Significant regulation changes for shippers of Dangerous Goods
There is a multitude of rule changes in the 52nd Edition of the IATA DGR. The new regulations will take effect on January 1, 2011. Below is a summary of the important changes for your reference. As always, the IATA DGR should be consulted for details. You can also review a full listing of changes on the IATA website.
Packaging Instructions
Most of the packing instruction numbers have changed. This is true for Classes 3, 4, 5, 6.1, 8, and 9. Here are some examples of the new numbers:
Dry Ice: UN 1845 PI 954,
Consumer Commodity: ID 8000 PI Y963
Batteries, wet, filled with acid: UN 2794 PI 870
Life saving appliance, self-inflating: UN 2990 PI 955
If you or your company uses electronic computer applications to complete shipping papers, you must obtain updates for your applications from the respective vendors.
Note: Shipments with paperwork indicating they were prepared for shipment prior to January 1, 2011 may use current packing instructions until April 1, 2011. [Page 361 “NOTE”]
Magnetized Materials, UN 2807
There is a new PI number: PI 953. Magnetized materials meeting the scientific criteria of PI 953 will not require a Shipper’s Declaration; instead the shipper must provide documentation using the words “magnetized material” when stating the nature of the commodity to be shipped (those words must be on the air waybill). However, as before, the box must bear the MAGNETIZED MATERIAL label.
IATA DGR Section 2
The IATA Section number for Excepted Quantities has been changed to 2.6, Limited Quantities to 2.7, State and Operator Variations to 2.8.
Limited Quantities Shipments
You are no longer required to enter LTD QTY in the Authorizations Column of the Shipper’s Declaration [8.1.6.9.4]. Also, the requirement to mark LTD QTY on the box has been deleted. Instead, all packages of Limited Quantity shipments must bear the following mark (label can be purchased) [7.1.5.3]:
Consumer Commodities ID 8000
Each package of Consumer Commodities MUST BEAR THE LTD QTY MARK (label) shown above [PI Y963 (m)] (this is in addition to the Class 9 label).
Infectious Substances, CLASS 6.2
PI 602 has been changed to PI 620.
General Package Markings
The name and address of the shipper and consignee should be located near the Proper Shipping Name marking [7.1.5.1.(b)]. Note that the word “should” is preferred but not mandatory [1.3.1.3].
Radioactive Materials
When stating the package dimensions on the Shipper’s Declaration, the shipper must use the formula: Length x width x height (in centimeters) [10.8.3.9.3].
