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Transport Canada’s Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG) Regulations Dangerous goods safety marks are required to be displayed on a means of containment containing dangerous goods in transport. Dangerous goods safety marks include labels, placards, orange panels, signs, marine pollutant marks, numbers, letters, abbreviations, and words used to identify dangerous goods and to show the nature of the danger they pose.
Scope
Placards are used on large means of containment. Consignors must ensure that appropriate safety marks, including placards, are displayed. Consignors must provide placards to transporters for display on large means of containment (unless already displayed).
Transporters must ensure the appropriate placards are displayed on a large means of containment or transport vehicle and maintained during transport. Transporters must also remove placards if necessary.
Regulatory citations
Key definitions
- Consignor: A person in Canada who is named in a shipping document as the consignor; imports or who will import dangerous goods into Canada; or if neither of these apply, the person who has possession of dangerous goods immediately before they are in transport.
- Large means of containment: A means of containment with a capacity greater than 450 L (119 gallons).
- Safety mark: A design, symbol, device, sign, label, placard, letter, word, number or abbreviation, or any combination of these things, that is 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 for the means of containment or transport or the facilities.
Summary of requirements
Dangerous goods safety marks give a quick identification of dangerous goods in the event of an emergency situation such as an accident or an accidental release of dangerous goods from a means of containment.
Dangerous goods safety marks are also an awareness tool for those involved in transportation, including drivers, train crews, warehouse/dock workers, or lab or hospital personnel.
Generally, placards are displayed on large means of containment and on transport or railway vehicles carrying certain amounts of dangerous goods.
Placard specifications. Each side of a placard must be at least 250 mm in length and, except for the DANGER placard, have a line running 12.5 mm inside the edge.
However, except for dangerous goods included in Class 7, Radioactive Materials, if that size placard cannot be displayed because of the irregular shape or size of the large means of containment, each side of the placard may be reduced in length by the same amount to the point where the placard will fit that large means of containment, but must not be reduced to less than 100 mm.
Placarding requirements. The primary class placard for each dangerous good contained in a large means of containment must be displayed on each side and on each end of the containment.
There’s an exemption in the TDG Regulations from displaying placards on a road or railway vehicle if the dangerous goods have a gross mass that is less than or equal to 500 kilograms (1,102 pounds). This exception does not apply to all dangerous goods, however; if transporting dangerous goods in the following hazard classes, placards must be displayed (with some exceptions, see the regulations for more detail):
- Class 1, Explosives;
- Class 2.1, Flammable Gases;
- Class 2.3, Toxic Gases;
- Class 4.3, Water-reactive Substances;
- Class 5.2, Organic Peroxides, Type B that require a control or emergency temperature;
- Class 6.1, Toxic Substances; and
- Class 7, Radioactive Materials, Category III – Yellow label.
Additional information and requirements can be accessed in Part IV Dangerous goods safety marks in the TDG Regulations - Canada.