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Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations (SOR/2001-286)

Regulations are current to 2024-03-06 and last amended on 2023-10-25. Previous Versions

PART 2Classification (continued)

Class 1, Explosives

General

 Substances are included in Class 1, Explosives, if they are

  • (a) capable, by chemical reaction, of producing gas at a temperature, pressure and speed that would damage the surroundings; or

  • (b) designed to produce an explosive or pyrotechnic effect by heat, light, sound, gas or smoke or a combination of those means as a result of non-detonative, self-sustaining exothermic chemical reactions.

Divisions

 Class 1, Explosives, has six divisions:

  • (a) Class 1.1, mass explosion hazard;

  • (b) Class 1.2, projection hazard but not a mass explosion hazard;

  • (c) Class 1.3, fire hazard and either a minor blast hazard or a minor projection hazard or both but not a mass explosion hazard;

  • (d) Class 1.4, no significant hazard beyond the package in the event of ignition or initiation during transport;

  • (e) Class 1.5, very insensitive substances with a mass explosion hazard; and

  • (f) Class 1.6, extremely insensitive articles with no mass explosion hazard.

Compatibility Groups

 Explosives are divided into 13 compatibility groups as described in Appendix 2, Description of Compatibility Groups, Class 1, Explosives, to this Part.

Packing Groups

 Explosives are included in Packing Group II.

Class 2, Gases

General

 A substance is included in Class 2, Gases, if it is

  • (a) a gas included in one of the three divisions set out in section 2.14;

  • (b) a mixture of gases;

  • (c) a mixture of one or more gases with one or more vapours of substances included in other classes;

  • (d) an article charged with a gas;

  • (e) tellurium hexafluoride; or

  • (f) an aerosol.

  • SOR/2008-34, s. 31

Divisions

 Class 2, Gases, has three divisions:

  • (a) Class 2.1, Flammable Gases, which consists of gases that, at 20°C and an absolute pressure of 101.3 kPa,

    • (i) are ignitable when in a mixture of 13% or less by volume with air, or

    • (ii) have a flammability range with air of at least 12 percentage points determined in accordance with tests or calculations in ISO 10156;

  • (b) Class 2.2, Non-flammable and Non-toxic Gases, which consists of gases that are transported at an absolute pressure greater than or equal to 280 kPa at 20°C, or as refrigerated liquids, and that are not included in Class 2.1, Flammable Gases, or Class 2.3, Toxic Gases; and

  • (c) Class 2.3, Toxic Gases, which consists of gases that

    • (i) are known to be toxic or corrosive to humans according to CGA P-20, ISO Standard 10298 or other documentary evidence published in technical journals or government publications, or

    • (ii) have an LC50 value less than or equal to 5 000 mL/m3.

Aerosols

  •  (1) Dangerous goods contained in an aerosol container must be transported under UN1950, AEROSOLS.

  • (2) The dangerous goods are included

    • (a) in Class 2.1, Flammable Gases, if the dangerous goods contain at least 85% by mass of flammable components and the chemical heat of combustion is greater than or equal to 30 kJ/g; or

    • (b) in Class 2.2, Non-flammable and Non-toxic Gases, if the dangerous goods contain not more than 1% by mass of flammable components and the heat of combustion is less than 20 kJ/g.

  • (3) The dangerous goods must be classified in accordance with section 31 of Part III of the Manual of Tests and Criteria.

  • (4) The dangerous goods must not contain gases included in Class 2.3, Toxic Gases.

  • (5) The dangerous goods must have a subsidiary class of 6.1, Toxic Substances, or Class 8, Corrosive Substances, if the dangerous goods – other than the propellant to be ejected from the aerosol container – are included in Class 6.1, Toxic Substances, Packing Groups II or III, or Class 8, Corrosive Substances, Packing Groups II or III.

  • (6) The dangerous goods are forbidden for transport when they are included in Packing Group I for toxicity or corrosiveness.

  • SOR/2014-306, s. 19

Exemption

  •  (1) These Regulations, except for Part 1 (Coming into Force, Repeal, Interpretation, General Provisions and Special Cases) and Part 2 (Classification) do not apply to gases included in Class 2.2, Non-flammable and Non-toxic Gases that are contained

    • (a) in foodstuffs, including carbonated beverages other than UN1950;

    • (b) in balls intended for use in sports;

    • (c) in tires; or

    • (d) in light bulbs.

  • (2) The exemption set out in paragraph (1)(d) applies only if the light bulbs are packaged so that any pieces of a ruptured bulb are contained by the packaging.

  • SOR/2014-306, s. 19

Packing Groups

 There are no packing groups for Class 2, Gases.

Determination of LC50

 LC50 values for a single or pure gas or for a mixture of gases must be determined

  • (a) by using LC50 values published in CGA P-20, ISO Standard 10298, technical journals or government publications;

  • (b) in accordance with paragraphs 2.2.3(b) and (c) of Chapter 2.2 of the UN Recommendations; or

  • (c) for a mixture of gases, in accordance with section 2.17.

Determination of LC50 of a Mixture of Gases

 To determine the LC50 of a mixture of gases when the LC50 of each of the gases is known, use 5 000 mL/m3 as the toxic limit and,

  • (a) if the mixture contains only one gas with an LC50 less than or equal to the toxic limit (called “Gas A”), use the following calculation:

    LC50 of the mixture = (LC50 of Gas A) ÷ (fraction by volume of Gas A in the mixture)

or

  • (b) if the mixture contains more than one gas with an LC50 less than or equal to the toxic limit (called “Gas A”, “Gas B”, etc.),

    • (i) determine the contributing number (CN) of each of the gases with an LC50 less than or equal to the toxic limit using the formula

      CN Gas A = (LC50 of Gas A) ÷ (fraction by volume of Gas A in the mixture)

    • (ii) combine the contributing numbers (CN) of each gas with an LC50 less than or equal to the toxic limit using the formula

      T = 1 ÷ (CN Gas A) + 1 ÷ (CN Gas B) + (as needed)

    and

    • (iii) obtain the LC50 of the mixture by dividing 1 by the number T (LC50 of the mixture = 1 / T).

Class 3, Flammable Liquids

General

  •  (1) Substances that are liquids or liquids containing solids in solution or suspension are included in Class 3, Flammable Liquids, if they

    • (a) have a flash point less than or equal to 60ºC using the closed-cup test method referred to in Chapter 2.3 of the UN Recommendations; or

    • (b) are intended or expected to be at a temperature that is greater than or equal to their flash point at any time while the substances are in transport.

  • (2) Despite paragraph (1)(a), liquids that have a flash point greater than 35°C are not included in Class 3, Flammable Liquids, if they

    • (a) do not sustain combustion, as determined in accordance with the sustained combustibility test referred to in section 2.3.1.3 of Chapter 2.3 of the UN Recommendations;

    • (b) have a fire point greater than 100°C, as determined in accordance with ISO 2592; or

    • (c) are water-miscible solutions with a water content greater than 90% by mass.

  • SOR/2008-34, s. 32

Packing Groups

  •  (1) Flammable liquids included in Class 3, Flammable Liquids, are included in one of the following packing groups:

    • (a) Packing Group I, if they have an initial boiling point of 35°C or less at an absolute pressure of 101.3 kPa and any flash point;

    • (b) Packing Group II, if they have an initial boiling point greater than 35°C at an absolute pressure of 101.3 kPa and a flash point less than 23°C; or

    • (c) Packing Group III, if the criteria for inclusion in Packing Group I or II are not met.

  • (2) Despite subsection (1), for dangerous goods included in Class 3, Flammable Liquids,

    • (a) when the packing group is unknown, the consignor may include the dangerous goods in Packing Group I; or

    • (b) when the packing group is reasonably believed or is known to be Packing Group II or III, the consignor may include the dangerous goods in Packing Group II but, if the substance has the same characteristics as UN1203, GASOLINE, it may also be transported as Packing Group II.

  • (3) Despite paragraph (1)(b), a viscous flammable liquid that has a flash point less than 23°C may be included in Packing Group III if

    • (a) the liquid or any separated solvent does not meet the criteria for inclusion in Class 6.1 or Class 8;

    • (b) less than 3% of the clear solvent layer separates when the solvent separation test set out in subsection 32.5.1 of Part III of the Manual of Tests and Criteria is carried out;

    • (c) the viscosity and flash-point of the liquid are in accordance with the table to this subsection; and

    • (d) the viscosity test is carried out in accordance with the procedure set out in subsection 32.4 of Part III of the Manual of Tests and Criteria or the procedure set out in ISO 2431.

    TABLE

    Kinematic viscosity extrapolated ν (at near-zero shear rate) mm2/s at 23°CFlow time t (seconds)Jet diameter (mm)Flash point, closed cup (°C)
    20 < ν ≤ 8020 < t ≤ 604above 17
    80 < ν ≤ 13560 < t ≤ 1004above 10
    135 < ν ≤ 22020 < t ≤ 326above 5
    220 < ν ≤ 30032 < t ≤ 446above -1
    300 < ν ≤ 70044 < t ≤ 1006above -5
    700 < ν100 < t6No limit
  • (3.1) If a liquid referred to in subsection (3) is a non-Newtonian substance or a flow cup method of viscosity determination is unsuitable, a variable shear-rate viscometer must be used to determine the dynamic viscosity coefficient of the liquid, at 23°C, at a number of shear rates. The values obtained must be plotted against shear rate and then extrapolated to zero shear rate. The dynamic viscosity value thus obtained, divided by the density, gives the apparent kinematic viscosity at near-zero shear rate.

  • SOR/2008-34, s. 33(F)
  • SOR/2017-137, s. 19

Class 4, Flammable Solids; Substances Liable to Spontaneous Combustion; Substances That on Contact with Water Emit Flammable Gases (Water-reactive Substances)

General

 Substances are included in Class 4 if they are flammable solids, substances liable to spontaneous combustion or substances that on contact with water emit flammable gases (water-reactive substances) and meet the criteria for inclusion in one of the divisions and packing groups of Class 4.

Divisions

  •  (1) Class 4 has three divisions:

    • (a) Class 4.1, Flammable Solids, which consists of substances that are

      • (i) readily combustible, as determined in accordance with section 2.4.2.2 of Chapter 2.4 of the UN Recommendations,

      • (ii) under normal conditions of transport, liable to cause fire through friction,

      • (iii) solid desensitized explosives, which are solid explosives desensitized through wetting with water or alcohols or diluted with other substances to form a homogeneous solid mixture to suppress their explosive properties so that they are not included in Class 1, Explosives,

      • (iv) self-reactive substances that are liable to undergo a strongly exothermic decomposition even without the participation of oxygen (air), as determined in accordance with section 2.4.2.3 of Chapter 2.4 of the UN Recommendations, but Class 4.1 does not include substances that have

        • (A) a primary class of Class 1, Explosives, Class 5.1, Oxidizing Substances, or Class 5.2, Organic Peroxides,

        • (B) a heat of decomposition less than 300 J/g, or

        • (C) a self-accelerating decomposition temperature (SADT) that is greater than 75°C for a 50 kg means of containment, as determined in accordance with section 2.4.2.3.4 of Chapter 2.4 of the UN Recommendations,

      • (iv.1) polymerizing substances that, without stabilization, are liable to undergo a strongly exothermic reaction resulting in the formation of larger molecules or resulting in the formation of polymers under conditions normally encountered in transport,

      • (v) identified by one of the following UN numbers: UN2956, UN3241, UN3242 or UN3251, or

      • (vi) are in the list of currently assigned self-reactive substances in section 2.4.2.3.2.3 of Chapter 2.4 of the UN Recommendations;

    • (b) Class 4.2, Substances Liable to Spontaneous Combustion, which consists of

      • (i) pyrophoric substances that spontaneously ignite within 5 minutes after coming into contact with air, as determined in accordance with section 2.4.3.2 of Chapter 2.4 of the UN Recommendations, and

      • (ii) self-heating substances that, when in large amounts (kilograms), spontaneously ignite on contact with air after long periods (hours or days), as determined in accordance with section 2.4.3.2 of Chapter 2.4 of the UN Recommendations; and

    • (c) Class 4.3, Water-reactive Substances, which consists of substances that, in tests performed in accordance with section 2.4.4.2 of Chapter 2.4 of the UN Recommendations, emit a flammable gas at a rate greater than 1 L/kg of substance per hour or spontaneously ignite at any step in the test procedure.

  • (2) For the purposes of subparagraph (1)(a)(iv.1), a substance is considered to be a polymerizing substance of Class 4.1 if it

    • (a) has a self-accelerating polymerization temperature (SAPT) that is less than or equal to 75°C under the conditions in which the substance or mixture is to be transported, with or without chemical stabilization as offered for transport, and in the means of containment in which the substance or mixture is to be transported;

    • (b) exhibits a heat of reaction of more than 300 J/g; and

    • (c) does not meet any other criteria for inclusion in Classes 1 to 8.

  • SOR/2017-137, s. 20

Polymerizing Substances

 A person must not offer for transport, handle or transport the following polymerizing substances unless they are stabilized by temperature control:

  • (a) polymerizing substance that is in a small means of containment prescribed by TP 14850 or Chapter 6.1 of the UN Recommendations or in an intermediate bulk container (IBC) and whose self-accelerating polymerization temperature (SAPT) is 50°C or less in the small means of containment or IBC; and

  • (b) a polymerizing substance that is in a large means of containment that is not an IBC and whose SAPT is 45°C or less in the large means of containment.

  • SOR/2017-137, s. 21
 

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