Packaging Responsibilities

Anyone who ships hazardous materials or offers hazardous materials for transportation must ensure that the hazardous material is prepared for shipment in compliance with the regulations. This means that all hazardous material must be properly classified, described, and packaged. The main function of packaging requirements is to ensure that hazardous materials stay in the package during transportation.

It is the responsibility of the person offering a hazardous material for transportation to ensure that such packagings are compatible with their cargo. This particularly applies to corrosiveness, permeability, softening, premature aging, and embrittlement.

More than one person can perform an offeror or shipper function for the same shipment. For example, if a carrier repackages a hazardous material for any reason, then the carrier must repackage the material in accordance with the regulations. It does not matter that the carrier is not the original shipper.

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