UN Model Regulations the Transport of Dangerous Goods
The United Nations Model Regulations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods provide a basis
for development of harmonized regulations for all modes of transport, in order to facilitate
trade and the safe, efficient transport of hazardous materials. The UN Model Regulations
were first published in 1957 establishing minimum requirements applicable to the transport
of hazardous materials by all modes of transport. Since then the UN Model Regulations have
gained global acceptance through adoption as the basis for most international, regional,
national and modal transportation regulations. The UN Model Regulations enhance safety,
improve enforcement capability, ease training requirements and enhance global trade and
economic development. Safety is enhanced primarily because harmonized requirements simplify
the complexity of the regulations, simplify training efforts, and decrease the likelihood of
non-compliance. The Model Regulations provide economic benefits by eliminating the costs of
complying with a multitude of differing national, regional and modal regulations. The UN Model
Regulations facilitate compatibility between modal requirements so that a consignment may be
transported by more than one mode without intermediate reclassification, marking, labeling or repackaging.
The UN Model Regulations cover all aspects of transportation necessary to provide international uniformity.
They include a comprehensive criteria based classification system for substances that pose a significant
hazard in transportation. Hazards addressed include explosiveness, flammability, toxicity
(oral, dermal and inhalation), corrosivity to human tissue and metal, reactivity
(e.g., oxidizing materials, self reactive materials, pyrophoric substances, substances that react with water),
radioactivity, infectious substance hazards and environmental hazards. They prescribe standards for packagings
and multimodal tanks used to transport hazardous materials. They also include a system of communicating the hazards
of substances in transport through hazard communication requirements which cover labeling and marking of packages,
placarding of tanks, freight containers and vehicles, and documentation and emergency response information that is
required to accompany each shipment.
Based on a proposal from the United States the UN Model Regulations were reformatted in the form of a “Model Regulation”.
Many national, regional and modal regulations governing the transport of dangerous goods are now based on the
UN Recommendations, some of the regulations were structured differently requiring consignors of dangerous
goods to be familiar with the unique structure of all applicable regulations. The lack of structural harmony
of regulations can frustrate compliance and to the extent that it results in noncompliance is detrimental to safety.
Furthermore, a Model Regulation can easily be adopted in National legislations of countries throughout the world
eliminating the need for countries to reissue the regulations in the format of their national regulations.
In the past, the process of incorporating amendments to the UN Recommendations was resource intensive.
In the case of international organizations, each change to the Recommendations was reevaluated before being
introduced into the various international regulations. In some cases the amendments had to be reproposed
by governments participating in these meetings. The fact that each of these issues was rediscussed, reworded
and reorganized by each of the affected regulatory bodies increased the likelihood for disharmony.
The Model Regulation is serving to reduce the necessity for the majority of these efforts and
in turn is enhancing harmonization.
The tenth revised edition of the United Nations Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (Model Regulations) was the first edition to be published in the format of a Model Regulation. Additional regulatory requirements (e.g. non-bulk packing instructions, rationalized portable tank requirements (T codes and TP notes), IBC packing instructions and requirements for the transport of low hazard solids in non-specification bulk containers) were included in the eleventh and twelfth revised editions of the Model Regulation. The 13th revised edition of the Recommendations was published in the Summer of 2007. Click here to view the 15th revised edition.
Participants in the TDG Sub-Committee include 27 countries with voting
status and numerous countries and non-governmental organizations with
observer status. Click here for a list of TDG Sub-Committee participants (external .doc file). The TDG
Sub-Committee is responsible for reviewing proposals from voting member
countries and observers in relation to amendments to the UN Recommendations
and issues relevant to its work program. The TDG Sub-Committee meets four
times in a two year period (biennium). Click
here for a list of TDG Sub-Committee meeting dates. PHMSA represents the United States
at these meetings and formulates U.S. positions based on feedback from
U.S. industry, the public and other government agencies.
The work of the Committee has become increasingly important to both international
and domestic transportation of hazardous materials to, from and within the
United States. Virtually all hazardous materials imported to or exported from
the United States are transported in accordance with international regulations
based on the UN Recommendations. In the case of the U.S., the decisions of
the TDG Sub-Committee affect an international trade volume in hazardous materials
with an estimated dollar value of $160 (based on 2003 data) billion annually.
Domestically the US Chemical industry accounted for shipments of chemicals
valued at approximately $466.4 billion in 2003. In addition to enhancing safe
transportation through improved regulatory consistency, international harmonization
of hazardous materials regulations plays a significant role in maintaining
a U.S. favorable balance of trade in chemicals. The work of the TDG Sub-Committee
also affects a much larger domestic hazardous materials transportation volume.
PHMSA is interested in comments on proposals submitted to the TDG Sub-Committee and will consider comments in formulating formal U.S. positions on UN proposals. Comments should be sent in writing to Duane Pfund at duane.pfund@dot.gov. Copies of TDG Sub-Committee documents may be downloaded via the UN Transport Secretariat's website.
Click here to get more information on the responsibilities and
functions of the UN Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (pdf - 38KB)
The title of the document is "Information on the United Nations Economic and Social Council's Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods and on the Mechanisms for Implementation of the UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods"
OR
visit the UN Economic and Social Council (ECE) Transport of Dangerous Goods
web site.
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