Canada Road & Rail Transport - Key Terms

The following terms are important to an understanding of the safe transportation of dangerous goods by road and rail:

CANUTEC - An acronym for the Canadian Transport Emergency Centre of the Department of Transport; CANUTEC promotes the safe transportation of dangerous goods in Canada.

Carrier - An individual or organization who has possession of dangerous goods while they are in transport. This designation applies whether or not the transport is performed for hire or reward.

Consignor - The individual or organization in Canada who is named on the shipping document as a consignor, who imports or will be importing dangerous goods into Canada, or who has possession of dangerous goods just before they are to be transported.

Dangerous goods - A substance or product that can harm people, other living organisms, property, or the environment. As defined by the TDG Regulations, a product, substance, or organism that has been included in Schedule 1 of the Act.

Emergency - An immediate danger to public safety that either requires the use of dangerous goods to avert or mitigate the danger or arises directly or indirectly from dangerous goods.

Handling - The loading, unloading, packing, or unpacking of dangerous goods in a means of containment for purposes related to the transportation of the goods. This includes the storage of dangerous goods that occurs during the course of transportation.

LC₅₀ - The lowest concentration of gas, vapour, mist, or dust that, when administered by continuous inhalation to both male and female young adult albino rats for one hour, results in the death of one half of the animals within 14 days.

LD₅₀ (dermal) - The lowest amount of a substance that, when administered by continuous contact with the bare skin of both male and female young adult albino rats for 24 hours, results in the death of one half of the animals within 14 days.

LD₅₀ (oral) - The lowest amount of a substance that, when administered by mouth to both male and female young adult albino rats, results in the death of one half of the animals within 14 days.

Means of containment - Refers to all packaging of a dangerous good, including inner and outer packaging and large containers used for transport.

Means of transport - A road or railway vehicle, aircraft, vessel, pipeline or any other contrivance that may be used to transport persons or goods.

N.O.S. - An acronym for "Not Otherwise Specified" that is used in shipping names. Used in reference to dangerous goods that can be identified, but cannot be classified under a more specific UN number.

Offer for transport - To select a carrier to transport dangerous goods, to prepare the dangerous goods so that a carrier can take possession of them for transport, or to allow a carrier to take possession of the dangerous goods for transport.

Release of dangerous goods - A discharge, emission, explosion, outgassing, or other escape of dangerous goods, or any component or compound evolving from dangerous goods, from the means of containment being used to handle or transport the dangerous goods.

Shipping document - A document related to dangerous goods that are being handled, offered for transport, or transported. The shipping document must contain the information specified in Part 3 of the TDG Regulations.

Solid desensitized explosives - Explosives desensitized through wetting with water or alcohols or diluted with other substances to form a homogeneous solid mixture to suppress their explosive properties so that they are not included in Class 1, Explosives.

Transport Canada - The department within the Canadian government that develops regulations, policies, and services related to transportation in Canada. Transport Canada is the commonly used name for the Department of Transport.

Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG) Act, 1992 - A set of laws designed to promote public safety related to the transport of dangerous goods in Canada. The laws were first enacted in 1992.

Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG) Regulations - A set of directives guiding the implementation of TDG Act laws.

UN number - A four-digit number that identifies dangerous goods, substances, and articles across a framework of international transport of dangerous goods regulations. These numbers are assigned by the United Nations (UN) Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods.

To learn more about Transporting Dangerous Goods in Canada visit our Transporting Dangerous Good by Road & Rail Online Training web page.