Packing Groups of Dangerous Goods

June 8, 2020 by businessachiever No Comments

The dangerous goods (DG) classification is not the only category that one should keep in mind when dealing with transporting dangerous goods. DG packaging is also composed of packing groups that are as important as the dangerous goods classification.

The packing groups for DG packaging are divided into 3 categories. These categories are ranked according to the degree of the danger that they possess. The following are:

Packing Group I: high danger
Packing Group II: medium danger
Packing Group III: low danger

Importance of Packing Groups

The aforementioned packing groups are important for dangerous goods because they determine which and how much protective packaging is needed. It also helps those people who handle dangerous goods find packages quicker and easier.

Assigning Packing Groups

Now, here’s how each of the categories in the dangerous goods classification are assigned in the packing groups (as stated on chemsafetypro.com):

Class 1 Explosives Packing Group

All class 1 dangerous goods (explosives) are assigned to packing group II.

Class 4 Division 4.1 Flammable Solids Packing Group

● Packing group II: Assigned to readily combustible solids (other than metal powders) if the burning time is less than 45 seconds and the flame passes the wetted zone or assigned to powders of metal or assigned to metal alloys if the zone of reaction spreads over the whole length of the sample in 5 minutes or less.

· Packing group III: Assigned to readily combustible solids (other than metal powders) if the burning rate time is less than 45 seconds and the wetted zone stops the flame propagation for at least 4 minutes or assigned to metal alloys if the reaction spreads over the whole length of the sample in more than 5 minutes but not more than 10 minutes.

Class 4 Division 4.2 Packing Group for Substances Liable to Spontaneous Combustion

Packing group I: Pyrophoric liquids and solids.
Packing group II: if a self-heating material gives a positive test result when tested with a 25 mm cube size sample at 140 °C;
Packing group III: if a positive test result is obtained on a self-heating material in a test using a 100 mm sample cube at 140 °C, , 120 °C or 100°C depending on packaging volume;

Class 4 Division 4.3 Packing Group for Substances Which, in Contact with Water, Emit Flammable Gases.

Packing Group I: if the material reacts vigorously with water at ambient temperatures and demonstrates a tendency for the gas produced to ignite spontaneously, or which reacts readily with water at ambient temperatures such that the rate of evolution of flammable gases is equal or greater than 10 L per kilogram of material over any one minute;
Packing Group II: if the material reacts readily with water at ambient temperatures such that the maximum rate of evolution of flammable gases is equal to or greater than 20 L per kilogram of material per hour, and which does not meet the criteria for Packing Group I; or
Packing Group III: if the material reacts slowly with water at ambient temperatures such that the maximum rate of evolution of flammable gases is greater than 1 L per kilogram of material per hour, and which does not meet the criteria for Packing Group I or II.

Class 5 Division 5.1 Oxidizing Substances Packing Group

Packing Group I, for any material which, in either concentration tested, exhibits a mean burning time less than the mean burning time of a 3:2 potassium bromate/cellulose mixture.
Packing Group II, for any material which, in either concentration tested, exhibits a mean burning time less than or equal to the mean burning time of a 2:3 potassium bromate/cellulose mixture and the criteria for Packing Group I are not met.
Packing Group III for any material which, in either concentration tested, exhibits a mean burning time less than or equal to the mean burning time of a 3:7 potassium bromate/cellulose mixture and the criteria for Packing Group I and II are not met.

Class 5 Division 5.2 Organic Peroxides Packing Group

All Division 5.2 materials are assigned to Packing Group II.

Class 8 Corrosive Substances Packing Group

Packing Group I: Materials that cause full thickness destruction of intact skin tissue within an observation period of up to 60 minutes starting after the exposure time of three minutes or less.
Packing Group II: Materials other than those meeting Packing Group I criteria that cause full thickness destruction of intact skin tissue within an observation period of up to 14 days starting after the exposure time of more than three minutes but not more than 60 minutes.
Packing Group III: Materials, other than those meeting Packing Group I or II criteria but cause full thickness destruction of intact skin tissue or exhibit corrosion on either steel or aluminum surfaces exceeding 6.25 mm (0.25 inch) a year.