Dangerous goods are not confined to chemical tankers and industrial estates. A pallet of aerosols in a fulfilment centre, a courier van carrying lithium batteries, a box of solvent-based paint at a trade counter — each one is a regulated consignment, and each one has to be handled, packed, labelled and documented properly before it goes anywhere. None of it is as daunting as it sounds. What follows is a practical sequence to work through, from the moment someone asks you to send something unusual to the moment the vehicle leaves the yard.

Classify the substance before anything else moves

Everything else flows from the classification. Start with section 14 of the safety data sheet, which gives the transport information, but treat it as a starting point rather than gospel — supplier sheets are sometimes out of date or incomplete. You need four things: the UN number, the proper shipping name, the hazard class (plus any subsidiary risks) and the packing group.

Where a substance or mixture does not appear by name in the Dangerous Goods List, it must be classified properly — by test data, published literature or a specialist assessment — not guessed at. Work out which regime applies: ADR for road in Great Britain, the IMDG Code for sea, and the ICAO Technical Instructions or IATA rules for air. The consignor carries the legal responsibility for correct classification, even when a forwarding agent handles the paperwork on their behalf.

Use packaging that is approved, not just sturdy

Strength alone is not the test. Most dangerous goods must travel in UN-approved packaging bearing a specification mark, and the packing instruction for that UN number tells you which packaging types are permitted and what quantities they may hold. The mark itself — something like 4G/Y1.4/150/24/GB/1234 — records the packaging type, the packing group it is approved for, the test mass or pressure, and the year of manufacture. Read it before you reuse anything.

Follow the closure instructions, tape and cushioning specified by the packaging manufacturer. Substituting your own method invalidates the approval, and that is exactly the sort of detail an inspector will ask about. For smaller consignments, limited quantity and excepted quantity provisions can reduce the burden considerably, but only if you stay inside the inner packaging limits and apply the correct mark. Watch for combination packaging, where an inner receptacle, absorbent material and a rigid outer box do much of the work.

Label, mark and complete the dangerous goods note

Labels must be the right class, the right size and in the right place — generally on one side, near the consignor's mark, with orientation arrows on two opposite faces of combination packaging. Small packages can use reduced-size labels where the rules allow.

The dangerous goods note, or consignor's declaration, is the document that makes the shipment legal. It needs the proper shipping name, UN number, class, packing group, the number and type of packages and the total quantity, together with consignor and consignee details, the tunnel restriction code where relevant, and an emergency contact. For N.O.S. entries, add the technical name in brackets. Sign the declaration yourself: that signature confirms the description is complete and accurate. Keep copies for as long as your regime requires — at least three months for most road consignments.

Segregate, load and secure with care

Not everything can travel together. Mixed loading restrictions apply to class 1 explosives, and separate rules and sensible practice keep oxidisers away from flammables, and acids away from cyanides. When consolidating pallets, check the compatibility of every item on the pallet, not just the outer unit.

• Load so that labels and any placards stay visible.
• Secure the load against movement in all directions.
• Never stack heavy drums on light cartons.
• Give the driver the transport document and the instructions in writing, plus the orange plates and placarding the load requires.

Train everyone who touches the consignment

Training is where most incidents are prevented. General awareness training helps warehouse colleagues recognise a leaking drum, a damaged label or a swollen battery, and know who to tell. Function-specific training covers the people who classify, pack and complete documents. Drivers carrying the relevant loads need ADR training and a vocational certificate, refreshed on the required cycle, and the business may need to appoint a dangerous goods safety adviser.

Record who has been trained, in what and when. Repeat it when the regulations change, when equipment changes, or when someone takes on a new task.

Be ready for a spill

Hope for the best, but keep a spill kit, suitable gloves, eye protection and a plan. Damaged packages should be isolated, uprighted and repacked following the original approval wherever possible. Never wash a spill into a surface water drain; report releases to the relevant environmental regulator — the Environment Agency, SEPA, Natural Resources Wales or NIEA — as soon as it is safe to do so.

When calling the emergency services, lead with the UN number, the proper shipping name and, for road, the emergency action code. Afterwards, write down what happened, what you did and what you would change, then feed that into the next training session. Ten minutes of review after a small leak is the cheapest lesson you will ever get.