New UN Packaging Standard Published

It’s been a long time in the making, but a new UN packaging standard will be coming to Canada for small containers. The new edition of CAN/CGSB-43.150, Design, manufacture, and use of UN standardized drums, jerricans, boxes, bags, combination packaging, composite packaging, and other packaging for the transport of dangerous goods, Classes 3, 4, 5, 6.1, 8, and 9, has just been published in March. That’s great news, but not so fast, it hasn’t come into force yet. This new standard should be coming to a Province near you, at some point in the future. Sound confusing? Yes, it is, but hopefully I can clear up any confusion.

What is the new Standard and What will it Replace?

In Canada, the current standard for small containers for hazard classes 3, 4, 5, 6.1, 8, and 9 that is in force is the TP14850, which was published in October of 2010. If you are shipping dangerous goods within Canada, this is where you would find the type of UN packaging that is required for your specific dangerous goods when using small containers (capacity of 450 Liters or less) for the hazard classes mentioned above. In addition, TP14850 also lays out the testing requirements for small UN packaging among many other requirements, such as construction, variations, quality, and registration. For the last several years, a new packaging standard has been in development to replace the TP14850. After several different drafts of standards, the new CGSB 43.150 is now published and will eventually replace the current TP14850 at some point.

What are Some of The Changes and When will it go into Force?

As a Packaging Expert, one of the most significant changes I see in the new standard is that each packaging design produced and registered in Canada must now be retested at an interval of no more than five years. This differs from the current TP14850 standard, which doesn’t set forth a specific time period that a packaging design has to be re-tested. Although the new standard does say that the Director may allow some or all of the tests prescribed to be waived for registered container designs that differ only in minor respects that have been retested in accordance with this new clause, which leaves the possibility open that in some cases exemptions may be granted. The new CGSB 43.150 standard will be allowing a transition period for the periodic retest of container design starting 24 months after this standard comes into force and is refenced in the TDG Regulations. Which leads into the next question, when will the new standard come into force? That’s the million-dollar question, no one really knows. There is not yet an exact date it will go into force. It may come at any time, but if you have a current Certificate of Registration issued in accordance with the TP 14850 (2010) standard, it will still be considered registered as a container design unless the Certificate of Registration has expired or has been revoked. In the meantime, if you are shipping dangerous goods in Canada, continue to use the current TP14850 standard, but stay tuned! The new standard can be accessed and downloaded for free via the CGSB website Canadian General Standards Board Catalogue – Publications – CGSB – PSPC (tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca).

If you have questions about the packaging standards and how to comply with them, contact ICC Compliance Center at 855.734.5469 or send us an email, we’re happy to help.