This article is intended for all our shippers who transport hazardous materials by air. Indeed, many products are concerned by specific regulations, packaging and documentation related to hazardous materials.
The purpose of this article ? To help shippers to 1) recognize whether or not they are operating with regulated material and choose the appropriate nomenclature according to their product, and 2) adapt their air transport accordingly.
Did you know?
Dangerous goods regulations date back to the Second World War and the creation of the UN. It was decided at that time to list all dangerous products with categories, classes and codes, hence the origin of the "UN" codes. One year after its creation, the UN created the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) whose main mission was to regulate the safety of international civil flights. At that time, many dangerous products (chemicals, explosives, etc.) were transported without limit by air, so ICAO also worked to establish a framework to regulate the transport of these dangerous goods. Subsequently, the IATA organization created the Dangerous Goods Regulation Manual to reinforce and clarify these regulations.
How do I know if I am transporting regulated material?
First of all, it is important to know if the product I am transporting is regulated or not.
As a reminder, the regulation of dangerous goods by air is regulated by the IATA organization, by sea via the IMDG organization and by road via the ADR organization. A product can be regulated by air and not on the road, or regulated in air and not in maritime.
👉 More information onIMDG.
To find out if your product is considered dangerous by any of the above mentioned organizations, please refer to the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) document in section 14 or 15 "Transport". For information, this document must be provided by the manufacturer and/or supplier of the product in question.
If the product is indicated as being subject to IATA regulations, then it is considered dangerous on a flight. Depending on the quantity I want to transport, my goods can be loaded on a passenger flight (PAX) and/or a cargo flight (CAO).
👉 More information about passenger or cargo flights.
What are my obligations and responsibilities as a shipper?
As a shipper, transporting hazardous materials on a flight brings with it several obligations and responsibilities. Likewise, the freight forwarder and the airline, who undertake to take charge of the shipment, also share various duties.
Here is the essential to-do list to check before sending your shipment, according to the rules associated with this particular product:
- Transmit the SDS/MSDS of your product to the freight forwarder
- Write and transmit the DGD, declaration of dangerous product for this shipment
- Pack your product(s) according to IATA standards
- Label your batch according to IATA standards
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.
