Are Airbags Dangerous Goods?

Airbags are an essential safety device when operating a motor vehicle. It is one of those devices that we are grateful for, but we never want to have to use. As you know, the purpose of an airbag is to reduce injury by either cushioning the occupants contact with the interior of the vehicle or preventing contact completely in the event of an accident. Not only are airbags an important safety feature for vehicles, they are also considered dangerous goods by the various regulations.

How is an Airbag Defined by The Regulations?

Airbag modules are considered class 9 miscellaneous dangerous goods and fall under UN 3268, which is Safety Devices, electrically initiated. In addition, in the 49 CFR 173.166 (a) it defines an airbag module as “the airbag inflator plus an inflatable bag assembly”. An airbag inflator is essentially a gas generator used to inflate an airbag in a supplemental restraint system in a motor vehicle.

In addition, in TDG when you look up UN 3268 in Schedule 1, column 5 will lead you to SP 136, which describes the shipping name per below:

This shipping name applies to safety devices for road vehicles, railway vehicles, vessels, or aircraft, such as airbag inflators, airbag modules, seat-belt pretensioners and pyro mechanical devices, that are transported as component parts and that, before being presented for transport, have been tested in accordance with the Series 6 type (c) test in Section 16 of Part I of the Manual of Tests and Criteria, with no explosion of the device tested, no fragmentation of the device casing or pressure vessel, and no projection hazard or thermal effect that could hinder firefighting or other emergency response.

There are some exceptions listed in TDG at Special Provision 25 and 173.166 (d) in the 49 CFR for example, but generally speaking these should be shipped as dangerous goods which would include class 9 hazard class labels, UN packaging, and the appropriate dangerous goods documentation.

What Packaging is Required to Ship Airbags?

Per the 49 CFR, when shipping air bag modules, the packaging must be designed and constructed to prevent shifting of the articles and inadvertent activation. Per 173.166 (e), the type of packaging that is permissible to ship air bag modules is below:

1A2, 1B2, 1N2, 1D, 1G, or 1H2 drums.
3A2, 3B2, or 3H2 jerricans.
4A, 4B, 4N, 4C1, 4C2, 4D, 4F, 4G, 4H1, or 4H2 boxes.
Reusable high-strength containers or dedicated handling devices.
(i) Reusable containers manufactured from high-strength plastic, metal, or other suitable material, or other dedicated handling devices are authorized for shipment of safety devices from a manufacturing facility to the assembly facility, (Note this is subject to many conditions, see the 49 FCR for more details)

The types of packaging mentioned in (1), (2), and (3) above must be UN rated and at least have a PG III performance rating, which leaves the options pretty wide open. If you are shipping air bags within Canada, we must refer to The TP14850 (for now) and go to Packing Instruction 902 per below:

The dangerous goods may be handled, offered for transport, or transported in a UN standardized container that meets the packing group III performance level.
The dangerous goods may also be handled, offered for transport or transported in a dedicated handling device, vehicle, container or wagon if the dangerous goods are moved from the place of manufacture to an assembly plant.
The dangerous goods must be packaged or secured to prevent movement and inadvertent operation during normal conditions of transport.

As you can see it is very similar to the requirements of the 49 CFR. If you are shipping internationally by ocean or by air, be sure to refer to the requirements of the IMDG code or IATA. It is essential to use the correct labels and packaging when shipping airbags through all modes of transport. Here at ICC, we sell packaging for air bags as well as class 9 miscellaneous labels, and dangerous goods declaration forms. Feel free to call us at 1-888-442-9628 (USA) or 1-888-977-4834 (Canada) for more information.

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