FAQ
Check out the Frequently Asked Questions about Dangerous Goods and our services
Dangerous Goods or Hazardous Materials are often found in your home,
office and work place. Most chemicals have a Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) that typically
lists the dangerous contents. Look for some of the common words such as flammable, corrosive,
toxic, combustible. If these are written on the product label, it is quite likely that these are
regulated for transportation by air and ocean, and sometimes via ground as well
Sample Household goods that are considered Dangerous include Aerosols,
Gas Tanks, Batteries, Cigarette Lighters, Magnets, Perfumes, Colognes, Paints, Bleaches, Engine
Parts, Fire Extinguishers, Hand Sanitizers, Wipes, Mercury, Oxygen Generator, Photographic
Supplies, Refrigeration Equipment, Adhesives, Sealants, Swimming Pool and Jacuzzi Chemicals are
some of the goods that we use in our everyday lives but are classified as Dangerous or Hazardous
for transport.
Lithium Ion Batteries and Lithium Metal batteries used in everyday
electronics are considered hazardous. Lithium-ion is the most popular rechargeable battery
chemistry used today and uses an electrolyte that helps conduct electricity. Because of the
flammable nature of Li-Ion batteries, they cannot be transported without special paperwork,
packaging, labeling and declarations. Note, that Lithium batteries differ from regular Ni-Cd,
Alkaline, Lead Acid and other batteries. If you are not sure, contact us to ascertain the
chemistry and transport requirements of the batteries.
Regulations surrounding packaging, handling, tendering, shipping of
Dangerous Goods and Hazardous Materials is governed by a complex set of regulations formed by
multiple bodies. The majority of airlines, cargo vessels and trucking companies are mandated to
comply with the transport regulations formed by US DOT for shipment (for shipments by ground,
ocean and road), IATA (for international shipments by air) and IMO (International Maritime
Organization) for shipment by ocean.
Consequently, the regulations are complex, evolve every few months based on industry feedback and actual safety related incidents and sometimes overlap and conflict.
Consequently, the regulations are complex, evolve every few months based on industry feedback and actual safety related incidents and sometimes overlap and conflict.
There are a variety of agencies and their corresponding publications
that control the movement, storage and handling of dangerous goods. In the US, these three
agencies draft, implement, check and enforce all the regulations.