Any goods that may potentially endanger people, property or the environment are classified as “dangerous”. Such goods are being transported all over the globe around the clock with a large collection of regulations that must be followed. Additionally, there are comprehensive national and international laws, guidelines and agreements,in which the conditions for classification, identification, packing, the technical equipment to be used for dangerous goods transportation are precisely explained. Furthermore, organizational procedures, obligations and accountabilities of the people concerned with the transport process are also specified.
Separate regulations exist for each individual transport mode: rail, road, inland shipping, ocean shipping, air transport but they have been gradually harmonized.
Regulations are regularly amended to match new constraints and developments. Knowledge acquired as a result of studying actual incidents related to dangerous goods is used to improve the regulations and prevent future incidents.
ADR/RID Dangerous Goods Classes
Class 1 Explosive substances and articles
Class 2 Gases
Class 3 Flammable liquids
Class 4.1 Flammable solids, self-reactive substances and solid desensitised explosives
Class 4.2 Substances liable to spontaneous combustions
Class 4.3 Substances which, in contact with water, emit flammable gases
Class 5.1 Oxidising substances
Class 5.2 Organic Peroxides
Class 6.1 Toxic substances
Class 6.2 Infectious substances
Class 7 Radioactive material
Class 8 Corrosive substances
Class 9 Miscellaneous dangerous substances and articles
IMDG Dangerous Goods Classes
Dangerous Goods
Class 1: Explosives
- substances and articles which have a mass explosion hazard
- substances and articles which have a projection hazard not a mass explosion hazard.
- substances and articles which have a fire hazard and either a minor blast hazard or a minor projection hazard or both, but not a mass explosion hazard.
- substance and articles which present no significant hazard
- very insensitive substances which have a mass explosion hazard
- extremely insensitive articles which do not have a mass explosion hazard
Class 2: Gases
flammable gases
non-flammable, non-toxic gases
toxic gases
Class 3: Flammable liquids
Class 4: Flammable solids; substances liable to spontaneous combustion;
substances which, in contact with water, emit flammable gases
flammable solids, self-reactive substances and desensitized explosives
substances liable to spontaneous combustion
substances which, in contact with water, emit flammable gases
Class 5: Oxidizing substances and organic peroxides
oxidizing substances
organic peroxides
Class 6: Toxic and infectious substances
toxic substances
infectious substances
Class 7: Radioactive material
Class 8: Corrosive substances
Class 9: Miscellaneous dangerous substances and articles
