Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air — Page 227, Lesson 330

I want to walk you through the transport of dangerous goods by air, starting with the acceptance checklist and the inspection requirements, then moving into the labelling system. First, the operator — that's the airline or cargo carrier — must use an acceptance checklist. This isn't just any checklist; it has to allow for all relevant details to be checked, and it must be in a form that allows recording of the results of the acceptance check. That recording can be done by manual means — pen and paper — or by mechanical or computerized means. So the key point is that the checklist must be comprehensive enough to capture every relevant detail, and the results must be recorded in a way that's traceable. Now, let's move to inspection for damage, leakage or contamination. The operator has five specific responsibilities here. First, packages, overpacks, and freight containers must be inspected for evidence of leakage or damage immediately prior to loading on an aeroplane or into a unit load device. A unit load device — often called a ULD — is a pallet or container used to consolidate cargo. This inspection must be done as specified in the Technical Instructions, which is the detailed regulatory document that governs dangerous goods transport. Second, a unit load device itself must not be loaded onto an aeroplane unless it has been inspected as required by the Technical Instructions and found free from any evidence of leakage from, or damage to, the dangerous goods contained inside it. So the ULD gets its own inspection, not just the packages inside it. Third, leaking or damaged packages, overpacks, or freight containers are not to be loaded on an aeroplane. That's a hard rule — if it's damaged or leaking, it stays on the ground. Fourth, if any package of dangerous goods is found on an aeroplane and it appears to be damaged or leaking, it must be removed, or arrangements must be made for its removal by an appropriate Authority or organization. In this case, the remainder of the consignment — that's the rest of the shipment — must be inspected to ensure it is in a proper condition for transport, and that no damage or contamination has occurred to the aeroplane or its load. So the aircraft itself and the other cargo get checked too. Fifth, packages, overpacks, and freight containers must be inspected for signs of damage or leakage upon unloading from an aeroplane or from a unit load device. And if there is evidence of damage or leakage, the area where the dangerous goods were stowed must be inspected for damage or contamination. So the inspection happens both before loading and after unloading. Now, let's turn to labelling. The labels used to identify dangerous goods are tied to Hazard Classes, and the numbers on the labels refer directly to those classes. The excerpt gives us the first example: Hazard Class 1 is Explosive. The label for an explosive has a symbol — an exploding bomb — and that symbol is printed in black. The background colour of the label is also specified, though the excerpt cuts off there. So the key takeaway is that each hazard class has a unique label design, and the number on the label tells you which class it belongs to. That covers the acceptance checklist, the five inspection requirements, and the start of the labelling system with Class 1 — Explosive.