January 25th 2020
Shipping Guide for Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations
At EZ Ship, we understand that shipping dangerous goods can be a complex task. Our EZ-Ship systems and visual guide are here to assist you in making the task an easier and hassle-free one. But, there are some basic rules and regulations that you must be aware of. As experts in the industry, we have put together a shipping guide to help with transportation of dangerous goods regulations requirements when preparing shipments. Before we get started, let's establish some basic definitions like:
What are the dangerous goods?
They are products, substances or organisms that are defined by the federal Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act and Regulations to cause significant hazards during transportation. During transportation, they are capable of causing risk to people, health, property, or even the environment.
Precautions
Shipping dangerous goods and hazardous products require to be planned and implemented with utmost care. The shipper must place the goods under this category in an appropriate type of packaging. A carrier can refuse to transport these goods if the container has any defects or is inappropriate. Shipment must be well secured.
Process of shipping and regulations
- It's important to classify the materials before shipping dangerous goods. Depending on the identified classification, the type of packaging is recommended.
· Once the products are classified, it's imperative to prepare documents and labeling pertaining to the product category.
· The next step is to package the material based on the goods that are being shipped. The goal here is to protect the material from being damaged and meet UN requirements. You must consider using leak-proof containers and sealed containers along with the outer package that protects these goods from damage.
· Another very important step in processing the shipment of dangerous goods is to apply labels. There is a set of requirements to be applied to the package of dangerous goods. This includes shipping name, UN identification number, hazard class label, packaging certification, and orientation mark and ship-to address. Labeling is a key step and it can also be a little complicated if you don't rely on an efficient system like EZ-Ship.
· Preparation of the shipping documents that are required for your shipments. The forms that are a part of the documents require detailed information including the classification of these dangerous goods.
· Finally, you can coordinate with a recognized and licensed shipping partner to transport dangerous goods by following the regulations.
At the receivers' end, these shipments are examined visually to ensure the packaging is intact and is not damaged. Based on the labeling the contents are identified. The documents of the shipment are retained and filed safely at the receivers' end for a minimum of 2 years.
With EZ-Ship software, you can make the hazmat shipping process a simple one. From the state-of-the-art EZ-Ship module to printing the right labels, we make it easier to manage the shipping of dangerous goods.