Dangerous Goods (DG)
Dangerous Goods (DG) — also called hazardous materials (hazmat) — are articles or substances that pose a risk to health, safety, property or the environment when transported: explosives, gases, flammable liquids and solids, oxidizers, toxic and infectious substances, radioactive material, corrosives and miscellaneous hazards. They are grouped by the UN system into nine hazard classes, each item identified by a UN number and proper shipping name.
Carrying DG safely is tightly regulated and mode-specific: the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) for air, the IMDG Code for sea, and ADR for road. Across all modes the shipper must correctly classify, pack, mark, label and document the goods (with a dangerous goods declaration), and trained personnel must handle, stow and segregate them. Errors — misdeclaration especially — have caused fatal fires and explosions, so DG compliance carries heavy legal liability. Recognising when cargo is dangerous and applying the right rules is a critical safety responsibility for shippers, forwarders and carriers.
Mis-declared or mishandled dangerous goods have caused some of transport's worst disasters — warehouse blasts, ship and aircraft fires. That is why DG rules are strict, mode-specific and backed by serious liability. Correctly spotting and handling dangerous goods is one of the highest-stakes compliance duties in all of logistics.
How many classes of dangerous goods are there?
Nine UN hazard classes — explosives, gases, flammable liquids and solids, oxidizers, toxic and infectious substances, radioactive material, corrosives and miscellaneous.
Are the rules the same for air, sea and road?
No — the framework is common but mode-specific: IATA DGR for air, the IMDG Code for sea and ADR for road.