{"id":861685,"date":"2022-12-12T13:33:14","date_gmt":"2022-12-12T18:33:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thecompliancecenter.com\/ca\/?p=861685"},"modified":"2022-12-12T13:33:14","modified_gmt":"2022-12-12T18:33:14","slug":"transport-canada-proposes-harmonization-amendment-to-tdgr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thecompliancecenter.com\/ca\/help-center\/articles\/transport-canada-proposes-harmonization-amendment-to-tdgr\/","title":{"rendered":"Transport Canada Proposes Harmonization Amendment to TDGR"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Transport Canada Proposes Harmonization Amendment to TDGR<\/h2>\n

Transport Canada and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) are currently playing a game of \u201ccatch-up.\u201d Due to issues such as COVID, our North American regulations have started to fall behind international standards, particularly the <\/span>UN<\/span><\/i> Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods<\/span><\/i><\/a>, the basis of international dangerous goods regulations.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Fortunately, these agencies have been working hard to create amendments that will keep North American regulations harmonized with the rest of the world. The DOT has already put an amendment in place, <\/span>HM-215P<\/span><\/a>, to harmonize the \u201c<\/span>Hazardous Materials Regulations<\/span><\/a>\u201d of 49 CFR with the 21<\/span>st<\/span> edition of the <\/span>UN Recommendations and<\/span><\/i> is already at work on the next in the HM-215 series. In Canada, Transport Canada has just published a proposed update that would harmonize the \u201c<\/span>Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations<\/span><\/a>\u201d (TDGR) with that edition and also improve consistency with 49 CFR. Also, this amendment will be used to give Part 12, the requirements for air transport, a long-awaited update.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>proposed amendment<\/span><\/a> was published in Canada Gazette I on November 26, 2022. Of course, keep in mind that publication in Canada Gazette I means that the amendments are for public discussion by stakeholders, and don\u2019t become finalized until published in Canada Gazette II. So, if you have comments or suggestions, you have until February 9, 2023, to send them to Transport Canada.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So, what are the main changes Transport Canada is proposing? Well, it\u2019s a sizable amendment making extensive changes, and should be reviewed by stakeholders in depth. But here are some of the top changes we\u2019ve noted.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Classification and Shipping Names\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Transport Canada noticed that while the UN has revised the criteria for classification since the last major overhaul of the TDGR, not much has been done to track them. It\u2019s been noted that \u201cthis lack of alignment means that Canadian consignors are missing out on the use of safer and more practical testing methods for classifying dangerous goods that are not listed under common names in Schedule 1.\u201d The classification system will be updated to reflect current practices. In general, most classes will simply refer to the current UN classification criteria. This will, for example, now allow Canadian shippers to use the UN \u201ccalculation\u201d method for Class 8 corrosives.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Note that this involves a wholesale restructuring of Part 2, Classification.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Also, Schedule 1, the list of dangerous goods, needs to be updated. New shipping descriptions have been added, such as UN3549, MEDICAL WASTE, CATEGORY A, AFFECTING HUMANS, solid, and UN3536, LITHIUM BATTERIES INSTALLED IN CARGO TRANSPORT UNIT. UN numbers 3537 to 3548, for articles containing various types of dangerous goods in quantities exceeding limited quantity amounts have been added.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Schedule 1, Special Provisions\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

A number of special provisions have been created, improved or simplified. These include:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n