Transportation of Dangerous Goods cheat sheet

In Canada, the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act, 1992 and the TDG Regulations (SOR/2001-286) govern road, rail, air, and marine movement; provinces adopt the federal rules by reference for intra-provincial transport.

Core duty holders are the consignor, carrier, consignee, handler, importer, and manufacturer/owner of means of containment; each is responsible for the requirements that apply to its own activity.

The consignor certifies classification, shipping document accuracy, and selection of authorized means of containment; the carrier is responsible for acceptance, loading, securing, and en route conditions.

Section 5 of the Act imposes a general duty to take all reasonable measures to protect people, property, and the environment from danger arising from the goods.

Release reporting duties arise under section 18 of the Act; the person who has possession must report immediate danger, and the Regulations set the 24-hour written report timelines.

Inspectors designated under the Act may enter, inspect, seize, and issue directions; obstructing an inspector or failing to produce documents is an offence.

Penalties range from ticketing and compliance orders to prosecution; fines and imprisonment increase for repeat offences or where harm results from the failure.

The Competent Authority for Canada under international modal rules (ICAO TI, IMDG Code, ADR-style regimes) is Transport Canada; other states' competent authorities may issue approvals recognized through equivalency.

Jurisdiction follows the mode and route: air shipments follow ICAO Technical Instructions as incorporated, marine follows the IMDG Code, and road/rail within Canada follow the TDG Regulations.

Nine classes: 1 Explosives, 2 Gases, 3 Flammable Liquids, 4 Flammable Solids, 5 Oxidizers/Organic Peroxides, 6 Toxic/Infectious, 7 Radioactive, 8 Corrosives, 9 Miscellaneous.

Class 2 divides into 2.1 flammable, 2.2 non-flammable non-toxic, 2.3 toxic; class 4 into 4.1, 4.2, 4.3; class 5 into 5.1 and 5.2; class 6 into 6.1 and 6.2.

Packing Group I, II, III reflect degree of danger (great, medium, minor); PG is assigned only to classes 3, 4, 5.1, 6.1, 8, and some class 9 entries.

A UN number is a four-digit identifier for a specific substance or generic entry; the Proper Shipping Name is the name shown in the Dangerous Goods List for that UN number.

Precedence of hazard: for a substance meeting multiple classes, the Dangerous Goods List entry or the precedence table determines the primary class; subsidiary risks are shown separately.

Flash point below 60 degrees C (closed cup) generally makes a liquid Class 3; a flash point at or above 60 degrees C and at or above the boiling point threshold can still be Class 3 under the elevated temperature criteria.

Class 1 is divided into compatibility groups (A through S) and divisions 1.1 to 1.6 based on mass explosion, projection, fire, and blast hazards.

Self-reactive substances and organic peroxides are classified by their SADT (self-accelerating decomposition temperature) and controlled by temperature where required.

Class 9 includes environmentally hazardous substances, lithium batteries, and genetically modified organisms; lithium battery entries are UN3480, UN3481, UN3090, UN3091.

The shipping document must show, in order: UN number, proper shipping name, primary class, subsidiary class(es), and packing group, e.g., UN1263, PAINT, 3, PG II.

Additional required data: quantity, number and kind of packages, total quantity, consignor name and address, consignee name and address, emergency response telephone number, and the consignor's certification statement.

The 24-hour emergency telephone number must be monitored at all times while the goods are in transport and must connect to a person with knowledge of the goods.

For dangerous goods in a small means of containment (less than 450 L for liquids, 450 kg for solids), the document must also show the total quantity and, where applicable, the number of small means of containment.

The consignor's certification is a signed statement confirming the goods are classified, described, packaged, marked, labelled, and in proper condition for transport.

Shipping documents must be retained by the consignor and carrier for two years, and must be readily available to inspectors and emergency responders during transport.

For air, the Shipper's Declaration for Dangerous Goods is used and must include the airport of departure and destination, plus the shipper's and emergency contact details.

For marine, the Dangerous Goods Transport Document follows IMDG requirements and includes the flash point for Class 3 substances where applicable.

Electronic shipping documents are permitted where they can be produced immediately on request and meet the same content requirements.

Labels are 100 mm x 100 mm diamond-shaped hazard labels applied to packages; placards are 250 mm x 250 mm applied to large means of containment and transport units.

A UN number must be marked on a small means of containment, preceded by the letters 'UN', in characters at least 6 mm high (12 mm on larger containers).

The proper shipping name must appear on the package or on the shipping document; where the package is too small, the name may appear on a tag or the document.

Placards are required on each side and each end of a transport unit carrying dangerous goods in large means of containment; a single placard may be used if the goods are in one large container.

Dangerous goods in small means of containment require placards when the aggregate gross mass exceeds 500 kg, or when the quantity of a single class exceeds the small means threshold.

The Class 7 label and placard show the trefoil symbol and the category; the transport index or criticality safety index is marked on the package.

Labels must be durable, legible, and placed on a contrasting background; they must not be obscured by other labels or markings.

The orientation arrows mark packages containing liquids that must be kept upright; they are not hazard labels but are required for certain liquid packages.

Marine pollutants carry the marine pollutant mark; environmentally hazardous substances in class 9 use the class 9 label with the dead fish and tree symbol where the IMDG Code requires it.

A means of containment must be designed, constructed, filled, closed, secured, and maintained so that under normal conditions of transport there is no release of dangerous goods.

UN packaging is identified by a code: e.g., 4G/Y25/S/24 means fibreboard box, PG II, 25 kg maximum gross mass, for solids, year of manufacture 2024.

Packaging must be marked with the UN symbol, the packaging code, the packing group letter (X for I, Y for II, Z for III), and the year of manufacture.

Inner packagings must be packed so as to prevent breakage, leakage, and movement within the outer packaging; absorbent material is required for liquids in some cases.

Pressure receptacles (cylinders, tubes) must be tested and requalified at intervals specified by the applicable standard (e.g., every 5 or 10 years) and marked with the last test date.

IBCs (intermediate bulk containers) and large packagings have their own UN codes and test requirements; they must be inspected and marked accordingly.

Packaging must not be reused unless it has been inspected and found free of contamination and damage; certain packagings may not be reused after containing specific substances.

The manufacturer of a means of containment must keep records of design, testing, and certification and make them available to inspectors on request.

For Class 7, the packaging must meet the requirements of the IAEA SSR-6 and the package must be marked with the appropriate category (I-WHITE, II-YELLOW, III-YELLOW).

Before loading, the handler must verify that the means of containment is not damaged, that labels and marks are present, and that the shipping document matches the goods.

Dangerous goods must be secured against movement during transport using straps, dunnage, or blocking; the load must not shift under normal driving conditions.

Incompatible dangerous goods must be segregated: oxidizers away from flammables, acids away from cyanides, and class 1 compatibility groups separated per the segregation table.

Loading and unloading must be done so as to prevent release; smoking and open flames are prohibited in the vicinity of flammable or oxidizing goods.

The transport unit must be checked before departure for leaks, spills, and loose closures; any spill must be cleaned up and reported as required.

For air, loading must follow the aircraft loading restrictions in the ICAO TI, including separation of passenger and cargo aircraft limits.

For marine, stowage must follow the IMDG Code segregation and stowage requirements, including away from living quarters and sources of heat.

Vehicle operators must ensure that the parking brake is set and wheels are chocked during loading and unloading on inclines, and that the vehicle is not left unattended with dangerous goods where prohibited.

An immediate report is required when a release poses a danger to people, property, or the environment; the report must go to the local emergency services and to the Canadian Transport Emergency Centre (CANUTEC) at 1-888-CAN-UTEC.

A 24-hour written report must be filed with Transport Canada after a release, using the prescribed form, describing the goods, quantity, circumstances, and response actions.

The emergency response assistance plan (ERAP) is required for certain high-hazard goods listed in the Regulations; the plan must be activated when an incident occurs.

The ERAP reference number must appear on the shipping document when an ERAP is required for the goods.

CANUTEC provides 24-hour emergency response advice and can be reached at 1-613-996-6666 (collect) or 1-888-CAN-UTEC.

The person in possession of the goods at the time of the incident is responsible for reporting; the carrier and consignor must cooperate and provide information.

Incident reports must be retained for two years and made available to inspectors on request.

For radioactive materials, additional reporting to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission is required for certain events, including loss or theft of packages.

Anyone who handles, offers for transport, or transports dangerous goods must be trained and must have a certificate of training, renewed every three years.

Training must cover the regulations, classification, documentation, marks/labels/placards, packaging, handling, and emergency response relevant to the person's duties.

The training certificate must be issued by the employer and must state the person's name, the date of training, and the areas covered.

Records of training must be kept by the employer for two years after the certificate expires and made available to inspectors.

Shipping documents and ERAP records must be retained for two years; packaging test records must be retained for the life of the packaging plus a specified period.

A compliance program should include periodic audits, review of shipping documents, inspection of packaging, and refresher training.

Inspectors may request records at any reasonable time; failure to produce records is an offence under the Act.

Training records should identify the specific functions the person is trained to perform (e.g., consignor, handler, carrier) and the modes covered.

The 150 kg exemption allows certain dangerous goods to be transported without full documentation and placards when the total quantity is below 150 kg and the goods are in small means of containment.

The 500 kg exemption allows a transport unit to carry up to 500 kg aggregate gross mass of dangerous goods in small means of containment without placards, subject to conditions.

The 'dangerous goods in excepted quantities' provision (EQ) allows very small quantities to be shipped with reduced requirements, marked with the EQ mark.

The 'limited quantities' (LQ) provision allows goods packed in limited quantities to be shipped with reduced labelling and documentation, marked with the LQ mark.

Special provisions (SP) listed in the Dangerous Goods List modify or add to the requirements for a specific UN number, such as packaging or documentation relief.

Equivalency certificates may be issued by Transport Canada to allow an alternative means of compliance where the level of safety is maintained.

The 'consumer commodity' exception applies to certain class 3, 6.1, 8, and 9 goods in retail packaging, subject to quantity limits and marking.

The 'dangerous goods in machinery or apparatus' exception applies to goods contained in equipment where the quantity is limited and the goods are not readily accessible.