The common language of dangerous goods transport is numbers. The four-digit UN number is a substance's or substance group's identity in transport regulations; whichever country you are in, the same number corresponds to the same definition. These numbers are set by the expert committee within the United Nations and carried over into the regulations for each transport mode.
The function of the number is to give the same information to parties who do not know the material. Even if a customs officer, driver or warehouse worker does not know what the product is, reading the number shows which rules it is subject to.
Another function of the number is emergency planning. In the event of an accident or spillage, response teams work out which instruction to apply from the number, without knowing the contents of the load. The emergency response codes used in sea transport serve the same purpose, pointing to separate instructions for fire and for spillage.
The abbreviations in the shipping name
In our product's transport classification, the proper shipping name is the English expression describing solid toxins extracted from living sources. The abbreviation at the end of the name means not otherwise specified and points to a general entry that gathers substances with no entry of their own.
When a general entry is used, the technical name of the substance is expected to be added in brackets in the shipping papers. The number then indicates a general group while the papers state exactly what is being carried. When this detail is overlooked, the shipment may be held up at customs or at the terminal.
One misunderstanding should be cleared up at the outset: a UN number is not a permit, a licence or an indication of quality. It states only where the substance sits in the transport rules. The production permit, the species assessment and the analysis report for the product are separate documents and appear in the shipping file in their own right.
Class and packing group
| Field | Value | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| UN number | UN 3462 | Identity in transport regulations |
| Class | 6.1 | Class of toxic substances |
| Packing group | I | The highest degree of hazard |
| Physical state | Solid | The entry that applies to the product in powder form |
| Special provisions | SP 210, 274 · A3, A43 | Additional conditions specific to this entry |
| Excepted quantity code | E5 | The defined upper limit for very small quantities |
| Emergency response code | EmS F-A, S-A | Fire and spillage instructions for sea transport |
| Marine pollutant | No | No additional marine pollutant marking is required |
Class 6.1 covers toxic substances and is divided into degrees within itself. The packing group indicates this grading: I denotes the highest and III the lowest level of hazard. A group I entry requires the packaging to meet stricter performance criteria and the conditions during transport to be arranged accordingly.
Another consequence of the packing group is that the permitted quantity limits become narrower. Air and road regulations may define different upper limits for the same substance, which is why a shipping plan is not finalised before the mode of transport is chosen. The differences between modes are compared in the article on ADR, IMDG and IATA.
Classification depends on the physical state of the substance. Solid and liquid forms are handled under separate entries in transport regulations, so the classification has to be reassessed whenever the product form changes. The entry that applies to our product in powder form describes the solid state; where the liquid form is concerned, the transport information is confirmed separately.
Special provisions and excepted quantities
Special provisions are numbered items that set out additional rules or exemptions specific to an entry. Some define the conditions under which a substance may fall outside the scope of the regulations, others additional packaging and marking requirements. Codes beginning with a letter point to provisions specific to the air transport regulations.
The excepted quantity code marks the arrangement that allows very small quantities to be carried under more limited conditions. This does not mean that the rules fall away: inner and outer packaging limits, special marking and documentation requirements still apply. Misreading the code can result in the shipment being refused by the carrier.
Nor is there any latitude on the packaging side. Approved-type packaging is used for substances in a high hazard group, and a multi-layer arrangement of inner receptacle, absorbent material and outer packaging is required. The type marking on the containers shows which performance criteria the packaging meets, and it is this marking that is read during an inspection.
That the personnel involved in the process are trained is a requirement of the regulations as well. Those who pack, prepare the documents and hand over the load are expected to have received training appropriate to their duties. The absence of a training record is treated as a non-conformity even where the shipment itself complies with the rules.
Documentation and labelling
The transport classification is found in section fourteen of the safety data sheet; the section order of the sheet is described in the article on safety data sheets. On the packaging, two separate marking systems appear side by side: the label describing the material's own hazard and the marks relating to transport. The pictogram and statements on the supply label are explained in the article on GHS06.
The information expected in the shipping papers is set: the UN number, the proper shipping name and, where required, the technical name, the class, the packing group, the number and type of packages and the total quantity. The declaration signed by the consignor is part of the file too. In international shipments this information is presented together with the other documents in the export file; the process is covered in the article on customs and the shipping file.
Finally, although the transport classification looks like fixed data, its source is the current document. Confirming the values from the safety data sheet in force before a shipment is an obligation of both the consignor and the carrier. The details of our documents are listed on the documents page.
