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

Regulations are current to 2026-06-17 and last amended on 2026-06-17. Previous Versions

PART 2Classification (continued)

Class 6, Toxic and Infectious Substances (continued)

Determination of LC50 (dust, mist or vapour)

 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

 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

Determination of the Packing Group of a Mixture of Liquids with an Inhalation Toxicity by Vapour

  •  (1) The first step in determining the packing group of a mixture of liquids with an inhalation toxicity by vapour when one or more of the substances has an LC50 (vapour) less than or equal to 5 000 mL/m3, and the LC50 of each substance is known, is to determine the following data:

    • (a) determine the LC50 (vapour) for the mixture in accordance with section 2.33;

    • (b) where Pi is the vapour pressure of the ith substance in kPa at 20°C and an absolute pressure of 101.3 kPa, determine the volatility, Vi, of each substance in the mixture as

      Vi = Pi multiplied by 106 then divided by 101.3;

    • (c) determine the ratio of the volatility of a substance to its LC50 for each substance with an LC50 less than or equal to 5 000 mL/m3 as

      Ri = Vi divided by the LC50 of the ith substance;

    and

    • (d) set R equal to the sum of the Ri for each of the substances with an LC50 less than or equal to 5 000 mL/m3 as

      R = R1 + R2 + ... + (as needed).

  • (2) Using the data determined in accordance with subsection (1), the mixture is included in one of the following packing groups:

    • (a) Packing Group I, if

      • (i) R is greater than or equal to 10, and

      • (ii) the LC50 (mixture) is less than or equal to 1 000 mL/m3;

    • (b) Packing Group II, if

      • (i) R is greater than or equal to 1,

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

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

    • (c) Packing Group III, if

      • (i) R is greater than or equal to 0.2,

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

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

Determination of the Packing Group of a Mixture of Liquids with an Inhalation Toxicity and an Unknown LC50

  •  (1) A mixture of liquids with an inhalation toxicity and an unknown LC50 is included in Packing Group I if it meets the following criteria:

    • (a) when a sample of the mixture is vapourized and diluted with air to create a test atmosphere of 1 000 mL/m3 and 10 young adult albino rats (5 male and 5 female) are exposed to the test atmosphere for 1 hour and observed for 14 days, the result is the death of 5 or more of the animals within the 14-day observation period; and

    • (b) when a sample of the vapour in equilibrium with the mixture at 20°C is diluted with 9 equal volumes of air to form a test atmosphere and 10 young adult albino rats (5 male and 5 female) are exposed to the test atmosphere for 1 hour and observed for 14 days, the result is the death of 5 or more of the animals within the 14-day observation period.

  • (2) A mixture of liquids with an inhalation toxicity and an unknown LC50 is included in Packing Group II if it meets the following criteria and the criteria for inclusion in Packing Group I are not met:

    • (a) when a sample of the mixture is vapourized and diluted with air to create a test atmosphere of 3 000 mL/m3 and 10 young adult albino rats (5 male and 5 female) are exposed to the test atmosphere for 1 hour and observed for 14 days, the result is the death of 5 or more of the animals within the 14-day observation period; and

    • (b) when a sample of the vapour in equilibrium with the mixture at 20°C is used to form a test atmosphere and 10 young adult albino rats (5 male and 5 female) are exposed to the test atmosphere for 1 hour and observed for 14 days, the result is the death of 5 or more of the animals within the 14-day observation period.

  • (3) A mixture of liquids with an inhalation toxicity and an unknown LC50 is included in Packing Group III if it meets the following criteria and the criteria for inclusion in Packing Group I or II are not met:

    • (a) when a sample of the mixture is vapourized and diluted with air to create a test atmosphere of 5 000 mL/m3 and 10 young adult albino rats (5 male and 5 female) are exposed to the test atmosphere for 1 hour and observed for 14 days, the result is the death of 5 or more of the animals within the 14-day observation period; and

    • (b) when the vapour pressure of the mixture is measured, the vapour concentration is greater than or equal to 1 000 mL/m3.

  • (4) If only LC50 data relating to 4-hour exposures to dust or mist are available, those figures can be multiplied by 4 and the result taken as the LC50 data for 1 hour, that is LC50 4 hours (dust or mist) multiplied by 4 is equivalent to LC50 1 hour.

  • (5) If only LC50 data relating to 4-hour exposures to vapour are available, those figures can be multiplied by 2 and the result taken as the LC50 data for 1 hour, that is LC50 4 hours (vapour) multiplied by 2 is equivalent to LC50 1 hour.

Infectious Substances

  •  (1) Substances are included in Class 6.2, Category A or Category B if they are infectious substances and are listed in Appendix 3 to this Part or exhibit characteristics similar to a substance listed in that appendix.

  • (2) Infectious substances that are included in Category A and that are in a form other than a culture may be handled, offered for transport or transported as Category B in accordance with the conditions set out in paragraphs 1.39(a) to (c) of Part 1 (Coming into Force, Repeal, Interpretation, General Provisions and Special Cases).

  • (3) Despite subsection (2), the following infectious substances included in Category A, and any substance that exhibits characteristics similar to these substances, must always be handled, offered for transport or transported as Category A:

    • (a) Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic fever virus;

    • (b) Ebola virus;

    • (c) Flexal virus;

    • (d) Guanarito virus;

    • (e) Hantaviruses causing hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome;

    • (f) Hantaviruses causing pulmonary syndrome;

    • (g) Hendra virus;

    • (h) Herpes B virus (Cercopithecine Herpesvirus-1);

    • (i) Junin virus;

    • (j) Kyasanur Forest virus;

    • (k) Lassa virus;

    • (l) Machupo virus;

    • (m) Marburg virus;

    • (n) Monkeypox virus;

    • (o) Nipah virus;

    • (p) Omsk hemorrhagic fever virus;

    • (q) Russian Spring – Summer encephalitis virus;

    • (r) Sabia virus; and

    • (s) Variola (smallpox virus).

  • SOR/2008-34, s. 36

Medical or Clinical Waste

 Dangerous goods that are medical or clinical waste must be classified

  • (a) under UN2814 or, as applicable, under UN2900, if they contain Category A infectious substances;

  • (b) under UN3291, if they contain Category B infectious substances; or

  • (c) under UN3291, if the shipper has reasonable grounds to believe that they have a low probability of containing infectious substances.

  • SOR/2014-306, s. 20
  • SOR/2016-95, s. 7(E)

Class 7, Radioactive Materials

General

 Radioactive material, as defined in subsection 1(1) of the Packaging and Transport of Nuclear Substances Regulations, 2015, is included in Class 7.

Divisions

 There are no divisions for Class 7.

Packing Groups

 There are no packing groups for Class 7.

Class 8, Corrosives

General

 Substances are included in Class 8, Corrosives, if they

  • (a) are known to cause full thickness destruction of human skin, that is, skin lesions that are permanent and destroy all layers of the outer skin through to the internal tissues;

  • (b) cause full thickness skin destruction, as determined in accordance with OECD Guideline 430 or OECD Guideline 431; or

  • (c) do not cause full thickness destruction of skin, but exhibit a corrosion rate that exceeds 6.25 mm per year at a test temperature of 55°C, as determined in accordance with section 37 of Part III of the Manual of Tests and Criteria.

  • SOR/2014-306, s. 21
  • SOR/2017-137, s. 25

Divisions

 There are no divisions for Class 8.

Packing Groups

  •  (1) If a substance is known to be included in Class 8, Corrosives, 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) Class 8, Corrosives, are included in one of the following packing groups:

    • (a) Packing Group I, if

      • (i) they are known to cause full thickness destruction of human skin, that is, skin lesions that are permanent and that destroy all layers of the outer skin through to the internal tissues, or

      • (ii) full thickness destruction of intact skin tissue occurs within an observation period of 60 minutes after an exposure time of 3 minutes or less, as determined in accordance with OECD Guideline 404 or OECD Guideline 435;

    • (b) Packing Group II, if full thickness destruction of skin occurs within an observation period of 14 days after an exposure time of more than 3 minutes but not more than 60 minutes, as determined in accordance with OECD Guideline 404 or OECD Guideline 435; or

    • (c) Packing Group III, if

      • (i) full thickness destruction of intact skin tissue occurs within an observation period of 14 days after an exposure time of more than 60 minutes but not more than 4 hours, as determined in accordance with OECD Guideline 404 or OECD Guideline 435, or

      • (ii) they exhibit a corrosion rate that exceeds 6.25 mm per year at a test temperature of 55°C on steel or aluminum surfaces as determined in accordance with subparagraph 2.8.2.5(c)(ii) of the UN Recommendations.

        TABLE

        Packing GroupExposure TimeObservation PeriodEffect
        I≤ 3 minutes≤ 60 minutesFull thickness destruction of intact skin
        II> 3 minutes ≤ 1 h≤ 14 daysFull thickness destruction of intact skin
        III> 1 h ≤ 4 h≤ 14 daysFull thickness destruction of intact skin
        III--Corrosion rate that exceeds 6.25 mm a year on either steel or aluminum surfaces at a test temperature of 55°C when tested on both materials
  • (3) An in vitro test may be used instead of the test in the OECD Guidelines.

  • SOR/2014-306, s. 22

Class 9, Miscellaneous Products, Substances or Organisms

General

 A substance is included in Class 9, Miscellaneous Products, Substances or Organisms, if it

  • (a) is included in Class 9 in column 3 of Schedule 1; or

  • (b) is not included in Class 9 in column 3 of Schedule 1 and does not meet the criteria for inclusion in any of Classes 1 to 8 and

    • (i) [Repealed, SOR/2014-306]

    • (ii) is a marine pollutant, or

    • (iii) except for asphalt or tar, is offered for transport or transported at a temperature greater than or equal to 100°C if it is in a liquid state or at a temperature greater than or equal to 240°C if it is in a solid state.

    • (iv) [Repealed, SOR/2008-34]

    • (v) [Repealed, SOR/2008-34]

Lithium Cells and Batteries

  •  (1) A person must not offer for transport, handle or transport lithium cells and batteries under any of the following shipping names unless the cells and batteries meet the conditions set out in subsection (2) or (3), as applicable:

    • (a) UN3090, LITHIUM METAL BATTERIES;

    • (b) UN3091, LITHIUM METAL BATTERIES CONTAINED IN EQUIPMENT or LITHIUM METAL BATTERIES PACKED WITH EQUIPMENT;

    • (c) UN3480, LITHIUM ION BATTERIES; or

    • (d) UN3481, LITHIUM ION BATTERIES CONTAINED IN EQUIPMENT or LITHIUM ION BATTERIES PACKED WITH EQUIPMENT.

  • (2) Except in the case of a battery referred to in subsection (3), the conditions are as follows:

    • (a) the cell or battery type meets the applicable test requirements set out in subsection 38.3 of Part III of the Manual of Tests and Criteria;

    • (b) each cell or battery has a safety venting device or is designed to prevent a violent rupture under normal conditions of transport;

    • (c) each cell or battery is equipped to prevent external short circuits; and

    • (d) each battery containing cells or a series of cells connected in parallel is equipped with diodes, fuses or other devices that prevent dangerous reverse current flow.

  • (3) In the case of a battery that is not designed to be externally charged and that contains both primary lithium metal cells and rechargeable lithium ion cells, the conditions are those set out in paragraphs (2)(b) to (d) with respect to the battery, in addition to the following:

    • (a) the battery meets the applicable test requirements for primary lithium batteries set out in subsection 38.3 of Part III of the Manual of Tests and Criteria;

    • (b) the battery is designed in a manner that prevents overcharging of its rechargeable lithium ion cells;

    • (c) the cells contained in the battery meet the applicable test requirements set out in subsection 38.3 of Part III of the Manual of Tests and Criteria; and

    • (d) the rechargeable lithium ion cells contained in the battery can be charged only from its primary lithium metal cells.

 

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