
What to do instead
For each item, build the label set from both the class/division and the subsidiary risk column, then check class-specific requirements (division and compatibility group on class 1 labels, Cargo Aircraft Only label when applicable). Compare the finished set against the list entry before finalising.
Completing the Shipper's Declaration with entries in the wrong sequence or with non-standard wording, for example putting the PSN before the UN number, omitting the class, or writing quantity and packing instruction in the wrong fields.
Candidates reproduce the declaration from general memory of what looks right rather than from the prescribed column order, and small field-order errors are easy to make under time pressure.
What to do instead
Memorise the prescribed sequence as a single string: UN number, PSN, class/division, subsidiary risk, PG, quantity and type of packing, packing instruction, and authorisation where applicable. Practise writing complete declarations from the list entry until the order is automatic, and check each line against the sequence.
Accepting a consignment without verifying that the shipper's declaration, the package markings and labels, and the air waybill all agree, or accepting a declaration signed by someone without the required training.
Candidates treat acceptance as a paperwork tick-box and check documents in isolation, so inconsistencies between documents and packages pass unnoticed; the signature and training requirement is easily overlooked.
What to do instead
Perform acceptance as a cross-check: declaration against air waybill, declaration against package markings and labels, and package condition against the declared packing. Confirm the declaration is signed and that the signatory holds current dangerous goods training before acceptance.
Loading a package labelled Cargo Aircraft Only or a hazardous item in a position that conflicts with segregation requirements, or loading radioactive material without applying the separation distance rules.
Candidates focus on whether the item may be carried and treat loading position as an operational detail, forgetting that segregation from incompatible goods, from foodstuffs, and from crew/passenger areas is a regulatory requirement.
What to do instead
Before loading, check the label set for Cargo Aircraft Only and segregation-sensitive classes, then apply the segregation table and any class-specific distance rules to the actual stowage position. Confirm the position against the loading chart rather than relying on available space.
Responding to an incident by improvising rather than following the emergency procedures for the specific UN number, and failing to notify the commander or appropriate authority as required.
Candidates learn emergency response as general principles and do not connect the drill to the specific entry's emergency codes and to the notification chain that applies in flight and on the ground.
What to do instead
For each incident scenario, identify the UN number, look up its emergency response drill code and associated guidance, then follow the prescribed actions. State explicitly who must be notified (commander, ground emergency services, appropriate authority) and in what order, and record the notification in the incident report.