Transport of Dangerous Goods

Regulatory Content Overview

Legislation for the transport of dangerous goods is directed toward businesses involved in the consignment, loading/ unloading, and carriage of dangerous goods by air, rail, road, and water. 

Goods are considered hazardous if they are explosive, corrosive, flammable, toxic, or radioactive. Examples include:

• Lithium batteries
• Flammable liquids
• Gases and solids
• Substances liable to spontaneously combust
• Substances that emit flammable gases when in contact with water
• Oxidizing substances
• Toxic substances
• Corrosive substances

In the United States, such articles and substances are classified as hazmat or hazardous materials.

Legal duties normally apply to the consignor, carrier, driver, crew, packagers, fillers, loaders/unloaders, container operators, consignee, and dangerous goods safety advisers (DGSA).

Regulations concerning the transport of dangerous goods in C2P focus on:

• Classification of dangerous goods
• Labeling of dangerous goods according to the UN number system
• Packaging and tank provisions
• Consignment procedures, labeling, and marking of containers and vehicles
• Construction and testing of packaging, intermediate bulk containers (IBCs), large packages and tanks
• Conditions of carriage, loading, unloading, and handling
• Vehicle crews, equipment, operation, and documentation
• Construction and approval of vehicles
• Training

Coverage Included

Our regulatory content in C2P is historically comprehensive with a robust QA process to ensure quality, consistency and accuracy. Below is a high level summary of our coverage for this topic:

• Australia: Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road and Rail, Code, 1980
• Belgium: Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road or Rail, Royal Decree, 28 June 2009
• Canada: Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG) Act, S.C. 1992, Chapter 34
• Canada: Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG), Regulations SOR/2001-286
• EU: Inland Transport of Dangerous Goods, Directive 2008/68/EC
• France: Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road, Rail and Inland Waterway, Ministerial Order, May 2009
• Germany: Transport of Dangerous Goods Act, BGBl. 1704, 2009
• Germany: Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road, Rail and Inland Waterways, Ordinance BGBI. 258, 2019
• IMO: International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code (IMDG), 2022
• IATA: Dangerous Goods Regulations, 2024
• IATA: Lithium Battery Guidance Document, 2023 
• IATA: Lithium Battery Shipping Regulations, 2024
• Italy: Transport of Dangerous Goods, Legislative Decree No. 35/2010
• Sweden: Transport of Dangerous Goods, Act SFS 2006:263
• Switzerland: Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road, Ordinance, November 2002
• Tunisia: Labeling Requirements for Transportation of Dangerous Goods by Road, Order, January 2000
• Turkey: Transport of Hazardous Substances by Road, Regulation, April 2019
• UK: The Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations, SI 2009/1348
• UN: Transport of Dangerous Goods, Model Regulations, Twenty Third Revised Edition, 2024
• UNECE: Agreement Concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR), 2023 Edition
• UNECE: European Agreement Concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Inland Waterways (ADN), 2023 Edition
• USA: Transportation of Hazardous Materials, Rules, 49 CFR 171-180, 2003