Classifying Dangerous Goods...

Dangerous Goods are defined as those goods which meet the criteria of one or more of nine UN hazard Classes and, where applicable, to one of three UN Packing Groups.

The Nine Classes relate to the type of hazard, whereas the packing groups relate to the applicable degree of danger within the class:

 

Packing Groups:
Dangerous goods are assigned to the relevant packing group according to the degree of danger they present. 
Packing Group 1- High Danger (X)
Packing Group 2 - Medium Danger (Y)
Packing Group 3 - Low Danger (Z)


Packing Groups for which the packaging was tested for:
X - Packing Group I, II, III
Y - Packing Group II, III
Z - Packing Group III

 

Hazard Classes:
Some hazard classes are further subdivided into hazard divisions due to the wide scope of class. The nine hazard classes and their subdivisions are listed below. The order in which they are numbered is for convenience and does not imply a relative degree of danger.


Class 1 - Explosives:


Division 1.1 - Articles and substances having a mass explosion hazard

Division 1.2 - Articles and substances having a projection hazard but not a mass explosion hazard

Division 1.3 - Articles and substances having a fire hazard, a minor blast hazard and/or a minor projection hazard but not a mass explosion hazard.

Division 1.4 - Articles and substances presenting no significant hazard

Division 1.5 - Very insensitive substances having mass explosion hazard

Division 1.6 - Extremely insensitive articles which do not have a mass explosion hazard

Class 2 - Gases:


Division 2.1 - Flammable Gas

Division 2.2 - Non-flammable gas, non-toxic gas

Division 2.3 - Toxic Gas              

 

 

     
  Class 3 - Flammable Liquids:
This class has no sub-divisions

Class 4 - Flammable Solids; Substances liable to Spontaneous Combustion; Substances which in contact with water, emit flammable gases:


Division 4.1: - Flammable Solids: self-reactive substances and solid desensitized explosives

Division 4.2 - Substances liable to spontaneous combustion

Division 4.3 - Substances which, in contact with water, emit flamamble gases

 

 

 

     

Class 5 - Oxidizing substances and Organic Peroxides:


Division 5.1 - Oxidizer

Division 5.2 - Organic peroxides


Class 6 - Toxic and Infectious Substances:

 

Division 6.1 - Toxic Substances

Division 6.2 - Infectious Substances

 

 

     

Class 7 - Radioactive Material:

This class has no sub-divisions

Class 8 - Corrosives:

This class has no sub-divisions 

 

 

     
Class 9 - Miscellaneous Dangerous Goods:

This class has no sub-divisions