DG (Dangerous Goods)
Dangerous Goods (DG) are substances or articles that pose a risk to health, safety, property, or the environment during transport. They are regulated by international codes specific to each transport mode: IATA DGR for air, IMDG Code for sea, ADR for road (Europe), and RID for rail.
DG is classified into 9 main classes: 1-Explosives, 2-Gases, 3-Flammable Liquids, 4-Flammable Solids, 5-Oxidisers, 6-Toxic/Infectious, 7-Radioactive, 8-Corrosive, 9-Miscellaneous Hazardous. Each substance has a UN number, a Proper Shipping Name, a packing group (I, II, III), and segregation rules with other DG classes.
Shippers must complete a Shipper's Declaration for Dangerous Goods; carriers must accept only DG that complies; and operational staff (including GHA acceptance teams) must hold valid DG certifications. Non-compliance can result in fatal accidents and criminal liability.
Dangerous goods are where a paperwork error can kill — mis-declared or mis-packed DG have brought down aircraft. That is why acceptance is uncompromising: the shipper's declaration, the correct class and UN number, the packing group and the segregation rules all have to be right, and handling staff must hold valid DG certification.
A drum of acetone is Class 3 (flammable liquid), UN1090, packing group II. It must be declared, packaged and labelled to the IATA DGR (air) or IMDG Code (sea), and segregated from oxidisers (Class 5) during transport.
What regulations govern dangerous goods by mode?
IATA DGR for air, the IMDG Code for sea, ADR for road (Europe) and RID for rail. Each translates the UN model regulations into mode-specific rules.
What is a Shipper's Declaration for Dangerous Goods?
The document in which the shipper declares the exact classification, UN number, packing group and quantities of the dangerous goods, certifying they are correctly packed and labelled for transport.