The transportation of goods is regulated by IATA. Every year, a manual is updated and published by the organization in order to share with shippers the new rules in force. It is sometimes difficult to find one's way between the regulations related to the countries of origin, destination or even those specific to the airlines.
Discover the essential checklist to follow to manage the documentation and packaging of your shipments.
What are the best practices to follow before preparing a shipment?
Good preparation limits the risk of the shipment being refused when it is delivered to the airline's warehouse. Indeed, when handling agents transfer the merchandise to the airlines for preparation for boarding, they must carry out a physical and documentary verification of the merchandise. Any shipment whose packaging or accompanying document does not comply with the regulations will not be accepted for loading.
The first step before starting to write the Dangerous Goods Declaration (DGD) and the labeling of the packages is to identify the dangerous characteristics of the goods:
- the UN number
- the proper shipping name (full name or chemical name for example)
- the class
- the packaging instructions
- the packaging group
Depending on the quantity of the dangerous goods contained in the package, it is also necessary to identify whether this particular shipment will be transported in a passenger or cargo aircraft.
This information will make it easy to fill out the declaration and prepare the labels that will need to be affixed to the cargo.
👉 Did you know?
IATA provides shippers with empty DGDs ready to be filled.
Specialized companies allow to get the various labels of dangerous and handling.
How to correctly write your Dangerous Goods Declaration (DGD)?
💡Good to know: The DGD must always be written in English. No mention in French or any other language will be accepted.
The purpose of the DGD is to gather all the information about the dangerousness of the goods in one document. By reading the DGD, all parties involved must quickly identify what the packages contain and how they should be packed and handled.
The following is a list of the information required for a DGD to be considered complete and compliant:
- Shipper / Consignee (⚠️ the country must always be in English, regardless of the country of origin)
- The AWB number
- The number of pages
- The type of aircraft required(CAO or OK PAX, the unused mention must be clearly crossed out)
- Type of shipment(radioactive or not, not used must be clearly crossed out)
- UN number and proper shipping name, class, packing group
- Quantity, type of loading unit, and total weight (generally the net weight of the hazardous material)
- The packing instruction number(it indicates which types of packaging are allowed or restricted for these goods)
- Authorization number or reference where applicable (for example in the case of goods requiring specific agreements from companies, or countries of departure, arrival or overflown)
- Additional handling information (for example emergency contact or "must be handled with care", "must be protected from heat", ...)
- Name, a signature and a complete date (⚠️ year must be complete, eg. 2023 and not 23 only)
Moreover, the emergency contact is made mandatory by many countries and airlines. We therefore advise you to always indicate it on the DGD to limit the risks of refusal. This is mandatory for all shipments to and from France.
What are the best practices to follow concerning the packaging and labeling of the goods?
In addition to documentation, the shipper must also ensure that his goods are packaged and labeled in accordance with current standards.
On the one hand, depending on the dangerousness of the goods, the packaging must respect certain conditions. Indeed, the regulations may require UN-compliant packaging: packaging that has been manufactured and tested according to the UN recommendations on the transport of dangerous goods. There are several types considered more or less resistant according to the tests they have been subjected to. These boxes will always have a logo similar to the following:
Here is the list of mandatory details and labels for a package to be properly packed and labeled:
- The Shipper and Consignee details as shown on the DGD
- UN, official designation, DG quantity
- The corresponding class labels
- Cargo Aircraft only" label if required
- Corresponding handling labels (e.g. keep away from heat, upward arrows for liquid, lithium,...)
- If the cargo requires UN packaging, the corresponding mention and details
Here is a list of common handling labels:
There are also specific types of packaging such as "Overpack" or "All packed in One (APIO)" for example. These are simplifications put in place by IATA in order to facilitate the packing of several dangerous goods together in the same pallet (rather Overpack) or in the same package (rather APIO). They must always be used in compliance with the regulations and insofar as the goods are considered compatible with each other.
As a freight forwarder, OVRSEA accompanies you on these steps if you are not entitled to IATA compliance. With the help of our partners, we ensure that packaging, labels and documents comply with the regulations and that the agents operating on the consignment are also authorized to transport or handle dangerous goods according to IATA regulations.
If you have any questions about IATA regulations, please contact josephine@ovrsea.com.
