Transporting dangerous goods in NSW
What are dangerous goods?
Dangerous goods are substances and articles that pose a risk to people, property and the environment due to their chemical or physical properties. Dangerous goods are classified under the Australian Dangerous Goods Code (ADG Code) and the United Nations Manual of Tests and Criteria.
How do I know if my goods are dangerous goods?
Goods are to be treated as dangerous goods if they are labelled as such. To determine if a product is a dangerous good, you can:
check the label
- check the shipping or transport documents
- check the safety data sheet for the product (previously called the materials safety data sheet)
- check with the manufacturer or supplier of the product
- check if the product is listed in the dangerous goods list of the ADG Code (and is not excluded by a special provision detailed in column 7 of that list), or
- have the product tested to the classification criteria of the ADG Code or the United Nations Manual of Tests and Criteria.
NSW dangerous goods transport legislation
In NSW the relevant legislation for dangerous goods transport is:
The Act appoints the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) and WorkCover as competent authorities to administer the legislation. The Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) undertakes this role on behalf of the EPA.
OEH regulates the on-road transport of dangerous goods while WorkCover regulates activities prior to transport, including correct classification, packaging and labelling. The transport of dangerous goods by rail is regulated by the Independent Transport Safety Regulator. These three agencies carry out their regulatory responsibilities under a memorandum of understanding. Both the Act and Regulation are based on national model legislation and refer to the seventh edition of the ADG Code.
The above legislation controls the transport of all dangerous goods except:
Dangerous goods authorities
Otherjurisdictions and agencies administering legislation for transporting dangerous goods:
Further information
For information on some of the most commonly asked questions regarding dangerous goods transport:
For further information on transporting dangerous goods by road and rail in NSW contact OEH
by email at d.goods@environment.nsw.gov.au or write to:
OEH Chemicals Regulation Unit
PO Box A290
Sydney South NSW 1232.
Page last updated: 18 October 2011
