Dangerous goods

UN Classification of Dangerous goods

Dangerous goods, also called hazardous materials or HazMat  are solids, liquids or gases that can harm people, other living organisms, property, or the environment.

Dangerous goods are divided into classes on the basis of the specific chemical characteristics producing the risk.

There are nine broad classifications of hazardous loads:

Class 1: Explosives
-   Division 1.1: Articles and substances having a mass explosion hazard.
-   Division 1.2:Articles and substances having a projection hazard but not  a mass explosion hazard.
-   Division 1.3: Articles and substances having a fire hazard, a minor blast hazard and/or a minor projection hazard but not a mass explosion hazard.
-   Division 1.5: Very insentive substances having a mass explosion hazard.
-   Division 1.6: Extremely insentive articles which do not have a mass explosion hazard.

Class 2: Gases
-   Division 2.1: Flammable Gas.
-   Division 2.2: Nonflammable Gas.
-   Division 2.3: Poisonous Gas.

Class 3: Flammable liquids

Class 4: Flammable Solids
-   Division 4.1: Flammable solids, self-reactive substances and solid desensitized explosives
-   Division 4.2: Substances liable to spontaneous combustion
-   Division 4.3: Substances which, in contact with water, emit flammable gases

Class 5: Oxidizing Substances and Organic Peroxides
-   Division 5.1: Oxidizer
-   Division 5.2: Organic peroxides

Class 6: Toxic and Infectious Substances
-   Class 6.1: Toxic substances
-   Class 6.2: Infectious substances

Class 7: Radioactive material

Class 8: Corrosives

Class 9: Miscellaneous dangerous goods