Shipping dangerous goods
Rules for different types of transport
There are different rules for transporting dangerous goods by air, road or sea.
By air
The internationally agreed rules for transporting dangerous goods by air are covered by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) International Dangerous Goods Regulations.
You can be given an unlimited fine, sentenced to 2 years in prison or both if your cargo fails an inspection or causes a safety incident.
Anyone packing dangerous goods for air transport must be specially trained.
You and your staff must have dangerous goods training if you’re using your own aircraft to transport the goods.
By road
The internationally agreed rules for transporting dangerous goods by road are covered by ‘ADR’.
There’s a range of fixed penalty fines if your cargo fails a spot check.
By sea
You need to complete a dangerous goods notification for any dangerous goods you want to send by sea.
The International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) code and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency provide guidance on transporting dangerous goods by sea.
You can be fined for breaking the regulations on transporting dangerous goods. You can be prosecuted and face a large fine and a prison sentence for serious breaches, for example transporting animal by-products in an unsafe way.