Dangerous goods

Shipping dangerous goods (DG) is unforgiving. Get the classification or the paperwork wrong and the shipment is refused or fined; in the worst case it's unsafe. The rules differ per transport mode, and the shipper is legally responsible for correct classification and the transport document. This guide covers the essentials. Nexport Logistics handles dangerous goods for you, from classification to compliant transport by road, sea and air, coordinated in the Nexportal platform with the right specialist partners.

The 9 UN hazard classes

Dangerous goods are classified into nine UN classes that apply across every transport mode:

1. Explosives
2. Gases (2.1 flammable · 2.2 non-flammable · 2.3 toxic)
3. Flammable liquids
4. Flammable solids (4.1) · spontaneously combustible (4.2) · emit flammable gas with water (4.3)
5. Oxidisers (5.1) · organic peroxides (5.2)
6. Toxic (6.1) · infectious substances (6.2)
7. Radioactive material
8. Corrosives
9. Miscellaneous, incl. environmentally hazardous / marine pollutant and lithium batteries

A substance can carry a subsidiary risk (e.g. UN2924 = Class 3 (8): flammable and corrosive). The packing group (PG I/II/III) expresses the degree of danger (I = high). Every DG ships under a UN number + proper shipping name + class + packing group.

A different rulebook per transport mode

The same UN classification, but a different international framework per mode (with its own Dutch implementation, supervised by ILT):

Memory hook: ADR = road, RID = rail, ADN = inland water, IMDG = sea, IATA = air. Overarching Dutch law: the WVGS (land + water); air runs under the Wet luchtvaart.

What actually differs per mode

Same UN classification everywhere, but the documents, limits and operational rules are not:

• Sea (IMDG): segregation tables (which goods may not be stowed near each other), stowage categories, an EmS emergency code, marine-pollutant marking, and the IMO Dangerous Goods Declaration plus container packing certificate.
• Air (IATA-DGR): the strictest of all. Tight per-package quantity limits, a mandatory Shipper's Declaration, the passenger (PAX) vs cargo-only (CAO) split, and strict lithium-battery rules. Some goods that are fine by sea or road are simply forbidden by air.
• Road (ADR): the 1000-point rule (a partial exemption, road only), orange plates, the ADR driver certificate, tunnel-category restrictions and transport categories.
• Rail (RID): closely harmonised with ADR (both land-based), but with wagon-specific rules; the road-only 1000-point exemption does not apply.

The catch is that the rules don't carry over when the mode changes. A box that travelled compliantly by sea (IMDG) still has to meet ADR on the road leg to the consignee, and the road-only points exemption or LQ markings must be re-checked for that leg. Getting the mode and any LQ/EQ right first usually decides the rest.

Who is responsible

• Shipper: always responsible for correct classification, the transport document, and proper packaging/labelling/marking.
• Carrier: ensures the crew is trained and loads/unloads safely.
• Dangerous Goods Safety Adviser (DGSA): mandatory for companies that consign, pack, transport, load or unload DG (ADR/RID/ADN 1.8.3), with limited exemptions (e.g. staying below the 1000-points threshold). In the Netherlands the exam runs via CBR/CCV.
• Training: everyone involved needs at least awareness/function-specific training (1.3).

Exemptions worth knowing

• Limited Quantities (LQ): small inner packagings, largely exempt with their own LQ marking. Exists in ADR, IMDG and IATA.
• Excepted Quantities (EQ): even smaller amounts, with further relief.
• ADR 1.1.3.6, the "1000-point rule": road only; a partial exemption based on quantity × transport category. Sea and air have no points system. A common mistake is applying road points to a sea (IMDG) shipment; they don't exist there.

Special attention: lithium batteries

Lithium batteries (Class 9) are one of the most-checked items, especially by air. They have their own UN numbers, state-of-charge limits and packaging/marking rules, and the passenger-aircraft (PAX) vs cargo-only (CAO) distinction matters. Many shipments are stopped here simply because the rules weren't followed.

Storage of dangerous goods

DG storage is regulated too: separate zones, class-based limits per location, and the right permit for the substance. We have our own warehouse for non-hazardous goods and several trusted partners for hazardous materials, each holding the right permit for the substance you need to store. See Customs and Sea Freight for how this connects to clearance and shipping.

Transport classification is not REACH

A chemical can carry two separate obligations that people mix up. Dangerous-goods classification (UN class, ADR/IMDG/IATA) governs how it is transported safely. REACH governs whether the substance may be placed on the EU market at all: registration, the safety data sheet, restrictions. A substance can be fully DG-compliant for transport and still need REACH registration to be sold, and the other way around. Check both, not one. The transport side is this page; the market-access side is on Reach.

Why ship dangerous goods with Nexport Logistics

DG is where going it alone gets risky and expensive. Nexport Logistics is a forwarder under the FENEX conditions with the expertise to classify your goods correctly, draw up the transport document and DG declaration, arrange UN-approved packaging and labelling, apply the right exemptions (LQ/EQ/1000-point) and move the cargo compliantly by air, sea or road, using a specialist partner with the correct permit where needed. The Customs side is handled in the same house, so the declaration and DG paperwork line up.

You track it all in the Nexportal portal. Shipping something hazardous? Email info@nexportlogistics.nl and we'll make sure it moves safely and legally.

Official source: ILT — Gevaarlijke stoffen (ilent.nl). Related: Air Freight · Sea Freight · Customs