Rulemakings (Canada)

Scope

The Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act, 1992, applies to all shippers, carriers, and drivers who transport dangerous goods in Canada.

Regulatory citations

• None

Key definitions

• None

Summary of requirements

The amended Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act, 1992, received royal assent on May 14, 2009, and came into force June 16, 2009.

The amended Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act, 1992:

• Remains focused on the prevention of incidents when dangerous goods are imported, handled, offered for transport, and transported;
• Expands the response capability of the Canadian Government in the event of a security incident involving dangerous goods; and
• Defines the field of application (who it applies to) of the requirements, the prohibitions (penalties and violations), and the authority to create new regulations.

The TDG Regulations include the technical requirements and references to standards, parts of which are made compulsory by regulation or by the Act.

The regulations may be considered by many to be complex; they must cover all possible cases in transport, in whatever mode, for thousands of different chemical materials. The regulations are modified to keep up with the ever-increasing number of chemicals created, means of containment, technological advances, and international recommendations. There is a continuous review process for the regulations; it is independent from the review of the Act.