TDG Limited Quantity Changes Coming in 2021

With the year coming to a close in a few months, many will be celebrating putting 2020 behind us once and for all. Once 2020 is in the rear view mirror, we must look ahead with optimism and welcome 2021 with open arms. With each new year comes changes, and 2021 will be no exception. One change I know for sure that will be coming in 2021, is TDG’s required marking when shipping in limited quantities. As of January 1st, 2021. The limited quantity markings referenced in TDG 1.17 (6) will no longer be allowed. These markings include:

The words “Limited Quantity” or “quantité limitée”
The abbreviation “Ltd. Qty.” or “quant. ltée”
The words “Consumer Commodity” or “bien de consommation”
The UN number of each limited quantity of dangerous goods preceded by the letters “UN”, placed within a square on point.

Represented in the example below, any of these 4 markings on the box has traditionally been acceptable per TDG when shipping in limited quantities or consumer commodities. (This example below is when shipping UN1263). These markings will now only be valid until the end of 2020.

What Will be The Acceptable Markings When shipping Limited Quantities per TDG?

Starting on January 1st, 2021 per TDG 1.17 (5), the limited Quantity marking on the box must be square on point, and the line forming the square on point must be at least 2 mm wide. The top and bottom portions must be black and the central portion must be white or a contrasting color. Each side of the mark must be at least 100 mm long. The letter “Y” may be displayed in the center of the mark if the limited quantity is in compliance with the ICAO Technical Instructions when shipping by air. If the size of the means of containment so requires, the length of each side may be reduced to not less than 50 mm, provided that the mark remains clearly visible. An example of the marking is below:

Can I Ship my Dangerous Goods Using the Limited Quantity exemption?

When you find the UN number of your dangerous goods in TDG Schedule 1, the Inner Packaging limits for limited quantities appear in column 6A. As long as the amount of dangerous goods in your inner packaging doesn’t exceed the limit listed, you can ship using the Limited Quantity exemption. Keep in mind per TDG 1.17, the outer packaging limits cannot exceed 30 KG gross among other requirements. Shipping Limited Quantities relieves you from TDG Part 3 (Documentation), Part 4 (Dangerous Goods Safety Marks), Part 5 (Means of Containment), Part 6 (Training), Part 7 (Emergency Response Assistance Plan) and Part 8 (Reporting Requirements) when offering limited quantities of dangerous goods on a road vehicle, a railway vehicle or a vessel on a domestic voyage as long as each means of containment is marked with the appropriate limited quantity marking. Be sure to check the IATA limits when shipping by air. Here at ICC Compliance Center we sell compliant limited quantity labels for both ground and air.

We have all the products, services and training you need to ensure your staff is properly trained and informed.