Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air — Page 227, Lesson 325

I want to walk you through the transport of dangerous goods by air. This is a tightly regulated area, and as a professional pilot, you need to understand the key definitions and responsibilities that govern it. Let’s start with the UN Number. This is a four-digit number assigned by the United Nations Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods. Its purpose is to identify a specific substance or a particular group of substances. So, when you see a UN number on a package, it tells you exactly what hazardous material is inside, without relying on language or trade names. Next, we have the Unit Load Device, or ULD. This is any type of freight container, an aircraft pallet with a net, or an aircraft pallet with a net over an igloo. The igloo is a rigid structure that fits over the pallet. So, a ULD is the assembly that consolidates cargo into a single unit for loading onto the aircraft. The core regulatory document is the Technical Instructions. The International Civil Aviation Organization, ICAO, publishes the Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air, which is ICAO document 9284. All operators must take all reasonable measures to ensure that dangerous goods are packed exactly as specified in these Technical Instructions. Now, there are some important exceptions. Articles that would normally be classified as dangerous goods in the Technical Instructions may be carried on board an aeroplane excluded from the provisions — meaning they don't have to follow the full dangerous goods rules — provided they meet specific conditions. Let me list those conditions for you: - They are required to be aboard for operating reasons. - They are carried as catering or cabin service supplies. - They are for use in flight as veterinary aid or as a humane killer for an animal. - They are carried for use in flight as medical aid for a patient, providing that: - Gas cylinders have been purpose-manufactured. - Drugs, etc., are under the control of trained person(s). - Equipment with wet cell batteries is kept upright. - Such items are stowed properly for take-off and landing. - They are carried by passengers or crew members. However, items carried as replacements for those detailed above — for example, a replacement medical oxygen cylinder — shall be carried in accordance with the full Technical Instructions, not under the exception. Crucially, an operator shall ensure that articles and substances or other goods declared as dangerous goods that are specifically identified by name or generally described in the Technical Instructions as being forbidden for transport under any circumstances are not carried on any aeroplane. That is an absolute prohibition. Let’s move to Labelling and Packaging. Operators are responsible for ensuring that all dangerous goods are carried, packed, and labelled in accordance with the Technical Instructions. But the shipper — the person or company offering the goods for transport — has their own set of responsibilities. The shipper is responsible for checking that the dangerous goods offered for transport are not forbidden items, and that they are properly classified, packed, marked, and labelled, and accompanied by the properly executed dangerous goods transport documentation. This is all based on Annex 18 to the Chicago Convention and the Technical Instructions. Operators are required to produce and follow a checklist for the acceptance procedure for dangerous goods. This is called the Acceptance Checklist. Now, Loading Restrictions. Only dangerous goods specified in the Technical Instructions are to be carried in passenger cabins or on the flight deck. Where dangerous goods are carried in the cargo compartments, they must be loaded, segregated, stowed, and secured as specified in the Technical Instructions. If goods are marked ‘Cargo Aircraft Only’, operators must ensure that such goods are loaded in accordance with the Technical Instructions in dedicated cargo aeroplanes — not in passenger aircraft. Finally, if radioactive material is carried, the radiation exposure of transport and storage personnel must be controlled so that none of them are likely to receive a radiation dose in excess of that permitted for members of the public. That is a strict safety limit to protect ground staff and anyone else who might come into contact with the shipment.