How to ship dangerous goods in Excepted Quantity – EQ

According to the regulations for shipping dangerous goods, for the majority of UN numbers, it is possible to use a mode of transport defined "Excepted Quantity ". This kind of transport requires that some parameters are met in terms of quantities and also other aspects linked to packagings and UN marking. “How to ship in Excepted Quantities?” For all the mode of transport by road ADR, by rail RID, ADN, by sea IMDG and ICAO / IATA the requirements are the same.Let’s see now how to ship correctly dangerous goods in Excepted Quantities.

According to the regulations for shipping dangerous goods, for the majority of UN numbers, it is possible to use a mode of transport defined "Excepted Quantity". This kind of transport requires that some parameters are met in terms of quantities and also other aspects linked to packagings and UN marking. "How to ship in Excepted Quantities?" PFor all the mode of transport by road ADR, by rail RID, ADN, by sea IMDG and ICAO / IATA the requirements are the same.Let’s see now how to ship correctly dangerous goods in Excepted Quantities.

Step 1

Find out the correct alphanumeric code

To know if it is possible to ship a certain good in Excepted Quantity it is necessary to find out the alphanumeric code in the dangerous goods table, more precisely in the column dedicated to Excepted Quantities. To find this data it is necessary to know the UN number and the Packing Group of the goods. With these data, starting from the table of dangerous goods, it will be possible to find the alphanumeric code for the definition of the max quantities acceptable.
More precisely in the column you have to verify if:

Regulation ADR, RID and IMDG is identified from number (7b);
Regulation IATA is identified from letter F.

Step 2

Identification of max quantities

Not all kind of goods can be shipped in Excepted Quantities, in accordance with the dispositions of chapter 3.5 for the regulations ADR, RID and IMDG and in chapter 2.6 of IATA regulations. To know if it is possible to ship and in which quantities, it is necessary to verify the following table starting from the alphanumeric code already found out.

Code	Max net quantity for each inner packaging (in grams for solids and ml for liquids and gas)	Max quantity for each outer packaging (expressed in grams for solids and ml for liquids and gas, or the sum of grams and of ml in case of one single packaging)
E0	Forbidden
E1	30	1000
E2	30	500
E3	30	300
E4	1	500
E5	1	300

Step 3

Definition of compliant packaging

To be compliant to the regulations for shipping in Excepted Quantities, the packaging must:

Contain one or more inner packagings;
Each inner packaging must be solidly packed in another intermediate packaging filled in a way to avoid possible leak of content.

For liquid dangerous goods, the intermediate or outer packaging shall contain sufficient absorbent material to absorb the entire contents of the inner packagings. When placed in the intermediate packaging, the absorbent material may be the cushioning material.

Step 4

Test and appropriateness

The packaging (that is the packaging ready to be shipped), must have successfully passed some tests before being considered suitable for the shipping in excepted quantity. More precisely the packaging must result positive to the following test:

Drop test	Stacking test
The sample must be submitted to 5 falls from 1,8 meters: 1) on the bottom; 2) on the top; 3) on the longest side; 4) on the shortest side; 5) on the corner.	The sample must be submitted to the stacking test with a duration of 24 hours. More precisely, the packaging must support a weight equal to the total weight of same packages stacked till the height of 3 meters.

Step 5

UN marking and labelling of the package

The package containing dangerous goods in Excepted Quantities prepared according to the guidelines preset from the regulations, must carry, in a way durable and readable, the mark of Excepted Quantities.Once bought this mark, before being used, it must be completed in this way:

1) It must be added the first or the only number of the label indicated in the Table A, part 3, chapter 5 (3.5);
2) It must be indicated the name of the sender or the addressee, when not shown elsewhere.