What are dangerous goods?

Dangerous goods, also known as hazardous materials, can be in liquid, solid, or gaseous form. They include solutions, mixtures, objects, substances, waste, or compositions that pose a risk to health, the environment, property, or safety.

As soon as dangerous goods such as heating oil or garden fertilizer are transported on public roads, they must be labeled and treated as such.

The United Nations has established globally applicable dangerous goods classes to describe and classify the various types of dangerous goods. These classification systems help to understand the risks and dangers involved in handling dangerous substances and to take appropriate safety measures.

What are the different classes of dangerous goods?

• Class 1: Explosive substances and articles containing explosives
• Class 2: Gases
• Class 3: Flammable liquids
• Class 4.1: Flammable solids, self-reactive substances, polymerizing substances, and desensitized explosive solids
• Class 4.2: Pyrophoric substances
• Class 4.3: Substances which, in contact with water, emit flammable gases
• Class 5.1: Oxidizing substances
• Class 5.2: Organic peroxides
• Class 6.1: Toxic substances
• Class 6.2: Infectious substances
• Class 7: Radioactive substances
• Class 8: Corrosive substances
• Class 9: Miscellaneous dangerous substances and articles

How are dangerous goods labeled?

Dangerous goods are classified according to their properties and hazard potential into the applicable dangerous goods classes and assigned a unique four-digit identification number, the UN number. This classification enables accurate identification and classification during transport. In addition, information such as weight and type of packaging unit is crucial in order to comply with the necessary regulations, properties, and transport conditions.

An orange warning sign with a minimum size of 300 mm x 400 mm is used to label transport units. This warning sign contains two or three digits in the upper part indicating the type of hazard and the 4-digit UN number in the lower part for the unique identification of the dangerous goods.

The number at the top of the warning label is used to identify the hazard according to the following criteria:

• The first digit indicates the dangerous goods class.
• Doubling the first digit indicates an increased hazard.
• If the second digit is a ‘0’, this means that the hazard is adequately described by the first digit.
• A different second digit indicates additional hazards.
• If the digit is preceded by an ‘X’, this indicates that the substance may react dangerously with water.