Dangerous Goods Categories

Dangerous goods are solids, liquids, or gases that can harm people, other living organisms, property, or the environment. They are often subject to chemical regulations. "HazMat teams" are personnel specially trained to handle dangerous goods. Dangerous goods include materials that are radioactiveflammableexplosivecorrosiveoxidizingasphyxiatingbiohazardoustoxicpathogenic, or allergenic. Also included are physical conditions such as compressed gases and liquids or hot materials, including all goods containing such materials or chemicals, or may have other characteristics that render them hazardous in specific circumstances.

Dangerous goods are often indicated by diamond-shaped signage. The colours of each diamond in a way has reference to its hazard i.e.: Flammable = red because fire and heat are generally of red colour, Explosive = orange, because mixing red (flammable) with yellow (oxidising agent) creates orange. Non Flammable Non Toxic Gas = green, due to all compressed air vessels being this colour in France after World War II. France is where the diamond system of HazMat identification originated.

Classification and labeling summary tables

Class 1: Explosives

Class 1: Explosives Hazardous Materials
Class 1: Explosives


Class 1.1: Explosives Hazardous Materials
Class 1.1: Explosives

Mass Explosion Hazard
Class 1.2: Explosives Hazardous Materials
Class 1.2: Explosives

Blast/Projection Hazard
Class 1.3: Explosives Hazardous Materials
Class 1.3: Explosives

Minor Blast Hazard
Class 1.4: Explosives Hazardous Materials
Class 1.4: Explosives

Major Fire Hazard
Class 1.5: Blasting Agents Hazardous Materials
Class 1.5: Blasting Agents

Blasting Agents
 
Class 1.6: Explosives Hazardous Materials
Class 1.6: Explosives

Extremely Insensitive Explosives
 
Class 2: Gases

Class 2.1: Flammable Gas Hazardous Materials
Class 2.1: Flammable Gas
Class 2.2: Nonflammable Gas Hazardous Materials
Class 2.2: Nonflammable Gas
Class 2.3: Poisonous Gas Hazardous Materials
Class 2.3: Poisonous Gas
Class 2.2: Oxygen (Alternative Placard) Hazardous Materials
Class 2.2: Oxygen (Alternative Placard)
Class 2.3: Inhalation Hazard (Alternative Placard) Hazardous Materials
Class 2.3: Inhalation Hazard (Alternative Placard)
 
Class 3: Flammable Liquids

Class 3: Flammable Liquids Hazardous Materials
Class 3: Flammable Liquids
Class 3: Combustible (Alternate Placard) Hazardous Materials
Class 3: Combustible (Alternate Placard)
Class 3: Fuel Oil (Alternate Placard) Hazardous Materials
Class 3: Fuel Oil (Alternate Placard)
 
Class 3: Gasoline (Alternate Placard) Hazardous Materials
Class 3: Gasoline (Alternate Placard)
 
Class 4: Flammable Solids

Class 4.1: Flammable Solids Hazardous Materials
Class 4.1: Flammable Solids

4.1 Flammable Solids: Solid substances that are easily ignited and readily combustible (nitrocellulosemagnesium, safety or strike-anywhere matches).
Class 4.2: Spontaneously Combustible Solids Hazardous Materials
Class 4.2: Spontaneously Combustible Solids

4.2 Spontaneously Combustible: Solid substances that ignite spontaneously (aluminium alkylswhite phosphorus).
Class 4.3: Dangerous when Wet Hazardous Materials
Class 4.3: Dangerous when Wet

4.3 Dangerous when Wet: Solid substances that emit a flammable gas when wet or react violently with water (sodiumcalciumpotassiumcalcium carbide).
Class 5: Oxidizing Agents and Organic Peroxides

Class 5.1: Oxidizing Agent Hazardous Materials
Class 5.1: Oxidizing Agent
5.1 Oxidizing agents other than organic peroxides (calcium hypochloriteammonium nitratehydrogen peroxide,potassium permanganate).
Class 5.2: Organic Peroxide Oxidizing Agent Hazardous Materials
Class 5.2: Organic Peroxide Oxidizing Agent
5.2 Organic peroxides, either in liquid or solid form (benzoyl peroxidescumene hydroperoxide).
Class 6: Toxic and Infectious Substances

Class 6.1: Poison Hazardous Materials
Class 6.1: Poison
  • 6.1a Toxic substances which are liable to cause death or serious injury to human health if inhaled, swallowed or by skin absorption (potassium cyanidemercuric chloride).
Class 6.2: Biohazard Hazardous Materials
Class 6.2: Biohazard
  • 6.2 Biohazardous substances; the World Health Organization (WHO) divides this class into two categories: Category A: Infectious; and Category B: Samples (virus cultures, pathology specimens, used intravenous needles).
 
Class 7: Radioactive Substances

Class 7: Radioactive Hazardous Materials
Class 7: Radioactive

Radioactive substances comprise substances or a combination of substances which emit ionizing radiation (uraniumplutonium).

Class 8: Corrosive Substances

Class 8: Corrosive Hazardous Materials
Class 8: Corrosive

Corrosive substances are substances that can dissolve organic tissue or severely corrode certain metals:
8.1 Acids: sulfuric acidhydrochloric acid
                   8.2 Alkalispotassium hydroxidesodium hydroxide


Other hazardous materials labels (CHIP)

Hazard Symbol: C/Corrosive Hazardous Materials
Hazard SymbolC/Corrosive
Hazard Symbol: E/Explosive Hazardous Materials
Hazard SymbolE/Explosive
Hazard Symbol: F/Flammable Hazardous Materials
Hazard SymbolF/Flammable
Hazard Symbol: N/Environmental Hazard Hazardous Materials
Hazard SymbolN/Environmental Hazard
Hazard Symbol: O/Oxidizing Hazardous Materials
Hazard SymbolO/Oxidizing
Hazard Symbol: T/Toxic Hazardous Materials
Hazard SymbolT/Toxic
Hazard Symbol: Xn/Harmful; Xi/Irritant Hazardous Materials
Hazard SymbolXn/Harmful; Xi/Irritant