Even the most compliant shippers can get tripped up by regulations that consistently change. Items once considered inconsequential can now be classified as Dangerous Goods without you ever knowing. And even though you’re held accountable for implementing these changes, it can be difficult to remain compliant. This e-book, Top 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Dangerous Goods, can help you keep others safe and avoid excessive shipping fines and delays.

1. DG DANGEROUS GOODS
Even the most compliant shippers can get tripped up by
regulations that consistently change. Items once considered
inconsequential can now be classified as Dangerous Goods
without you ever knowing. And even though you’re
held accountable for implementing these changes,
it can be difficult to remain compliant. This e-book,
Top 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Dangerous Goods,
can help you keep others safe and avoid excessive
shipping fines and delays.

2. DG:
unusual
suspects
CHARCOAL
ALCOHOLIC
BEVERAGES
DENTAL
WHITENING STRIPS
may contain mercury
BAROMETERS/
THERMOMETERS
AEROSOLS
AUTOMOBILE
SHOCK ABSORBERS
AIRBAGS
BLEACH
ADHESIVES
may contain
batteriesELECTRONICS
DRY ICE
BATTERIES
e.g., lead acid, lithium
ion or lithium metal
regulated
for air
shipments
MAGNETS OR
MAGNETIZED
MATERIALS
CAMPING
EQUIPMENT
The world is filled with items that may or may not
fall into a Dangerous Goods category, depending on
the quantity, packaging and mode of transportation.
Here are a few examples of things people might not
know can be classified as Dangerous Goods:
#1DG

3. MILLIONDG shipments per DAY
There are
94%OF WHICH are transported
by highway.
U.S. Government Accountability Office. Defense Transportation: DOD Needs to Take Actions to Improve Transportation of Hazardous Material Shipments. May 2014.
#2DG

4. DG
DG
DG
DG
DG
1in5
DG
DG
DG
Cox, Jerry. Transportation of Hazardous
Materials in Plain English Packaging. 2013.
For every five tons
of freight that goes
on trucks, trains,
planes, and ships,
one ton is DG.
#3DG

5. of DG are moved
by commercial
carriers in the U.S.
each year.
3BILLION
TONS ...that’s the weight of...that’s the weight of
500 HOOVER
DAMS!
U.S. Government Accountability Office. Defense Transportation:
DOD Needs to Take Actions to Improve Transportation of
Hazardous Material Shipments. May 2014.
#4DG

6. OF ALL CIVIL PENALTIES
IN DG SHIPPING50%
are imposed because companies
neglect to train or retrain their
DG shipping personnel according
to the required schedule (or at all).
Cox, Jerry. Transportation of Hazardous Materials in Plain English Packaging. 2013.
#5DG

7. $4,188,797in fines for improper DG shipments
In 2012, the FAA issued
Between the Department of
Transportation (DOT), the Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA), and the
Department of Defense (DOD), there are
literally thousands of regulations
governing the shipment of DG by road,
rail, air, and water. And these agencies
are serious about enforcement.
U.S. Government Accountability Office. Defense Transportation: DOD Needs to Take
Actions to Improve Transportation of Hazardous Material Shipments. May 2014.
#6DG

8. Did you know
lithium batteries
are classified as
DANGEROUS
GOODS
when it comes
to shipping
?
“THERMAL
RUNAWAY”
When damaged or short-circuited, lithium
batteries can experience what’s called
which is a fancy way of saying
they catch fire, explode, send out jets of
flaming material, etc. This risk, especially on
airplanes, has prompted increased
regulation of lithium battery shipping.
#7DG

9. 2000 2010 2020
4.5BILLION
500MILLION
8 BILLION
It is estimated that the production of lithium batteries
will increase 1,600% between 2000 and 2020.
Cox, Jerry. Transportation of Hazardous Materials
in Plain English Packaging. 2013.
February 6, 2015:
New regulations for
shipping lithium
batteries are in effect.
#8DG

10. 163,333pages
CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR)
First published in 1938, this massive
compendium of rules is divided into
50 titles and covers an incredibly
broad range of topics, from
agriculture and banking to foreign
relations and national defense.
in 226 individual volumes.
U.S. Government Accountability Office. Defense
Transportation: DOD Needs to Take Actions to Improve
Transportation of Hazardous Material Shipments. May 2014.
of the CFR was the largest ever, containing
The Hazardous Materials Table (HMT) in Title 49 CFR 172.101 lists
3,600+ individual items considered to be Dangerous Goods.
THE 2009 EDITION
TITLE 49
TRANSPORTATION
#9DG

11. In the U.S., placards must be displayed on the front, back, and both
sides of a vehicle, and the shipper is required to provide the
appropriate placard for any Dangerous Goods offered for transportation.
While it’s not uncommon for carriers to have the placards available, if
you’re shipping Dangerous Goods, you need to know what’s required and
ensure the right placards are available when they’re needed.
DISPLAYING PLACARDS
BACK FRONT
SIDES
DANGEROUS
#10DG

12. labelmaster.com
800.621.5808 Copyright © 2015 Labelmaster.
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business is fully compliant?
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process that encompasses thousands of rules and
regulations. That’s why a business like yours needs
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