Dangerous goods are items or substances that are a risk to health, safety, property or the environment when you transport them by air.
Some goods are too dangerous to transport on any aircraft. Others need approval from the aviation authority of the countries involved.
Some dangerous goods are restricted to cargo-only aircraft.
You might ship these goods regularly (for example, as part of a business) or only occasionally.
If you do send goods by air freight, it's your responsibility to:
- find out whether you have a dangerous good
- make sure it can be transported by air
- make sure it's prepared for transport correctly.
Penalties can apply for incorrectly packaging, declaring and shipping dangerous goods, including fines and imprisonment.
If you're a passenger on a flight, you must know what you can bring on board in your checked or carry-on luggage.
Our Can I pack that? app will help you determine what you can and can't pack.
Examples of dangerous goods
Obvious dangerous goods include:
- acids
- chemicals and poisons
- compressed gases
- explosives
- flammable liquids
- radioactive materials.
Everyday items can also be dangerous goods, including:
- aerosols
- battery powered items
- bleaches and other cleaning products
- camping stoves with liquid fuel or compressed gas
- car and machinery parts
- hand sanitiser
- items that hold petrol
- fireworks and sparklers
- matches and cigarette lighters
- pesticides
- perfumes
- spare batteries
- toiletries.
These are only a few examples of the items that we consider dangerous goods. There are many others and you must be able to identify them.
Hand sanitiser
Hand sanitiser is a dangerous good because of its high alcohol content. You can't send hand sanitiser by post. You must send it using a freight forwarding company and declare it as a dangerous good. But you can take it onboard as a toiletry item as a passenger.
Battery powered items
Battery powered items that use lithium-ion batteries include:
- drones
- mobility aids
- power tools
- toys.
If you want to bring these items with you, you will need approval from your airline before flying.
Read more about batteries and portable power packs.
Items that hold petrol
Items that hold petrol include:
- brush cutters
- chainsaws
- lawn mowers
- model aircraft.
You can take them as checked-in baggage, if you have flushed the petrol and have your airline's approval.
Regulation of dangerous goods
We follow these rules and regulations for handling and transporting dangerous goods in Australia:
- Australian Civil Aviation Act 1988
- Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998
- Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods (Doc 9284) – international rules for carrying goods by air.
Many airline operators also use the International Air Transport Association's Dangerous Goods Regulations.
CASA's role in dangerous goods is to:
- implement, regulate and enforce Australia's international treaty obligations for carrying dangerous goods by air
- develop standards
- control aircraft operators' entry to the industry
- monitor industry compliance
- educate industry and the public about dangerous goods issues.
Reporting a dangerous goods accident, incident or occurrence
Australian air operators must report a dangerous goods incident, accident or occurrence within 2 working days.
If you are not an Australian air operator and want to report an incident, you can use the same report a dangerous goods incident form.
Note: if there is an air accident involving dangerous goods, you will also need to report the accident to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB).