Hazard labels for dangerous goods
For ease of identification of dangerous goods, the international community has created a classification system. All dangerous goods are included in one of nine primary classes. In some cases it has also been necessary to sub-divide some of the classes into divisions in order to adequately provide for the dangers of the individual goods.
There is a label for each class/division to categorise the nature of the hazard. These labels must be affixed to the outside of the package when it is offered for transport and must remain on the package while it is in transit. Some examples of these are illustrated below:
| Label | Class/Category |
|---|---|
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Class 1 Explosives - explosive substances, explosive articles, pyrotechnic devices. Includes ammunition, fireworks, detonators, etc |
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Class 2 Gases - transported as either
compressed, liquefied, refrigerated liquefied or gas in solution. Includes
aerosols. This class has three divisions:
|
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Class 3 Flammable liquids - includes liquids with a boiling point of 35 degrees C or less or a flash point of 60 degrees C or less. Examples are Petrol, Alcohol, etc |
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Class 4 Flammable solids - substances
liable to spontaneous combustion and substances which, in contact with water,
emit flammable gases. Class 4 has 3 divisions:
|
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Class 5.1 Oxidising substances - substances which in themselves are not necessarily combustible, but which by yielding oxygen may cause or contribute to the combustion of other material. Example is generators which produce oxygen by chemical reaction. |
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Class 5.2 Organic peroxides - these are thermally unstable substance which may undergo heat generating, self accelerating decomposition - which may be explosive, rapid, sensitive to impact or friction or react dangerously with other substances. Example is Hydrogen Peroxide |
|
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Class 6.1 Toxic substances - those substances which are liable to cause death or injury if swallowed, inhaled or absorbed through the skin. Examples are pesticides and poisons |
|
Class 6.2 Infectious substances - those known to contain , or reasonably expected to contain, pathogens. |
|
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Class 7 Radioactive material |
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Class 8 Corrosives - substances which, in the event of leakage, can cause severe damage by chemical action when in contact with living tissue or materially damage other freight, containers or the aircraft. Examples are Mercury, Battery acids. etc |
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Class 9 Miscellaneous - includes magnetic articles, which can have an impact on the aircraft's compass, Internal combustion engines, dry ice (solid carbon dioxide) etc. |
There are four handling labels available for to use in conjunction with the appropriate labels shown in the above list. These are as follows:
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Cryogenics - used on liquefied gases |  |
This Way Up |
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Magnetic Material |  |
Cargo Aircraft Only - a warning that the package must not be carried on an aircraft with passengers |