General Packing Requirements

Any packaging used to transport hazardous material must be designed, constructed, maintained, filled, and closed to ensure the material is safely contained within the packaging. There can be no release of hazardous material during transport. This means that the effectiveness of the package must be maintained for changes in temperature, changes in humidity and pressure, and the shocks, loadings, and vibrations normally encountered during transportation.

Many liquid hazardous materials expand when heated. For this reason, all containers of liquid hazardous materials must have vacant space or outage. This space is also referred to as ullage. In other words, the packaging must not be entirely full.

In addition to the requirements for outage, containers of liquid hazardous materials must be tightly and securely closed. A combination package containing liquid hazardous materials must be packed so that closure on the inner packages remains upright. They must be packed and cushioned to prevent breakage or leakage. Packagings used for solids that may become liquid during transportation must be capable of containing the material in a liquid state.

Closures on packagings must be designed and closed to withstand normal conditions of transport. The closure notification must be provided by the packaging manufacturer. It may be in the form of written instructions or embossed or printed on the package. All closures must be leakproof and secured against loosening. For air transport, stoppers, corks, or other friction closures must be held in place by positive means.

All cylinders transported by air must have protection to prevent operation of or damage to valves. Cylinders can be equipped with securely attached valve caps or protective head-rings or place cylinders in a box or crate. Vented closures are used to reduce internal pressure and prevent the unintentional release of the product.

To learn more about Multimodal Shipping visit our Multimodal DOT, IATA & IMDG HAZMAT Shipping Online Training web page.