General

Part 4 of the Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG) Regulations requires dangerous goods to be identified by safety marks when being transported. Dangerous goods safety marks are displayed on the means of containment to illustrate the presence and nature of the danger. Certification safety marks are used to indicate compliance with a safety standard (manufacturing of means of containment). A safety mark can be a design, symbol, device, sign, label, placard, letter, word, number or abbreviation, or any combination of these things.

Labels and Placards

Labels and placards are diamond shaped and must be displayed as illustrated below. They are usually identical (except for the size) and they communicate by colour, number and symbol the degree and nature of the hazard of dangerous goods. Because of the size or irregular shape of certain means of containment, the TDG Regulations allow for the reduction of labels (30 mm) and placards (100 mm).

Labels

Labels are required on any side, except top or bottom, of a small means of containment (i.e. packages and drums of =< 450 litres), and on the shoulder of cylinders. A package containing radioactive materials must display a label on two opposite sides. The shipping name, technical name (if any) and UN number must also be displayed on small means of containment. The UN number may appear on or next to the label.

Placards

Placards and UN numbers must be displayed on each side and each end of a large means of containment (> 450 litres) if the dangerous goods

• have a total gross mass greater than 500 kg (UN number is only required when the quantity exceeds 4000 kg);
• are in a quantity or concentration that require an emergency response assistance plan (ERAP¹); or
• are a liquid or a gas in direct contact with the means of containment.

The UN number must appear on the placard or on a rectangular orange panel next to the placard.

Large means of containment can be tote tanks, intermodal tanks, portable tanks, intermediate bulk containers (IBC), freight containers, road and rail vehicles.

Mixed Loads

A mixed load of dangerous goods of different UN numbers (none requiring an ERAP) may be identified by a DANGER placard instead of the placard required for those dangerous goods.

A mixed load of different classes of gases transported by road, solely on land, may be identified by a DANGER placard and a primary class placard for the most dangerous gas according to the following decreasing order of danger:

• toxic gas,
• flammable gas,
• oxidizing gas,
• any other gas.

Other Safety Marks

Elevated Temperature Sign: The elevated-temperature sign must be displayed next to the placard for specific elevated temperature products.

Fumigation Sign: When dangerous goods are used to fumigate a large means of containment, the fumigation sign must be displayed next to or at each entryway into a large means of containment through which a person can enter.

Marine Pollutant Mark: Certain quantities of dangerous goods identified as "marine pollutants" and that are transported by ship must display a marine pollutant mark.

Certification Safety Mark: A certification safety mark is required to be displayed by the manufacturer of the means of containment to illustrate compliance with the safety standard². For more information, please consult the Advisory notice on Means of Containment.

Removal of Safety Marks

Labels and placards must be removed from any means of containment that have been unloaded, unpacked, cleaned or purged or when the contents of the means of containment have been neutralized.

Foreign Shipments

In specific cases, the TDG Regulations allow the use of safety marks in accordance with other regulations.

This advisory notice provides a general outline of the safety mark requirements. For specific information, the Act and Regulations must be consulted.