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

PART 3Documentation

Consignor Responsibilities

• 3.1 (1) Before allowing a carrier to take possession of dangerous goods for transport, the consignor must prepare and give to that carrier a shipping document or, if the carrier agrees, an electronic copy of the shipping document.

• (2) When dangerous goods are imported into Canada, the consignor must, before the dangerous goods are transported in Canada, ensure that the carrier has a shipping document or, with the agreement of the carrier, an electronic copy of the shipping document that contains the information required by these Regulations.

Carrier Responsibilities

• 3.2 (1) A carrier must not take possession of dangerous goods for transport unless the carrier has the shipping document for the dangerous goods.

• (2) A carrier who accepts an electronic copy of a shipping document must produce a shipping document from the electronic copy before taking possession of the dangerous goods for transport.

• (3) Dangerous goods in transport are in the possession of a carrier from the time the carrier takes possession of them for transport until another person takes possession of them.

• (4) While the dangerous goods are in transport and in the possession of a carrier, the carrier must keep the shipping document in the location specified by sections 3.7 to 3.10.

• (5) At or before the time another carrier takes possession of the dangerous goods, the carrier must give the shipping document or a copy of the shipping document to that other carrier or, with that other carrier’s agreement, an electronic copy of it.

• (6) At or before the time a person, other than another carrier, takes possession of the dangerous goods, the carrier of the dangerous goods must give to that person a document that identifies the dangerous goods or, with that person’s agreement, an electronic copy of a document that identifies the dangerous goods.

• (7) A carrier may replace a shipping document provided by the consignor with a new shipping document or with a copy of the shipping document in a different format.

Consist for Transport by Rail

• 3.3 (1) When a train includes a railway vehicle containing dangerous goods for which a placard is required to be displayed in accordance with Part 4 (Dangerous Goods Marks), the person in charge of the train must prepare and give a consist to a member of the train crew. The information on the consist must be kept up to date by the train crew and kept with the shipping document.

• (2) The consist must include, for each railway vehicle containing dangerous goods for which a placard is required to be displayed in accordance with Part 4 (Dangerous Goods Marks),

  • (a) the numerical location of the railway vehicle in the train, numbering the first vehicle at the head of the train as 1, the next vehicle as 2 and so on, excluding the locomotive or locomotives wherever they are located in the train;

  • (b) the reporting mark of the railway vehicle;

  • (c) for a tank car, the shipping name or UN number of the dangerous goods in the tank car; and

  • (d) for a railway vehicle other than a tank car,

    • (i) the shipping name or UN number of the dangerous goods, if the railway vehicle contains only dangerous goods with the same shipping name and UN number, or

    • (ii) the words “Dangerous Goods” or “Marchandises dangereuses”, if the railway vehicle contains dangerous goods that have different shipping names or UN numbers.

• (3) A carrier must be able to immediately provide to CANUTEC a copy of a consist whenever the train to which the consist applies is in operation or is involved in an accident.

Legibility and Language

• 3.4 (1) The information required on a shipping document and on a consist must be easy to identify, legible, in indelible print and in English or French.

• (2) When the information related to dangerous goods is on the same shipping document with information related to non-dangerous goods, the dangerous goods information must be shown

  • (a) before the information related to the non-dangerous goods and under the heading “Dangerous Goods” or “Marchandises dangereuses”;

  • (b) printed or highlighted in a colour that contrasts with the print or highlight used for the information related to the non-dangerous goods; or

  • (c) following the letter “X” opposite the UN number in a column under the heading “DG” or “MD”.

Information on a Shipping Document

• 3.5 (1) The following information must be included on a shipping document:

  • (a) the name and address of the place of business in Canada of the consignor;

  • (b) the date on which the shipping document or an electronic copy of it was prepared or was first given to a carrier;

  • (c) a description of each of the dangerous goods to which the shipping document relates that includes the following elements in the following order, without any additional information interspersed unless otherwise provided in these Regulations:

    • (i) the UN number,

    • (ii) the shipping name and, unless it is already part of the shipping name,

      • (A) the word “WASTE” before the shipping name or the word “DÉCHET” before or after the shipping name, if the dangerous goods are waste,

      • (B) the word “HOT” before the shipping name or the words “À HAUTE TEMPÉRATURE” after the shipping name, if the dangerous goods are transported in a liquid state at a temperature greater than or equal to 100°C or in a solid state at a temperature greater than or equal to 240°C and if the shipping name does not include words that convey the elevated temperature of the dangerous goods, such as “MOLTEN”, “ELEVATED TEMPERATURE”, “FONDU” or “TEMPÉRATURE ÉLEVÉE”, and

      • (C) the words “NON-ODOURIZED”,
        “NONODORIZED”, “NOT ODOURIZED” or “SANS ODORISANT” before or after the shipping name, if the dangerous goods are a liquified petroleum gas that has not been odorized,

    • (iii) the number of the primary class in which the dangerous goods are included after or under the word “Class”, “Classe” or “Division”,

    • (iv) the compatibility group letter, if the dangerous goods are included in Class 1,

    • (v) any subsidiary class numbers, between parentheses after or under the words “subsidiary class”, “classe subsidiaire”, “Class”, “Classe” or “Division”, and

    • (vi) the packing group Roman numeral after or under the letters “PG” or “GE” or the words “Packing Group” or “Groupe d’emballage”;

  • (d) for each shipping name, the quantity of dangerous goods and the unit of measure used to express the quantity which, if the shipping document prepared in Canada, must

    • (i) be included in the International System of Units or acceptable for use under that system,

    • (ii) expressed in net explosives quantity, in the case of dangerous goods in Class 1, and

    • (iii) expressed in number of articles or net explosives quantity, in the case of explosives with UN numbers subject to special provision 85 or 86;

  • (e) for dangerous goods in one or more small means of containment that requires a label to be displayed on it in accordance with Part 4, the number of small means of containment for each shipping name;

  • (f) for dangerous goods in transport by vessel,

    • (i) in the case of dangerous goods included in Class 3, the flash point, and

    • (ii) in the case of dangerous goods that are marine pollutants, the words “marine pollutant” or “polluant marin” and, if the marine pollutants are pesticides, the technical name and concentration of the most active substance in each pesticide between parentheses;

  • (g) the control and emergency temperatures, for any of the following dangerous goods that are stabilized by temperature control:

    • (i) self-reactive substances and polymerizing substances included in Class 4.1,

    • (ii) organic peroxides included in Class 5.2,

    • (iii) dangerous goods that include the word “STABILIZED” or “STABILISÉ” as part of the shipping name;

  • (h) for dangerous goods included in Class 7, the information that a consignor must include in the transport documents under section 29 of the Packaging and Transport of Nuclear Substances Regulations, 2015;

  • (i) for dangerous goods for which an approved ERAP is required under subsection 7(1) of the Act,

    • (i) the ERAP reference number issued by Transport Canada, preceded or followed by the letters “ERAP” or “PIU”, and

    • (ii) the ERAP telephone number required under paragraph 7.3(2)(f) of these Regulations, preceded or followed by the letters “ERAP” or “PIU”; and

  • (j) the words “24-Hour Number” or “Numéro 24 heures”, an abbreviation of these words or words with an equivalent meaning, followed by a telephone number, including the area code, at which the consignor can be reached immediately for technical information about the dangerous goods that are being handled or are in transport without breaking the telephone connection made by the caller.

• (2) The telephone number referred to in paragraph (1)(j) may, instead of being a telephone number at which the consignor can be reached, be the telephone number of an organization or agency, such as CANUTEC, that is capable of providing the technical information, in English or French, required by that paragraph without breaking the telephone connection made by the caller, if

  • (a) in the case of CANUTEC, the consignor receives permission, in writing, from CANUTEC; and

  • (b) in the case of an organization or agency other than CANUTEC, the consignor ensures that the organization or agency has current and accurate information about the dangerous goods that the consignor offers for transport and, if the organization or agency is located outside Canada, the consignor includes the country code and the area code.

• (3) In the case of a means of containment containing a residue of dangerous goods, other than a residue of dangerous goods included in Class 2 contained in a small means of containment or a residue of dangerous goods included in Class 7, paragraph (1)(d) does not apply and the words “Residue – Last Contained” or “Résidu – dernier contenu” may be added before or after the description of the dangerous goods.

• (4) If the quantity of dangerous goods included on the shipping document under paragraph (1)(d) or the number of small means of containment included on the shipping document under paragraph (1)(e) changes during transport, the carrier must write those changes on the shipping document or on a document attached to the shipping document.

3.6 [Repealed, SOR/2026-112, s. 50]

Consignor’s Certification

• 3.6.1 (1) A shipping document must include, after the information required under section 3.5, one of the following certifications:

  • (a) “I hereby declare that the contents of this consignment are fully and accurately described above by the proper shipping name, are properly classified and packaged, have dangerous goods marks properly affixed or displayed on them, and are in all respects in proper condition for transport according to the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations.”;

  • (b) the certification set out in section 172.204 of 49 CFR;

  • (c) the certification set out in section 5;4.1.6 of the ICAO Technical Instructions;

  • (d) the certification set out in section 5.4.1.6 of the IMDG Code; or

  • (e) the certification set out in section 5.4.1.6 of the UN Recommendations.

• (2) The certification must be made by an individual who is the consignor or by an individual acting on behalf of the consignor and must set out that individual’s name.

• (3) This section does not apply in respect of a large means of containment that contains a residue.

Location of a Shipping Document: Road

3.7 The driver of a power unit that is attached to or is part of the cargo unit of a road vehicle transporting dangerous goods must ensure that a copy of the shipping document is kept, as follows:

• (a) if the driver is in the power unit, in a pocket mounted on the driver’s door or within the driver’s reach; or

• (b) if the driver is out of the power unit, in a pocket mounted on the driver’s door, on the driver’s seat or in a location that is clearly visible to anyone entering through the driver’s door.

Location of a Shipping Document and Consist: Rail

3.8 The person in charge of a train transporting dangerous goods must ensure that a copy of the shipping document and, when a consist is required, a copy of the consist are kept,

• (a) when one or more members of the train crew are present, in the possession of one of them; or

• (b) when no member of the train crew is present, in the first locomotive.

Location of a Shipping Document: Marine

• 3.9 (1) The master of a vessel containing dangerous goods or the master in control of a vessel containing dangerous goods must have readily available on or near the bridge of the vessel a paper copy or electronic copy of

  • (a) the shipping document; or

  • (b) a list that includes the classification of the dangerous goods.

• (2) If dangerous goods are transported by vessel on board a road vehicle that is accompanied by one or more drivers or a railway vehicle that is accompanied by one or more members of the train crew, a driver or a member of the train crew must notify the master of the vessel or the marine carrier of the presence of the dangerous goods and make available to the master a copy of the shipping document. However, the shipping document must be kept, for the road vehicle, in accordance with section 3.7 and, for the railway vehicle, in the possession of a member of the train crew.

Location of a Shipping Document: Storage in the Course of Transportation

• 3.10 (1) A carrier must ensure that a shipping document is placed in a waterproof receptacle that is securely attached to or near the means of containment containing the dangerous goods, at a readily identifiable and accessible location, when the dangerous goods are in transport if

  • (a) they are left in an unsupervised area

    • (i) after being unloaded from a means of transport,

    • (ii) after the cargo unit of a road vehicle containing them has been disconnected from the power unit, or

    • (iii) when the railway vehicle containing them is no longer part of a train; and

  • (b) possession of the dangerous goods has not been transferred to another person.

• (2) When dangerous goods in transport are left in a supervised area, the person in charge of the supervised area is considered to have taken possession of the dangerous goods. The carrier must leave a copy of the shipping document with that person, who must keep it and give it to the next person who takes possession of the dangerous goods.

• (3) When the person in charge of a supervised area is absent from the area, that person must ensure that the copy of the shipping document is

  • (a) placed in a waterproof receptacle securely attached to or near the means of containment containing the dangerous goods, at a readily identifiable and accessible location; or

  • (b) left in the possession of an employee who is present in the supervised area and is designated for this purpose by the person in charge of the supervised area.

• (4) Despite the locations specified in subsections (1) to (3), when dangerous goods that are in transport by road vehicle, railway vehicle or vessel are stored in a supervised or unsupervised area, the shipping document or an electronic copy of it may be left at the office of a person referred to in one of the following paragraphs if the conditions in subsections (5) and (6) are complied with:

  • (a) the rail dispatcher for the area in which the railway vehicle is located;

  • (b) the person responsible for the port at which the dangerous goods are located; or

  • (c) the marine terminal manager at the terminal where the dangerous goods are located.

• (5) When a shipping record is left at the office of a person referred to in subsection (4),

  • (a) use of the telephone number of that office must be approved in accordance with subsection (6); and

  • (b) that person or that person’s representative must provide immediately, at the request of a federal, provincial or municipal official including a member of a fire department, a facsimile or electronic copy of the shipping record or, if requested, a voice description of the information on the shipping record.

• (6) The telephone number of the office of a person referred to in subsection (4) must not be used to comply with subsection (5), unless that person gives CANUTEC the following information and receives approval, in writing, from CANUTEC to use that telephone number:

  • (a) the name and address of the person;

  • (b) the telephone number of the office of the person;

  • (c) the physical area to which the telephone number applies and, in the case of a port or a marine terminal, evidence that public access to the area is controlled;

  • (d) the period of time, not to exceed 5 years, for which CANUTEC’s approval is requested; and

  • (e) the dangerous goods to which the approval applies.

• (7) The Minister may revoke, in writing, the approval to use a telephone number if

  • (a) the person referred to in subsection (4), or that person’s representative, does not answer the telephone;

  • (b) the person referred to in subsection (4), or that person’s representative, does not provide immediately, at the request of a federal, provincial or municipal official including a member of a fire department, a facsimile or an electronic copy of the shipping record or, if requested, a voice description of the information on the shipping record; or

  • (c) public access to a port or marine terminal is not controlled.