Canada Road & Rail Transport - Labels & Placards

Generally, labels are displayed on small means of containment and placards are displayed on large means of containment. Labels and placards must be displayed on a means of containment as a square on a point, and must meet certain requirements for size and orientation.

Labels

Each side of a label must be at least 100 millimetres in length, with a line running five millimetres inside the edge. Except for dangerous goods included in Class 7, Radioactive Materials, if that size label (together with the shipping name, technical name, and UN number) cannot be displayed because of the irregular shape or size of the small means of containment, each side of the label may be reduced in length by the same amount so that the label will fit that small means of containment. In this case, the label must not be reduced in size to less than 30 millimeters.

Placards

Each side of a placard must be at least 250 millimeters in length and, except for the DANGER placard, have a line running 12.5 millimeters inside the edge. Except for dangerous goods included in Class 7, Radioactive Materials, if that size placard cannot be displayed because of the irregular shape or size of the large means of containment, each side of the placard may be reduced in length by the same amount so that the placard will fit that large means of containment. In this case, it must not be reduced to less than 100 millimeters. If a large means of containment contains dangerous goods included in Class 7, Radioactive Materials, and a Class 7 placard is required to be displayed, the means of containment must have displayed on it the Class 7 placard required or the appropriate optional Class 7 placard.

If the size of a label or a placard is reduced, every symbol, letter, and number required on that label or placard must be reduced proportionately.

With some exceptions, a placard is not required to be displayed on a road vehicle or railway vehicle if the dangerous goods in or on the road vehicle or railway vehicle have a gross mass that is less than or equal to 500 kilograms. Refer to Part 4, Section 4.16.1, for a list of the dangerous goods to which this exemption does not apply.

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