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Markings on dangerous goods means of containment help to identify the dangers of the goods inside. The markings provide critical safety information to protect the safety of first responders, drivers, and anyone handling dangerous goods. Markings under Canada’s dangerous goods regulations include, but are not limited to, placards, labels, and markings indicating a package complies with a safety standard.
Scope
Offerers/consignors of dangerous goods must ensure means of containment are marked according to the regulations and must provide safety marks to the carrier of the goods if applicable.
Carriers must ensure that the required safety marks are maintained on the means of containment and must remove markings if no longer needed.
Regulatory citations
- Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations, Part 4, Dangerous Goods Safety Marks
Key definitions
- Carrier: A person who, whether or not for hire or compensation, has possession of dangerous goods while they are in transport.
- Certification safety mark: A design, symbol, device, letter, word, number, or abbreviation that is displayed on a means of containment or means of transport to indicate compliance with a safety standard.
- Consignor: A person in Canada who is named on a shipping document as a consignor, imports or who will import a dangerous goods into Canada, or a person who has possession of a dangerous goods immediately before they are transported.
- Dangerous goods safety mark: A label, placard, orange panel, sign, mark, letter, word, number, or abbreviation that is used to identify dangerous goods and to show the nature of the danger posed by them.
- Means of containment: A containment that holds a dangerous good. Means of containment are divided into two categories: small means of containment (capacity of 450 liters or less) and large means of containment (capacity greater than 450 liters).
Summary of requirements
In the Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG) Regulations, a safety mark includes a design, symbol, device, sign, label, placard, letter, word, number, or abbreviation, or any combination of these things, that is to be displayed:
- On dangerous goods, on means of containment, or transport used in handling, offering for transport, or transporting dangerous goods, or at facilities used in those activities; and
- To show the nature of the danger or to indicate compliance with the safety standards prescribed for the means of containment or transport or the facilities.
Labels are typically displayed on small means of containment while placards are typically displayed on large means of containment.
Sizes and colors of markings, labels, and placards are established in the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations. Additionally, the regulations specify where the markings must appear on small means of containment and large means of containment.
Markings must be:
- Visible;
- Legible;
- Displayed in the appropriate color on a background that contrasts with the marking; and
- Made of durable, weather-resistant material (not faded).
Markings must not be displayed if the marking would be misleading. Markings must not be displayed if the hazard is not present, or if the marking represents a different hazard class than the dangerous goods.
A certification safety mark means a design, symbol, device, letter, word, number, or abbreviation that is displayed on a means of containment or means of transport to indicate it complies with a safety standard. Certain dangerous goods must be carried in means of containment that display a certification safety mark.