Glossary of Terms (Appendix A)
IATA DGR 67th Ed. Appendix A — Glossary of terms used in the transport of dangerous goods by air. 74 terms.
A
- A₁ / A₂[10.3.A]
- Activity values for radioactive material. A₁ applies to special form radioactive material; A₂ applies to all other forms. Listed in Tables 10.3.A and 10.3.2.
- Acidic
- A hydrogen-containing substance that produces hydrogen ions when dissolved in water. Turns litmus paper red. Produces a solution with a pH below 7.
- Activity[10.3]
- The number of spontaneous nuclear transformations occurring in a radionuclide per unit of time. The unit is the Becquerel (Bq). 1 Bq = 1 disintegration per second.
- Aero-Engines / Aircraft Engines
- A general term for engines that propel aircraft (aeroplanes, helicopters). Includes piston and turbine engines running on flammable liquid (jet fuel, petrol).
- Aerosol / Aerosol Dispenser[6.4.4]
- A non-refillable receptacle containing a gas under pressure, meeting the requirements of 6.4.4. Designed to expel contents as a spray (liquid, paste or powder). Capacity limits defined for UN 1950.
- Aggregate Lithium Content[PI 968]
- The total lithium content in grams of all cells within a battery. Used as a classification criterion for lithium metal batteries (PI 968-970).
- Air Waybill (AWB)[8.2]
- A transport document containing shipment information and the dangerous goods declaration for air cargo. Detailed in Section 8.2.
- Approval
- A formal authorization issued by the competent authority. Required for Type A/B packages, special form radioactive material, and certain shipments.
B
- Basic (Alkaline)
- A substance that produces hydroxide ions (OH⁻) when dissolved in water. Turns litmus paper blue. Produces a solution with a pH above 7.
- Battery[3.9.2.6]
- A unit consisting of one or more electrochemically connected cells. Lithium metal and lithium ion batteries are classified under UN 3090/3091/3480/3481.
C
- CAO (Cargo Aircraft Only)[7.2.6]
- Dangerous goods permitted for transport only on cargo aircraft. Substances forbidden on PAX (passenger) aircraft are marked with the CAO label.
- Cell[3.9.2.6]
- A single electrochemical unit (one positive and one negative electrode). Lithium ion cells are measured in Wh (energy); lithium metal cells are measured by lithium content in grams.
- Combination Packaging
- A packaging system consisting of one or more inner packagings placed inside an outer packaging. The inner and outer packagings are tested together as a unit.
- Competent Authority
- A government body responsible for implementing dangerous goods regulations. Varies by country (e.g. FAA in the USA, CAA in the UK, SHGM in Turkey).
- Confinement System
- The assembly of components of a packaging intended to retain the radioactive material and prevent its dispersal during transport.
- Consignee
- The person or organization to whom a consignment is delivered. The consignee address on the AWB may differ from the Shipper's Declaration.
- Consignment
- A shipment of one or more packages of dangerous goods from one consignor to one consignee.
- Consumer Commodity[SP A197]
- A substance or article intended for personal or household use and available for retail sale. Certain Class/Division exemptions apply under Special Provision A197.
- Control Temperature[3.5.2]
- The maximum temperature at which self-reactive substances and organic peroxides may be safely transported. Derived from the SADT.
- Criticality Safety Index (CSI)[10.6]
- A numerical value assigned to packages containing fissile material, used to determine stacking and transport restrictions. The sum of all CSI values is limited.
- Cryogenic Liquids[2.3]
- Gases liquefied at very low temperatures (below -90°C). Includes argon, nitrogen, helium, oxygen, and neon. Risk of rapid vaporization and asphyxiation in case of leakage.
D
- Dangerous Goods[1.0]
- Articles or substances capable of posing a risk to health, safety, property, or the environment that are listed in the DGR Dangerous Goods List or classified according to these Regulations.
- Dangerous Goods Accident[1.8]
- An occurrence associated with the transport of dangerous goods that results in death, serious injury, or significant property damage.
- Dangerous Goods Incident[1.8]
- An occurrence, other than an accident, associated with the transport of dangerous goods that affects or may affect safety. Includes leakage, spillage, and packaging deterioration.
- Detonator
- A device containing a small explosive charge in a metal or plastic housing, used to initiate an explosive train. Available in electric, electronic, and non-electric types.
- Dry Ice[PI 954]
- Solid carbon dioxide (CO₂). UN 1845, Class 9. Sublimes at -78.5°C with approximately 750× volume expansion. Transported under PI 954.
- Dry Shipper
- A container with porous material saturated with refrigerated liquid nitrogen. Does not spill liquid when tipped over, hence a DGR exemption may apply.
E
- Elevated Temperature Substance[3.9.2.3]
- A substance offered for transport as a liquid at or above 100°C, or as a solid at or above 240°C. UN 3257 (liquid) and UN 3258 (solid).
- Emergency Temperature[3.5.2]
- The temperature at which emergency procedures must be implemented for self-reactive substances and organic peroxides. Higher than the control temperature.
- Environmentally Hazardous Substance[3.9.2.4]
- A substance hazardous to the environment. UN 3077 (solid) and UN 3082 (liquid). Class 9; GHS aquatic toxicity thresholds apply per IATA DGR criteria.
- ERG (Emergency Response Guide)[7.3]
- The IATA DGR Emergency Response Guide. 17 ERG codes (10L, 3L, 9FZ, etc.) define the emergency actions for each UN number.
- Excepted Quantity (EQ)[2.6]
- A very small quantity of dangerous goods exempt from many DGR provisions. Determined by EQ codes E0 through E5.
F
- Fissile Material[10.0]
- Material capable of undergoing nuclear fission with slow neutrons: U-233, U-235, Pu-239, Pu-241, or combinations thereof.
- Flash Point[3.3]
- The lowest temperature at which a liquid produces sufficient vapour to form a flammable mixture with air near its surface when exposed to an external ignition source. Determined by closed cup test.
- Forbidden[2.1]
- An article or substance absolutely prohibited from transport by air. Cannot be carried on PAX and/or CAO aircraft.
- Fumigation[9.3]
- The treatment of a cargo transport unit with a gas to eliminate pests. UN 3359 Fumigated Cargo Transport Unit.
G
- GHS (Globally Harmonized System)[App H]
- The Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals. DGR transport classification does not fully overlap with GHS.
H
- Handling Label[7.4]
- A label applied to a package in addition to hazard labels, providing special handling instructions. Includes CAO, orientation arrows, lithium battery mark, etc.
- Hidden Dangerous Goods[2.2]
- Dangerous goods presented as general cargo without proper declaration. A detailed example list is provided in Section 2.2.
I
- IBC (Intermediate Bulk Container)[6.8]
- A portable packaging with a capacity of up to 3 m³, designed for mechanical handling. Available in rigid, flexible, and composite types.
L
- Limited Quantity (LQ)[2.7]
- Dangerous goods transported within specified inner packaging limits, qualifying for simplified packaging and documentation requirements. Uses Y-prefix Packing Instructions.
- Lithium Battery Mark (9A)[7.1.5.5]
- A marking required for lithium batteries shipped under Section II thresholds. Used in place of the Class 9 hazard label.
- Lithium Content[PI 968]
- The total lithium content in grams of a lithium metal cell or battery. Section II thresholds: cell ≤1 g, battery ≤2 g.
M
- Magnetized Material[3.9.2.2]
- A material that, when packed for air transport, produces a magnetic field strength of ≥0.00525 gauss at 2.1 m or ≥0.00200 gauss at 4.6 m. UN 2807, PI 953.
- Marine Pollutant[IMDG]
- A substance harmful to the marine environment. Not directly applicable in IATA DGR but relevant for IMDG multimodal transport. Marked with P or PP symbol.
- Mass Explosion
- An explosion that affects virtually the entire load practically instantaneously. Defining criterion for Division 1.1.
- Maximum Net Mass[S6]
- The maximum net mass permitted per package under Section 6. Separate limits apply for inner and outer packagings.
N
- N.O.S. (Not Otherwise Specified)[4.1]
- Generic entries in the Dangerous Goods List used for substances not listed by name. Applied when no specific UN entry exists for a particular substance.
- NOTOC (Notification to Captain)[9.5.1]
- Written notification to the pilot-in-command of dangerous goods aboard the aircraft. NOTOC content requirements are detailed in 9.5.1.3.
O
- Operator[1.4]
- The airline or organization operating the aircraft. Operator responsibilities are defined in Section 1.4 and Section 9 of the DGR.
- Operator Variation[2.8.4]
- Additional restrictions or permissions applied by an airline operator beyond the standard IATA DGR rules. Listed in Subsection 2.8.4.
- Overpack[5.0.1.4]
- An enclosure (e.g. shrink wrap, box) used to consolidate one or more packages into a single handling unit. Each package within an overpack must individually comply with the DGR.
- Oxidizer[3.5]
- A substance that provides oxygen and thereby supports or accelerates the combustion of other materials. Division 5.1.
P
- Packing Group (PG)[2.0.3]
- A grading (I = high, II = medium, III = low danger) indicating the degree of hazard of a substance. Not applicable to Classes 1, 2, 5.2, 6.2, and 7.
- Packing Instruction (PI)[S5]
- An instruction specifying the permitted inner/outer packaging types, quantity limits, and special requirements for each UN number. PI 200 through PI 970.
- Pilot-in-Command[9.5.1]
- The pilot responsible for the control and safety of the aircraft during flight. NOTOC information is presented to this person.
- Proper Shipping Name (PSN)[4.1]
- The official name used on transport documents and packages to identify a dangerous good. Shown in capital letters in Table 4.2.
Q
- Q Value
- A reference quantity value used in limited quantity (LQ) and excepted quantity (EQ) calculations. Given in Table 4.2, Column I.
R
- Radioactive Material[10.0]
- Material with an activity concentration or total activity exceeding specified thresholds. Class 7, detailed in Section 10.
S
- SADT (Self-Accelerating Decomposition Temperature)[3.5.2]
- The lowest temperature at which self-accelerating decomposition may occur in a substance. Control temperature and emergency temperature are derived from the SADT.
- Self-Reactive Substance[3.4.1]
- A thermally unstable substance capable of undergoing strongly exothermic decomposition even without oxygen. Division 4.1, Types A through G.
- Shipper[1.3]
- The person or organization offering dangerous goods for transport. Primary regulatory compliance responsibility rests with the shipper.
- Shipper's Declaration (DGD)[8.1]
- The Dangerous Goods Declaration — a transport document with 16+ mandatory fields, prepared in duplicate, requiring the shipper's signature. Detailed in Section 8.1.
- Special Provision (SP)[4.4]
- Additional rules or exemptions applying to specific substances. A-prefix provisions are IATA-specific; numeric provisions are from the UN Model Regulations.
- State Variation[2.8.2]
- Additional restrictions or permissions applied by a specific country beyond the IATA DGR rules. Listed in Subsection 2.8.2.
- Subsidiary Hazard[3.10]
- A hazard possessed by a substance in addition to its primary hazard. Considered for labelling and segregation purposes. Shown in Table 4.2, Column D.
T
- Technical Name[4.1.1]
- A recognized chemical or biological name that must be added in parentheses for n.o.s. entries and generic entries on transport documents and packages.
- Transport Index (TI)[10.6]
- A numerical value indicating the radiation dose rate at 1 m from the surface of a radioactive material package. Used for stacking and accumulation control.
- Type A Package[10.5]
- A radioactive material package designed to withstand normal transport conditions. May contain activity up to the A₂ value.
- Type B Package[10.5]
- A radioactive material package designed to withstand accident conditions of transport. Requires competent authority approval (B(U) or B(M)).
U
- ULD (Unit Load Device)[9.1.4]
- A container or pallet designed to fit aircraft cargo compartments. DGR segregation rules also apply on a ULD basis.
- UN Number[4.1]
- A four-digit identification number assigned by the United Nations to a substance or article. Used universally across all transport modes worldwide.
- UN Specification Packaging[6.0]
- Packaging manufactured and tested in accordance with UN specifications. Identified by the UN marking (lowercase u or n symbol).
W
- Watt-hour (Wh)[PI 965]
- The unit of energy capacity for lithium ion batteries/cells. Wh = Voltage × Ampere-hours. PI 965 Section II thresholds: cell ≤20 Wh, battery ≤100 Wh.
Source: IATA DGR 67th Ed. Appendix A — Glossary (p.865-886, PNG 0897-0918). The full glossary contains ~300 entries; this page covers the 74 most commonly used terms.