Safety Marks

Did you know that if you are shipping your dangerous goods in bags or sacks, you may not be compliant with TDG Regulations?

In Part 4 of TDG, section 4.10(3) states that a label must be displayed on any side of the means of containment other than the side on which it is to rest or be stacked. Most bags of fertilizer etc. that I have seen have the safety marks on the “front” side of the bag. When these bags are loaded onto a skid, the side that has the safety marks now supports a bag that has been placed on it, or in other words, the bags are stacked on the skid. Or if the bags are placed “face” down on the skid, then this side is the side intended to rest. This now means that the safety marks are on the wrong side of the bag.

In order to be compliant with this section, it would mean affixing your dangerous goods safety marks to the narrow edge of the bag. If you feel that this cannot be done on your bags, you may want to consider applying for a Certificate of Equivalency from Transport Canada or discussing this further with a Transport Canada inspector.