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

Regulations are current to 2024-10-30 and last amended on 2024-10-25. Previous Versions

PART 2Classification (continued)

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

Packing Groups

  • 2.22 (1) Substances included in Class 4.1, Flammable Solids, are included in one of the following packing groups:

    • (a) Packing Group I, if the substances meet the criterion in subparagraph 2.21(1)(a)(iii), except that substances that have one of the following UN numbers are included in Packing Group II: UN2555, UN2556, UN2557, UN2907, UN3270, UN3319 or UN3344;

    • (b) Packing Group II, if

      • (i) the substances meet the criteria for inclusion in Class 4.1 in subparagraph 2.21(1)(a)(iv) or (v), except that substances that have one of the following UN numbers are included in Packing Group III: UN2956, UN3241 or UN3251,

      • (ii) in tests referred to in section 33.2.1 of Part III of the Manual of Tests and Criteria for readily combustible solids, excluding metal powders, the burning time of the substances is less than 45 seconds and the flame passes the wetted zone, or

      • (iii) in tests referred to in section 33.2.1 of Part III of the Manual of Tests and Criteria, for readily combustible solids that are powders of metals or metal alloys, the zone of reaction of the substances spreads over the whole length of the sample in 5 minutes or less; or

    • (c) Packing Group III, if

      • (i) in tests referred to in section 33.2.1 of Part III of the Manual of Tests and Criteria, for readily combustible solids, excluding metal powders, the burning time of the substances is less than 45 seconds and the wetted zone stops the flame propagation for at least 4 minutes,

      • (ii) in tests referred to in section 33.2.1 of Part III of the Manual of Tests and Criteria, for readily combustible solids that are powders of metals or metal alloys, the zone of reaction of the substances spreads over the whole length of the sample in more than 5 minutes but not more than 10 minutes, or

      • (iii) the substances are solids that are liable to cause fire through friction.

  • (2) Substances included in Class 4.2, Substances Liable to Spontaneous Combustion, are included in one of the following packing groups:

    • (a) Packing Group I, if the substances are pyrophoric solids or liquids;

    • (b) Packing Group II, if the substances are self-heating substances that give a positive result, as determined in accordance with section 2.4.3.2 of Chapter 2.4 of the UN Recommendations using a 25 mm sample cube at 140°C; or

    • (c) Packing Group III for all other substances.

  • (3) Substances included in Class 4.3, Water-reactive Substances, are included in one of the following packing groups:

    • (a) Packing Group I, if the substances

      • (i) react vigorously with water at ambient temperatures and demonstrate a tendency for the gas produced to ignite spontaneously, or

      • (ii) react readily with water at ambient temperatures so that the rate of evolution of flammable gas is greater than or equal to 10 L/kg of substance over any one minute;

    • (b) Packing Group II, if

      • (i) the substances react readily with water at ambient temperatures so that the rate of evolution of flammable gas is greater than or equal to 20 L/kg of substance per hour, and

      • (ii) the criteria for inclusion in Packing Group I are not met; or

    • (c) Packing Group III, if

      • (i) the substances react slowly with water at ambient temperatures so that the rate of evolution of flammable gas is greater than or equal to 1 L/kg of substance per hour, and

      • (ii) the criteria for inclusion in Packing Group I or II are not met.

  • SOR/2017-137, s. 22

Class 5, Oxidizing Substances and Organic Peroxides

General

2.23 Substances are included in Class 5 if they are oxidizing substances or organic peroxides and meet the criteria for inclusion in one of the divisions of Class 5.

Divisions

2.24 Class 5 has two divisions:

  • (a) Class 5.1, Oxidizing Substances, which consists of substances that yield oxygen thereby causing or contributing to the combustion of other material, as determined in accordance with section 2.5.2 of Chapter 2.5 of the UN Recommendations; and

  • (b) Class 5.2, Organic Peroxides, which consists of substances that

    • (i) are thermally unstable organic compounds that contain oxygen in the bivalent “-O-O-” structure, as determined in accordance with section 2.5.3 of Chapter 2.5 of the UN Recommendations,

    • (ii) are liable to undergo exothermic self-accelerating decomposition,

    • (iii) have one or more of the following characteristics:

      • (A) they are liable to explosive decomposition,

      • (B) they burn rapidly,

      • (C) they are sensitive to impact or friction,

      • (D) they react dangerously with other substances, or

      • (E) they cause damage to the eyes, or

    • (iv) are in the list of currently assigned organic peroxides in section 2.5.3.2.4 of Chapter 2.5 of the UN Recommendations.

  • SOR/2017-137, s. 23(E)

Packing Groups

  • 2.25 (1) The packing group for a substance that is included in Class 5.1, Oxidizing Substances, must be determined by using a test sample of the substance that

    • (a) in the case of a solid, is prepared in accordance with section 2.5.2.2 of Chapter 2.5 of the UN Recommendations; and

    • (b) in the case of a liquid, is prepared in accordance with section 2.5.2.3 of Chapter 2.5 of the UN Recommendations.

  • (2) In the case of a solid substance included in Class 5.1, Oxidizing Substances, the test procedure set out in either subsection 34.4.1 (test O.1) or subsection 34.4.3 (test O.3) of Part III of the Manual of Tests and Criteria must be carried out on the test sample. The substance is included in

    • (a) Packing Group I, if the test sample exhibits an average burning time that is

      • (i) less than the mean burning time of a 3:2 potassium bromate/cellulose mixture by mass when test O.1 is used, or

      • (ii) greater than the mean burning rate of a 3:1 calcium peroxide/cellulose mixture by mass when test O.3 is used;

    • (b) Packing Group II, if the criteria for Packing Group I are not met and the test sample exhibits an average burning time that is

      • (i) less than or equal to the mean burning time of a 2:3 potassium bromate/cellulose mixture by mass, when test O.1 is used, or

      • (ii) equal to or greater than the mean burning rate of a 1:1 calcium peroxide/cellulose mixture by mass, when test O.3 is used; or

    • (c) Packing Group III, if the criteria for Packing Groups I and II are not met and the test sample exhibits an average burning time that is

      • (i) less than or equal to the mean burning time of a 3:7 potassium bromate/cellulose mixture by mass, when test O.1 is used, or

      • (ii) equal to or greater than the mean burning rate of a 1:2 calcium peroxide/cellulose mixture by mass, when test O.3 is used.

  • (2.1) In the case of a liquid substance included in Class 5.1, Oxidizing Substances, the test procedure set out in sub-section 34.4.2 (test O.2) of Part III of the Manual of Tests and Criteria must be carried out on the test sample. The substance is included in

    • (a) Packing Group I, if the test sample in a 1:1 mixture by mass of substance and cellulose spontaneously ignites or the mean pressure rise time is less than that of a 1:1 mixture by mass of 50% perchloric acid and cellulose;

    • (b) Packing Group II, if the mean pressure rise time is less than or equal to the mean pressure rise time of a 1:1 mixture by mass of 40% aqueous sodium chlorate solution and cellulose and the criteria for inclusion in Packing Group I are not met; or

    • (c) Packing Group III, if the mean pressure rise time is less than or equal to the mean pressure rise time of a 1:1 mixture by mass of 65% aqueous nitric acid solution and cellulose and the criteria for inclusion in Packing Group I or II are not met.

  • (3) Class 5.2, Organic Peroxides, are included in Packing Group II.

  • (4) The type, B to F, of organic peroxides must be determined in accordance with section 2.5.3.3 of Chapter 2.5 of the UN Recommendations.

  • SOR/2017-137, s. 24

Class 6, Toxic and Infectious Substances

General

2.26 Substances are included in Class 6 if they are

  • (a) liable to cause death or serious injury or to harm human health if swallowed or inhaled or if they come into contact with human skin; or

  • (b) infectious substances.

Divisions

2.27 Class 6 has two divisions:

  • (a) Class 6.1, Toxic Substances, which consists of substances that are liable to cause death or serious injury or to harm human health if swallowed or inhaled or if they come into contact with human skin; and

  • (b) Class 6.2, Infectious Substances, which consists of infectious substances.

Criteria for Inclusion in Class 6.1, Toxic Substances

2.28 A substance is included in Class 6.1

  • (a) due to oral toxicity if its LD50 (oral) is less than or equal to 300 mg/kg;

  • (b) due to dermal toxicity if its LD50 (dermal) is less than or equal to 1 000 mg/kg; or

  • (c) due to inhalation toxicity

    • (i) by dust or mist if dust or mist is likely to be produced in a transport accident and its LC50 (inhalation) is less than or equal to 4 mg/L, or

    • (ii) by vapour if its LC50 (inhalation) is less than or equal to 5 000 mL/m3.

  • SOR/2008-34, s. 34

Packing Groups

  • 2.29 (1) When a substance is known to be included in Class 6.1 and that knowledge is based on documentary evidence published in technical journals or government publications and testing is not done to determine the packing group, the substance must be included in Packing Group I.

  • (2) Substances that are included in Class 6.1 due to

    • (a) oral toxicity are included in one of the following packing groups:

      • (i) Packing Group I, if the LD50 (oral) is less than or equal to 5 mg/kg,

      • (ii) Packing Group II, if the LD50 (oral) is greater than 5 mg/kg but less than or equal to 50 mg/kg, or

      • (iii) Packing Group III, if the LD50 (oral) is greater than 50 mg/kg but less than or equal to 300 mg/kg;

    • (b) dermal toxicity are included in one of the following packing groups:

      • (i) Packing Group I if the LD50 (dermal) is less than or equal to 50 mg/kg,

      • (ii) Packing Group II if the LD50 (dermal) is greater than 50 mg/kg but less than or equal to 200 mg/kg, or

      • (iii) Packing Group III if the LD50 (dermal) is greater than 200 mg/kg but less than or equal to 1 000 mg/kg;

    • (c) inhalation toxicity by dust or mist are included in one of the following packing groups:

      • (i) Packing Group I if the LC50 (inhalation) is less than or equal to 0.2 mg/L,

      • (ii) Packing Group II if the LC50 (inhalation) is greater than 0.2 mg/L but less than or equal to 2 mg/L, or

      • (iii) Packing Group III if the LC50 (inhalation) is greater than 2 mg/L but less than or equal to 4 mg/L; or

    • (d) inhalation toxicity by vapour are included in one of the following packing groups, where “V” is the saturated vapour concentration in millilitres per cubic metre of air at 20°C and at 101.3 kPa:

      • (i) Packing Group I, if

        • (A) V is greater than or equal to 10 multiplied by the LC50, and

        • (B) the LC50 is less than or equal to 1 000 mL/m3,

      • (ii) Packing Group II, if

        • (A) V is greater than or equal to the LC50,

        • (B) the LC50 is less than or equal to 3 000 mL/m3, and

        • (C) the criteria for Packing Group I are not met, or

      • (iii) Packing Group III, if

        • (A) V is greater than or equal to 0.2 multiplied by the LC50,

        • (B) the LC50 is less than or equal to 5 000 mL/m3, and

        • (C) the criteria for inclusion in Packing Group I or II are not met.

  • SOR/2008-34, s. 35
  • SOR/2012-245, s. 16(E)

Determination of LD50 (oral or dermal)

2.30 LD50 (oral or dermal) values for solid or liquid substances or for a mixture of solid or liquid substances must be determined

  • (a) by using the LD50 values published in technical journals or in government publications;

  • (b) in accordance with section 2.6.2.3 of Chapter 2.6 of the UN Recommendations; or

  • (c) for a mixture of solid or liquid substances, in accordance with section 2.31.

Determination of LD50 (oral or dermal) of a Mixture of Substances

2.31 To determine the LD50 of a mixture of solid or liquid substances when the LD50 of each of the substances is known, use 1 000 mg/kg as the toxic limit and

  • (a) if the mixture contains only one substance with an LD50 less than or equal to the toxic limit (called “Substance A”), use the following calculation:

    LD50 of the mixture = (LD50 of Substance A) ÷ (fraction by mass of Substance A in the mixture)

or

  • (b) if the mixture contains more than one substance with an LD50 less than or equal to the toxic limit (called “Substance A”, “Substance B”, etc.),

    • (i) determine the lowest LD50 of all substances, assign that LD50 to all substances whose actual LD50 is less than or equal to the toxic limit, then use the calculation in paragraph (a) using that assigned LD50 and taking as the mass of Substance A in the formula the total of the masses of all substances whose actual LD50 is less than or equal to the toxic limit, or

    • (ii) use the following calculations:

      • (A) determine the contributing number (CN) of each of the substances with an LD50 less than or equal to the toxic limit using the formula

        CN for Substance A= (LD50 of Substance A) ÷ (fraction by mass of Substance A in the mixture)

      • (B) combine the contributing numbers (CN) of each substance with an LD50 less than or equal to the toxic limit as

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

      and

      • (C) obtain the LD50 of the mixture by dividing 1 by the number T (LD50 of the mixture = 1 / T).

Determination of LC50 (dust, mist or vapour)

2.32 LC50 values for a substance in the form of a dust, mist or vapour or for a mixture of substances in the form of a dust, mist or vapour must be determined

  • (a) by using the LC50 values published in technical journals or in government publications;

  • (b) in accordance with sections 2.6.2.2.4.2 to 2.6.2.2.4.7 of Chapter 2.6 of the UN Recommendations; or

  • (c) for a mixture of substances, in accordance with section 2.33.

Determination of LC50 (dust, mist or vapour) of a Mixture of Substances

2.33 To determine the LC50 of a mixture of substances that are in the form of a dust, mist or vapour, when the LC50 of each of the substances is known, make the determination in accordance with section 2.17, except that for a dust use 10 mg/L as the toxic limit and for a mist use 2 mg/L as the toxic limit. For a substance in the form of vapour the toxic limit is the same as for a gas, which is 5 000 mL/m3.

  • SOR/2002-306, s. 13

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