Road transport products
working since 1978
Updated to:
A copy of this unique publication is all you’ll need to fully understand and comply with the Dangerous Goods Regulations and the various relevant SANS (SABS) Standards. It is an invaluable tool for anyone involved in the transport of dangerous goods. Presented so that information is quickly found, it consists of two volumes. Volume 1 is comprehensively illustrated, providing a concise and coherent general guide and reference source, while Volume 2 contains the complete Dangerous Goods List in numerical sequence and an alphabetical index. |
Dangerous goods hazard classes
| Warning diamond |
Class/ division |
Description | Examples |
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1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 |
Mass explosion hazards Projection hazards Fire hazards No significant hazards Very insensitive Extremely insensitive |
Dynamite, TNT Bombs and grenades Sodium pycramate Shotgun cartidges Blasting gel |
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2.1 | Flammable gases | Acetylene, Butane, Calor gas, Aerosols, Hydrogen, LPG, Methane, Propane |
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2.2 | Non-flammable, non-toxic gases (dangerous because they are compressed or harmful for other reasons eg deprive the air of oxygen) | Argon, Carbon dioxide, Helium, Oxygen |
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2.3 | Toxic gases (so poisonous or corrosive that they are known to be extremely dangerous to life) | Ammonia, Chlorine, Carbon monoxide, Hydrogen chloride, Phosgene, Sulphur dioxide |
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3 | Flammable liquids (ignite easily with a flash point of 60,5 degrees or less) More than 80% of dangerous goods transported belong to Class 3. |
Acetone, Benzene, Diesel, Ethanol (alcohol), Petrol, Tar, Toluene. Methylated spirits, Paraffin, Turpentine |
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4.1 | Flammable solids (easily lit by spark or flame or which burn readily or which can catch fire through friction) | Camphor, Matches, Naphthalene, Red phosphorous, Scrap rubber, Sulphur, Wax polish |
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4.2 | Spontaneously combustible (liquids or solids which generate their own heat and which will self-ignite when exposed to air) | Activated carbon, Cotton waste, Fishmeal, Maneb, Metal shavings, Oil/seed cake, Sodium sulphide, White phosphorous |
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4.3 | Dangerous when wet substances (on contact with water may catch fire by themselves or emit flammable or toxic gases) | Aluminium phosphide, Calcium carbide, Lithium, Magnesium powder, Sodium, Zinc dust |
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5.1 | Oxidizers (not necessarily flammable in themselves, they can produce large amounts of oxygen increasing the risk and intesity of fire in other materials) | Ammonium nitrate, Calcium hypochlorite (HTH), Hydrogen peroxide bleach, Lead nitrate |
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5.2 | Organic peroxides (sensitive to heat are thermally unstable and generate large amounts of heat as they breakdown) | Benzoyl peroxide used in acne creams and hair dye, Di-tert-butyl peroxide used to initiate polymerization of ethylene, styrene and vinyl chloride |
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6.1 | Toxic substances (cause illness or death if swallowed, inhaled or if absorbed by the skin) Nearly all emit poisonous gases in a fire |
Arsenic, cadmium oxide, Cadmium chloride, Creosote, Cyanides, Phenol, Some pesticides |
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6.2 | Infectious substances (contain bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi which cause disease in humans and animals) | Medical waste, Pathological specimens, Ebola virus |
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7 | Radio active materials (comprising highly penetrative gamma rays, beta particles which can penetrate skin and alpha particles not hazardous unless swallowed or absorbed through a wound) | Type A medical medication, Nuclear fuel, Cobalt, Radium, Uranium, Plutonium |
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8 | Corrosives (acids and caustic substances in liquid or solid form which chemically eat away a substance and severely damage living tissue) Leakage can also damage other cargo and react with metals used in the construction of vehicles |
Acid filled batteries, Hydrochloric acid (spirits of salts and pool acid), Sulphuric acid, Quicklime, Iodine, Lye, Potash, Sodium hydroxide (caustic soda drain cleaner), Soldering flux |
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9 | Miscellaneous (goods which present a danger but cannot be classified in any of the other classes) They include environmentally hazardous substances. |
Air bag inflators or modules, Asbestos, Lithium batteries, Expandable polystyrene beads |
For further information consult the Dangerous Goods Digest >
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