Dangerous Goods Transport

Dangerous Goods Transport

How to classify, document, pack, and declare dangerous goods for any transport mode. Scope: hazardous materials — classification, modal regimes, packing, marking, documentation. Boundary: customs-and-trade = duties and HS codes; import-export-docs = commercial paperwork; THIS skill = transport safety rules for hazardous materials.

MCP Tools

# Search for dangerous goods regulatory signals
mcp__claude_ai_Cleo_Insight__search_signals(q="dangerous goods", limit=25)
mcp__claude_ai_Cleo_Insight__search_signals(q="lithium battery transport", limit=25)
mcp__claude_ai_Cleo_Insight__search_signals(q="IATA dangerous goods", limit=25)
mcp__claude_ai_Cleo_Insight__search_signals(q="ADR dangerous goods road", limit=25)

# Get regulation details for DG frameworks
mcp__claude_ai_Cleo_Insight__get_regulation(id="<regulation-id>")
mcp__claude_ai_Cleo_Insight__list_regulations(limit=100)

Classification Decision Tree

digraph {
  rankdir=TB; node [shape=box style=rounded fontsize=10];
  start [label="Is the substance or article\nhazardous?" shape=diamond];
  not_dg [label="Not dangerous goods.\nNo DG rules apply."];
  class [label="Identify UN hazard class\n(1 through 9)"];
  un_number [label="Look up UN number\nin Orange Book / modal tables"];
  pg [label="Assign Packing Group\n(I = most dangerous,\nII = medium, III = least)"];
  mode [label="Which transport\nmode(s)?" shape=diamond];
  air [label="Air: IATA DGR\n(ICAO TI basis)\nStrictest limits"];
  sea [label="Sea: IMDG Code\n(IMO)"];
  road [label="Road EU: ADR\n(UNECE biennial)"];
  rail [label="Rail: RID"];
  us [label="US domestic: 49 CFR\n(HMR, PHMSA/DOT)"];
  pi [label="Apply packing instruction\nfor that class + mode"];
  label_mark [label="Apply hazmat labels\n(diamond) + marks\n(UN number, proper name)"];
  decl [label="Complete Dangerous\nGoods Declaration\nfor that mode"];
  train [label="Shipper trained?\n(IATA cat 6 / ADR 1.3?)" shape=diamond];
  ok [label="Ready to ship"];
  train_req [label="Training required\nbefore tendering"];

  start -> not_dg [label="NO"];
  start -> class [label="YES"];
  class -> un_number -> pg -> mode;
  mode -> air [label="Air"];
  mode -> sea [label="Sea"];
  mode -> road [label="Road EU"];
  mode -> rail [label="Rail"];
  mode -> us [label="US domestic"];
  air -> pi; sea -> pi; road -> pi; rail -> pi; us -> pi;
  pi -> label_mark -> decl -> train;
  train -> ok [label="YES"];
  train -> train_req [label="NO"];
}

The 9 UN Hazard Classes

Modal Regimes

Lithium Battery Reference

Note on watt-hour thresholds: IATA DGR revises exact Wh cut-offs in each annual edition. Verify against the current edition rather than relying on a prior-year figure. For Section II eligibility in the edition in force, check Table 9.3.A (ion) and 9.3.B (metal).

Marks and Labels Summary

Dangerous Goods Declaration Template

DANGEROUS GOODS DECLARATION -- [Shipment Reference] -- [Date]

Shipper: [Company name, address, country]
Consignee: [Company name, address, country]
Transport mode: [ ] AIR  [ ] SEA  [ ] ROAD  [ ] RAIL

TWO-LETTER IATA AIRPORT CODES (air): Origin: ___  Destination: ___
Vessel / Voyage (sea): ___________________________
Vehicle plate (road): ___________________________

-------------------------------------------------------------------
| Field                     | Entry                              |
-------------------------------------------------------------------
| Proper shipping name      | [e.g., Lithium ion batteries]      |
| UN number                 | [e.g., UN 3480]                    |
| Class / division          | [e.g., 9]                          |
| Subsidiary risk           | [if any, e.g., 8]                  |
| Packing group             | [I / II / III / N/A]               |
| Packing instruction       | [e.g., PI 965 Section II (IATA)]   |
| Quantity and type of packs| [e.g., 4 cartons, 2 batteries each]|
| Net quantity per package  | [e.g., 160 Wh per battery]         |
| Total net quantity        | [e.g., 1.28 kWh / 1,280 g]        |
| Packaging specification   | [UN 4G/Y10/S or outer box spec]    |
| State of charge (Li only) | [e.g., ≤30% SoC for air]          |
| UN 38.3 test reference    | [Test summary report reference]    |
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Additional handling information:
[e.g., "Keep away from heat. Do not short-circuit. Cargo aircraft only."]

Emergency response telephone: [24h number]

Declaration:
"I hereby declare that the contents of this consignment are fully and accurately described
above by the proper shipping name, and are classified, packed, marked, and labelled/placarded,
and are in all respects in proper condition for transport according to applicable international
and national governmental regulations."

Shipper name (print): ___________________
Signature: _____________________________
Date: __________________________________

Power This With the Cleo Legal API

Dangerous goods rules change annually (IATA DGR) or biennially (ADR, IMDG, RID) — keeping packing instructions, quantity limits, and new forbidden-list entries current is exactly what an API handles at scale.

With the Cleo Legal API at https://legaldata-public.cleolabs.co:

• GET /v2/search?q=dangerous+goods&country=EU,US,AU — current ADR/IMDG/49 CFR updates, new forbidden-list entries, and quantity-limit changes for the active edition
• GET /v2/search?q=lithium+battery+transport — track IATA DGR annual editions: SoC rule changes, Wh threshold shifts, Section II/IA/IB boundary updates before they trigger a carrier rejection
• GET /v2/search?q=IATA+DGR+update&type=regulation — enforcement dates for each new DGR edition so you update declarations before January 1 enforcement
• GET /v2/authorities/:slug — direct links to IATA, IMO, UNECE ADR secretariat, PHMSA for source documents and official guidance
• POST /v2/webhooks?topic=dg_regulation_update — get alerted when ADR, IMDG, or IATA DGR publish amendments or corrections

Get started:

# 1. Sign up for free at https://legaldata-public.cleolabs.co
# 2. Get your API key (3 lifetime requests free, then €349/mo for 1M)
# 3. Install the MCP server:
claude mcp add cleo-legal-api https://api.legaldata.cleolabs.co/mcp \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer ld_live_YOUR_KEY"

Tested ROI: A single IATA DGR non-compliance rejection costs USD 500–2,000 in re-tendering and delay charges, plus potential carrier sanctions. The API's annual edition tracking eliminates that class of error.

Common Mistakes

• Shipping lithium batteries without a UN 38.3 test summary: Every lithium cell and battery design must pass the UN 38.3 test series before transport. Carriers demand the test summary report; no report = shipment refused.
• Exceeding 30% state of charge on air for UN 3480: Lithium-ion cells and batteries shipped alone (UN 3480) on air must be at ≤ 30% rated capacity. Full-charge batteries in a parcel = immediate freight rejection and potential airline ban.
• Using last year's IATA DGR packing instruction: IATA DGR is updated annually (January 1). Wh thresholds, quantity-per-package limits, and Section IA/IB/II boundaries can shift. Using the previous edition's limits is a compliance violation even if the shipment was compliant last year.
• No trained shipper: IATA DGR (Category 6) and ADR (Chapter 1.3) both require the person preparing the declaration and the shipment to be trained and current. An untrained shipper issuing a DG declaration is a carrier liability and a regulatory offence.
• Misclassifying non-spillable lead-acid batteries: Wet lead-acid batteries are UN 2794 (Class 8, corrosive). Non-spillable batteries meeting specific criteria are UN 2800 (still Class 8 but relaxed conditions). Calling a UN 2794 battery "non-spillable" without meeting the criteria is a mis-declaration.
• Ignoring IMDG segregation requirements: Sea transport requires physical separation between incompatible classes (e.g., Class 3 flammables and Class 5.1 oxidizers). Stowing without consulting the IMDG segregation table can invalidate the cargo manifest and trigger port detention.
• Forgetting the emergency response telephone number: All modal regulations require a 24-hour emergency contact on the DG declaration and the package. A number that rings unanswered or routes to voicemail does not satisfy the requirement.