Department of Microbiology Quality Manual / Policy QPCMI06001.09 / Page 1of 7
Section: Process Control / Subject Title: Transportation of Dangerous Goods Procedure

Purpose:

The transport of dangerous goods is regulated in Canada by the Transport of Dangerous Goods Act and its Regulations (TDGR). The TDGR are designed to protect and promote public safety in the transportation of dangerous goods. For air transport, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) technical instructions must be followed, which can be found in the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Dangerous Goods Regulations.

Procedure:

In order to ship dangerous goods, a Microbiology employee must have current TDG training, or is directly supervised by another employee who has current TDG training.

The TDGR divides dangerous goods into 9 classes as follows:

Class / Type of Dangerous Goods / Specific Type Handled / United Nations (UN) Number
1 / Explosives
2 / Gases
3 / Flammable liquids
4 / Flammable solids
5 / Oxidizing substances
6 / Toxic and infectious substances / 6.2 Infectious substances, affecting humans / UN2814
7 / Radioactive materials
8 / Corrosive substances
9 / Miscellaneous dangerous goods / 9 Dry ice / UN1845

Shipping dangerous goods by regular mail is not legal in Canada.

The Components of the TDG program

  1. Identification of specimens
  2. Packaging and Labeling for transport
  3. Documentation for transport
  4. Emergency response for incidents

1. Identification of Specimens

Your responsibility is to determine if the specimen is either a diagnostic specimen or an infectious substance.

Diagnostic Specimen

A diagnostic specimen is a human or animal material including excreta, secreta, blood and its components, tissue and tissue fluids, that is offered for transport for the purpose of diagnosis, analysis or testing. In the absence of evidence to establish that the specimen contains regulated infectious substances, specimens transported from health care facilities can be reasonably be believed not to contain infectious substances.

Infectious Substance

An infectious substance is substance known or reasonably expected to contain viable micro organisms that are known or reasonably expected to cause disease in humans or animals, and is included in Risk Group 2,3 or 4.

It is important to note that not every micro organism in Risk Groups 2 and 3 are considered “infectious” when transporting. Only 7 micro organisms in Risk Group 2 are considered infectious when transporting. These include:

1.Cornynebacterium diphtheriae

2.Echinococcus (gravid segments)

3.Genus Vesiculovirus: VSV Indiana lab strain or other proven lab-adapted strain

4.Hepatitis B virus

5.Cowdria ruminatum that affects only animals: R. bovis and R. ovina

6.Salmonella typhi

7.Vibrio cholerae (including El Tor)

8.Any organism that exhibits similar characteristics to those on this list

All other Risk Group 2 micro organisms are considered diagnostic when transporting. As well, there are 6 micro organisms from Risk Group 3 that are considered diagnostic when transporting. They include:

1.Chlamydia psittaci

2.Ehrlichia canis

3.Eperythrozoon species

4.Heaemobartonella species

5.Mycobacterium avium

6.Neorickettsia helminthaeca

All other Risk Group 3 specimens are considered infectious when transporting. If you come across a Risk Group 4 specimen for transport, contact the Microbiologist on-call for advice (these specimens require approval from the Ministry of Transport).

Before transporting, you need to identify, as best you can, which microorganism is present. For example, if a specimen is being transported to test for a microorganism (this does not include blood transfusion product screening), assume that the microorganism is present. Then use the information above to determine if it is an infectious substance. If a specimen is being referred out for a non-microbiology test, and you have no other information, identify it as a diagnostic specimen. Common infectious substances are HIV and Hepatitis B virus.

The following flowchart may be used to identify specimens:

Is the substance known to or reasonably expected to contain pathogens in Risk Group 2, 3 or 4? / Yes / These substances are Regulated Class 6.2 Dangerous Goods
Require a Shipper’s Declaration
All Dangerous Goods Regulations apply.
Use Packing Instruction 602
No
Is the material being shipped to be tested for pathogens? / Yes
No
Is the sample being shipped for any other reason? / Yes / These samples are not Dangerous Goods
Shipper’s Declaration is NOT required
Use Packing Instruction 605
No
Is the sample known not to contain pathogens? (There must be no reason to suspect) / Yes

2. Packaging and Labeling

Diagnostic Specimens

The packaging of diagnostic specimens is described in IATA packing instruction 605. Package type 1B (TC-125-1B) is used and consists of the following:

  1. Primary container – this is the blood tube, urine or specimen container. Wrap with bubble wrap.
  2. Secondary container – use a leak-proof zip-lock bag.
  3. Absorbent material – include an absorbent material such as paper towel or commercial absorbent material, between the primary and secondary containers. Include enough absorbent to absorb the specimen completely should the primary container leak.
  4. Place the secondary container into a cardboard box of adequate strength, if shipping at room temperature. If shipping with a freeze pack or dry ice, use a Styrofoam box inside a cardboard box.

Because diagnostic specimens are not dangerous goods, you do not need to affix a TDG label to the package. You do need to include the following labels:

  1. A label indicating “Diagnostic Specimen, UN3373”
  2. If you included dry ice in the package, a label indicating “ DRY ICE, UN1845, __ kg net weight”.
  3. Shipper’s name, address and telephone number.
  4. Consignee’s (who the specimen is being sent to) name, address and telephone number.
  5. Ensure that irrelevant marks are removed.

Infectious Substance

The packaging of infectious substances is described in IATA packing instruction 602. Package type 1A (TC-125-1A) is used and consists of the following:

  1. Primary container – this is the blood tube, urine or specimen container. Wrap with bubble wrap.
  2. Secondary container – use a leak-proof zip-lock bag.
  3. Absorbent material – include an absorbent material such as paper towel or commercial absorbent material, between the primary and secondary containers. Include enough absorbent to absorb the specimen completely should the primary container leak.
  4. Place the secondary container into a Saf-T-Pak STP-100 shipper or other commercial shipper - made up of a Styrofoam box contained with a cardboard box.

Label the package as follows:

  1. Affix a TDG 4x4 inch “Infectious Substance – Class “6” label
  2. Shipper’s name and address.
  3. Name and telephone number of the person responsible for the shipment.
  4. Consignee’s name, address and telephone number.
  5. If you included dry ice in the package, affix a TDG 4x4 inch “Dry Ice – Class 9” label. As well, label indicating “ DRY ICE, UN1845, __ kg net weight”.
  6. Ensure that irrelevant marks are removed.

Shipping with Dry Ice

Include with the secondary container, an adequate amount of dry ice to keep a diagnostic specimen or infectious substance container frozen. Because dry ice continuously evaporates into CO2 gas, you must include an opening, such as a seam without packing tape, in the package for the CO2 gas to escape. If you do not include an opening, the package may explode.

Quantity Limits When Shipping by Air Transport:

Maximum Quantity per Package
Shipment Type / Transport by Passenger or Cargo Aircraft / Transport by Cargo Aircraft
Infectious substance, liquid / 50mL / 4L
Infectious substance, solid / 50g / 4kg
Diagnostic specimen / 500 mL / 500 mL

3. Documentation for Transport

Unless you have made arrangements with consignee, do not ship a refrigerated or frozen specimen on a Friday, to avoid the package sitting at the destination without refrigeration through a weekend.

A shipper’s declaration form is not required for a diagnostic specimen, even when the package contains dry ice.

When shipping an infectious substance, obtain access to your lab’s electronic version of the Saf-T-Pak Shipper’s Declaration form (contact the departmental Safety Officer if you cannot locate this). Use the procedure below to copy over the existing information on the Saf-T-Pak form. When you have finished, print the form using a color printer so that the hashed border is a red color. Complete the following information on the shipper’s declaration form:

  1. Shipper’s name, address and telephone number.
  2. Consignee’s name, address and telephone number.
  3. The shipper’s reference number (i.e. Fedex number) in the top right corner of the form.
  4. Name and phone number of the person responsible for the shipment.
  5. If shipping by air, identify the type of aircraft to be used, and the airports of departure and destination.
  6. Indicate that the shipment is not radioactive, by crossing out that box.
  7. Under the “Nature and Quantity of Dangerous Goods” complete the following:

a)under Shipping name: enter “Infectious substance, affecting humans”, then the technical name of the substance in brackets. For example (Hepatitis B virus). As well, if shipping with dry ice, enter “Dry ice” on the next line.

b)under Class: enter “6.2” for infectious substance, and “9” for driy ice.

c)under UN number enter “UN2814” for infectious substance, and “UN1845” for dry ice. The UN number refers to a number assigned by a United Nations Committee of Experts on Transport of Dangerous Goods.

d)under Packing Group – this does not apply to infectious substances. If using dry ice, enter III.under Quantity and Type of Packaging – enter number grams or mLs of infectious

e)substance. Enter number of kg of dry ice. Then describe how it is packed, i.e. “All packed in one cardboard box”.

f)Under Packing Instruction – enter 602 for infectious substance. Enter 904 for dry ice.

  1. In the bottom right corner: enter your name and title, place and date.
  2. Print out 4 copies of the form (one copy for the lab’s records), and sign the bottom right hand corner.
  3. Finally, complete the courier’s waybill, and arrange for the courier pickup.

“Nature and Quantity of Dangerous Goods” Documentation Summary

Item Being Shipped / Class of Dangerous Goods / UN Number / Packing Group / Sub-sidiary Risk / Quantity and Type of Packing / Packing Instruction / Authorization
Diagnostic Specimen / NA / UN3373 / NA / NA / NA / 650 / NA
Infectious Substance / 6.2 / UN2814 / NA / NA / Weight in grams or volume in mLs / 602 / NA
Dry Ice / 9 / UN1845 / III / NA / Weight in kg / 904 / NA

4. Emergency Response

“CANUTEC (613) 996-6666” is noted on our shipper’s declaration form as an emergency response contact. This is a service provided by Transport Canada to assist emergency personnel in handling dangerous goods emergencies. CANUTEC offers 24 hour telephone advice. If our shipment’s courier were involved in an accident and the shipment leaked outside the package, police could call CANUTEC for advice on how to handle the spill.

In Case of a Spill or Leak

If a spill or leak occurs will you are handling or delivering the specimen, refer to our Biological Spill Control procedure QFS01704.01 in the Lab Safety Manual.

Related Documents

Document Title / Document Number
Transport of Dangerous Goods Regulations
/
International Air Transport Association
/
Saf-T-Pak Shipper’s Declaration form (electronic) / Transportation form

UNIVERSITY HEALTH NETWORK/MOUNT SINAI HOSPITAL, DEPARTMENT OF MICROBIOLOGY

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