Significant changes and amendments to the 61st Edition (2020) of the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations

The 61st edition of the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations incorporates all amendments made by the IATA Dangerous Goods Board and includes addenda issued by ICAO to the content of the 2019–2020 edition of the Technical Instructions. The following list is intended to assist the user to identify the main changes introduced in this edition and must not be considered an exhaustive listing. The changes have been prefaced by the section or subsection in which the change occurs

2—Limitations

2.3—Dangerous Goods Carried by Passengers or Crew

2.3.2.2, 2.3.5.11 and 2.3.5.12

Currently these provisions reference a special provision and require compliance with the special provision. For clarity for customer service personnel, the relevant conditions from the special provision have been brought into the text in 2.3.

2.3.5.1

The restriction limiting aerosols in Division 2.2 for sporting or home use to checked baggage only has been removed. These aerosols may now be in either checked or carry-on baggage.

2.6—Dangerous Goods in Excepted Quantities

2.6.7.1

A new paragraph 2.6.7.1.3 has been added mandating that the excepted quantity mark must be applied on one face of the package.

4—Identification

4.2—List of Dangerous Goods

The following amendments have been made to the List of Dangerous Goods:

● UN 3449, Bromobenzyl cyanides, solid—The IATA “pointing hand” has been removed and the provisions aligned to ICAO. The indication of forbidden on passenger aircraft in columns I/J has been deleted as the substance can now be shipped on a passenger aircraft with a permitted net quantity of 5 kg per package in accordance with PI 666;

● addition of “environmentally hazardous substance” into Column D against UN 3077 and UN 3082 to identify that packages must bear the environmentally hazardous substance in addition to the Class 9—Miscellaneous hazard label;

● UN 2389, Furan—Here too the IATA pointing hand has been removed and the provisions aligned to ICAO. Rather than being forbidden/forbidden, Furan is now permitted on both passenger aircraft and Cargo Aircraft Only;

● addition of the dagger symbol “†” to UN 3536, Lithium batteries installed in cargo transport unit—the dagger symbol has been added to identify that there is now a glossary entry in Appendix A that provides more information;

● assignment of special provision A802 to UN 1700, Tear gas candles to reinforce that packagings must meet PG II performance standards.

5—Packing

5.0.2.11:

(a) subparagraph (c) has been revised to clearly state that only those dangerous goods permitted by Packing Instruction 620 may be packed in the same outer packaging with UN 2814 or UN 2900;

(b) subparagraph (h), third bullet has been revised to clarify the exception from the calculation of the Q value where the dangerous goods have the same UN number, packing group and physical state, to include the same net quantity.

Packing Instructions

The single packagings tables have been revised to better identify composite packagings. Presently, where composite packagings are permitted, the single packagings tables show “Composites—Plastic—All”. This does not correctly identify the description of the material of the packaging, e.g. steel, fibre, plastic, the form of the packaging, e.g. drum or the specification codes permitted, e.g. 6HA1. The revised tables now clearly identify exactly which composite packagings are permitted.

PI 650

Has been revised to identify that the number of packages shown on the air waybill does not need to be added to the information on the UN number and proper shipping name when these are the only packages in the consignment. The text that describes the allowance for small quantities of substances in Classes 3, 8 or 9 to be in the primary receptacle has been revised to clarify that these substances must be permitted to be shipped as excepted quantities, not that they must meet the requirements for excepted quantities.

PI 960 and PI Y960

Text has been added into the combination packagings table that clarifies that the net quantity limits per inner packaging only apply where the inner packagings contain dangerous goods, and that the total net quantity of dangerous goods per kit must not exceed 1 L or 1 kg.

PI 968 to PI 970

The term “aggregate lithium content” has been applied to lithium metal batteries to align to the terminology used in the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria.

7—Marking & Labelling

7.1.3.1

Has been revised to specify that the limited quantity mark, environmentally hazardous substances mark and lithium battery mark, when required, must be applied on one face of the package. Where the marks are applied by means of a label, the label must not be folded or applied such that it appears on different faces of the package.

7.2.4.5

A sentence has been added to the provisions for the “Keep Away From Heat” label to identify that the label should be affixed on the same surface of the package near the hazard label(s).

8—Documentation

8.1.6.9.2, Step 6

Consistent with the change to the format of information for composite packagings in the single packagings tables in the packing instructions, and additional example of the description of the type of packagings has been added for a composite packaging.

Appendix A

There are a number of changes and additions to the defined terms in the glossary. These include addition of a definition of “aggregate lithium content”, revision to the definition of fissile material to become “fissile nuclides” and a new definition for “lithium batteries installed in cargo transport unit”.

Appendix D

Contact details for competent authorities have been updated.

Appendix E

Changes have been made to the list of UN Specification Packaging Suppliers (E.1) and the Package Testing Facilities (E.2).

Appendix F

The list of Sales Agents (F.2), IATA Accredited Training Schools (F.3—F.5) and IATA Authorised Training Centres (F.6) have been revised.

Appendix H

The guidance material on development and implementation of competency-based training for dangerous goods has been extensively revised based on engagement with, and input from regulatory authorities, training providers and member airlines. All the draft provisions for Subsection 1.5 have been moved to Appendix I—Impending Changes, see below.

Appendix I

A new appendix has been added to this edition of the DGR to provide the detail of the changes that will come into effect as of 1 January 2021 based on the adoption of the changes arising from the 21st revised edition of the UN Model Regulations as well as the changes that have been agreed to date by the ICAO Dangerous Goods Panel for inclusion into the 2021–2022 edition of the Technical Instructions. These changes include:

● Adoption of provisions that will deregulate data loggers and cargo tracking devices powered by lithium batteries when these data loggers or cargo tracking devices are attached to or placed in packages, overpacks or unit load devices and the data loggers or cargo tracking devices are in use, or intended for use during transport.

● The changes proposed to Subsection 1.5—Dangerous Goods Training to reflect the implementation of competency-based training for dangerous goods.

● Updates to the provisions for infectious substances to include general information on Category A medical wastes.

● Updates to the list of dangerous goods, which includes four new UN numbers, three for explosives, UN 0511 to UN 0513 and UN 3549 for Category A medical waste. UN 2216 Fish meal, stabilized has been revised from Forbidden/Forbidden to being permitted on both passenger aircraft and Cargo Aircraft Only.

● A number of new and modified special provisions.

● Change to the lithium battery handling mark to permit the mark to be a rectangle or square of 100 mm x 100 mm. The reduced size mark minimum dimensions will change to be 100 mm wide x 70 mm high.

● Changes to Section 10—Radioactive Materials to reflect the changes adopted by the International Atomic Energy Agency to SSR-6 (Rev. 1) 2018.