Package Marking, Labeling, Placarding, and Hazard Classes
Marking, labeling, and placarding tell responders what is inside without opening the package. This domain tests the difference between the three, the hazard classes, and the 1,001-pound placard trigger.
Packages: marking and labeling
- Marking is information printed on the package: proper shipping name and UN number on non-bulk packages, orientation arrows for liquid combination packagings, "RQ" for reportable quantities, and marine pollutant marks where applicable.
- Labels are the diamond-shaped hazard warnings for the class or division, plus subsidiary labels for secondary hazards. Labels go on the package; placards go on the vehicle.
Placards and thresholds
- Table 1 materials, such as certain Division 2.3 poisonous gases and Division 6.1 PG I poisons, require placards for any quantity.
- Table 2 materials require placards when the aggregate gross weight of all Table 2 materials in one vehicle reaches 1,001 pounds or more.
- Placards go on both sides and both ends of the vehicle. A bulk packaging must be placarded regardless of the 1,001-pound threshold.
Worked example
A truck carries 600 pounds of Class 3 PG II paint and 500 pounds of Class 8 PG II corrosive. Both are Table 2. The combined aggregate gross weight is 1,100 pounds, which exceeds 1,001, so the vehicle must display FLAMMABLE and CORROSIVE placards. If the total were 900 pounds, no placards would be required, but the packages would still need labels.
Traps that cost marks
The threshold is aggregate gross weight, including packaging, across all Table 2 materials. Exactly 1,001 pounds triggers placarding. Class 9 placards are generally not required domestically, but bulk Class 9 packages are an exception. Do not use a label where a placard is required.