Education Resources

Dangerous goods

Dangerous goods are substances which pose risk to health, safety, property or the environment during operation and/or transportation. (In the United States, the equivalent term is Hazardous Material.) They are divided into classes on the basis of the specific chemical characteristics producing the risk.

Contents 1 Classification and labelling summary tables 1.1 Class 1: Explosives 1.2 Class 2: Gases 1.3 Class 3: Flammable liquids 1.4 Class 4: Flammable solids 1.5 Class 5: Oxidising Agents & Organic Peroxides 1.6 Class 6: Poisonous (Toxic) and Infectious Substances 1.7 Class 7: Radioactive Substances 1.8 Class 8: Corrosive Substances 1.9 Class 9: Miscellaneous Dangerous Substances 2 Other hazardous materials labels (CHIP) 3 See also 4 External links

Classification and labelling summary tables

Class 1: Explosives

• 1.1 Explosives with a mass explosion hazard
  • Ex: TNT, dynamite, nitroglycerine.
• 1.2 Explosives with a severe projection hazard.
• 1.3 Explosives with a fire, blast or projection hazard but not a mass explosion hazard.
• 1.4 Minor fire or projection hazard (includes ammunition and most consumer fireworks).
• 1.5 Blasting agents.
• 1.6 Extremely insenstive articles.

Class 2: Gases

Gases which are compressed, liquefied or dissolved under pressure as detailed below. Some gases have subsidiary risk classes; poisonous or corrosive.

• 2.1 Flammable gas
  • Gases which ignite on contact with an ignition source.
    • Ex: acetylene, hydrogen.

• 2.2 Non-Flammable Gases
  • Gases which are neither flammable nor poisonous.
    • Ex: oxygen, nitrogen, neon.

Includes the cryogenic gases/liquids (temperatures of below 100 °C) used for cryopreservation and rocket fuels.

• 2.3 Poisonous Gases
  • Gases liable to cause death or serious injury to human health if inhaled.
    • Ex: fluorine, chlorine, hydrogen cyanide.

Class 3: Flammable liquids

• 3.1 Highly flammable liquids with a boiling point below 35 °C.
  • Ex: diethyl ether, carbon disulfide.
• 3.2 Flammable liquids with a Flashpoint of less than 23 °C and boiling point above 35 °C.
  • Ex: petrol, acetone.
• 3.3 Liquids with a flashpoint above 23 °C but not exceeding 61 °C and a boiling point greater than 35 °C.
  • Ex: kerosene.

Class 4: Flammable solids

• 4.1 Flammable solids which are easily ignited and readily combustible.
  • Ex: nitrocellulose, magnesium, safety or strike-anywhere matches.

• 4.2 Spontaneously combustible substances.
  • Ex: aluminium alkyls, white phosphorus.

• 4.3 Substances which emit a flammable gas when wet or react violently with water.
  • Ex: sodium, calcium, potassium.

Class 5: Oxidising Agents & Organic Peroxides

• 5.1 Oxidising agents other than organic peroxides.
  • Ex: calcium hypochlorite, ammonium nitrate, hydrogen peroxide.

• 5.2 Organic peroxides, either in liquid or solid form.
  • Ex: benzoyl peroxides, cumene hydroperoxide.

Class 6: Poisonous (Toxic) and Infectious Substances

• 6.1a Poisonous substances which are liable to cause death or serious injury to human health if inhaled, swallowed or by skin absorption.
  • Ex: potassium cyanide, mercuric chloride, hydrofluoric acid.

• 6.1b (Now PGIII) Toxic substances which are harmful to human health (N.B this symbol is no longer authorized by the United Nations).
  • Ex: low toxicity pesticides, methylene chloride.

• 6.2 Biohazardous substances.
  • Ex: virus cultures, pathology specimens, used intravenous needles.

Divided into two categories by the WHO: Cat. A (infectious) and Cat. B (samples).

Class 7: Radioactive Substances

• Radioactive substances comprise substances or a combination of substances which emit ionizing radiation.
  • Ex: uranium, plutonium.

Class 8: Corrosive Substances

Solids or liquids that can dissolve organic tissue or severely corrode certain metals.

• 8.1 Acids
  • Ex: sulfuric acid hydrochloric acid.
• 8.2 Alkalis
  • Ex: potassium hydroxide sodium hydroxide.

Class 9: Miscellaneous Dangerous Substances

• Hazardous substances that do not fall into the other categories.
  • Ex: asbestos, air-bag inflators, self inflating life rafts, dry ice.

Other hazardous materials labels (CHIP)

Xn, harmful, Xi, Irritant

T, toxic

C, corrosive

O, oxidizing

F, flammable

E, explosive

N, environmental hazard

See also

• Directive 67/548/EEC
• European chemical hazard symbol

External links

• UNECE - Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS)]
• Classification of Dangerous Goods - Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
• Dangerous Goods Safety & Training (UK)
• The Hazmat 101 Web(tm)
• Dangerous Goods Haz Kits
• DGSA ADR Dangerous Goods Training Dangerous Goods Safety