Transportation of Dangerous Goods: Regulations for Biological Specimens

When these goods are moved via large vehicles, such as tankers, they are marked with placards. These are numbered signs that provide immediate visual information to anyone on the scene. For example, a vehicle displaying the 1203 placard indicates the presence of gasoline.

Class 6.2: Infectious Substances

In a clinical laboratory, most hazardous materials fall under Class 6.2, which refers to infectious substances. This class is subdivided into two distinct categories based on the level of risk they pose:

Category A (UN2814)

Category A is reserved for highly dangerous materials that pose a significant risk to human health if released during transport. This includes specific high-risk pathogens such as:

• Viruses: Ebola, Marburg, and Lassavirus.
• Bacteria/Fungi: Concentrated cultures of Bacillus anthracis, Coccidioides immitis, or Shigella dysenteriae.

Crucial Distinction: A diagnostic specimen (e.g., a stool sample) collected to test for a pathogen might not be Category A. However, if the laboratory isolates that pathogen and grows it into a concentrated culture (such as an agar plate containing billions of bacteria), that culture must be shipped as Category A because the risk level has increased significantly.

Requirements for Category A:

1. Bill of Lading: A detailed document prepared by a certified person stating the contents, quantity, and weight.
2. Emergency Response Action Plan (ERAP): For shipments exceeding 50mL, the lab must contact the National Microbiology Laboratory (NML) in Winnipeg to obtain an ERAP number.
3. CANUTEC: A 24-hour emergency contact number for the Canadian Transport Emergency Centre must be listed on the documentation.
4. Specialized Packaging: These materials require robust containment, such as a 1A container (a specific type of heavy-duty, air/water-tight container).

Category B (UN3373)

Category B is used for the majority of biological diagnostic specimens and cultures that do not meet the high-risk criteria of Category A. These must be packed so that, under normal transport conditions, there is no release of the material.

Safety Through Redundancy: Triple Packaging

To minimize the risk of environmental contamination, biological materials are typically shipped using a triple packaging system. This creates layers of redundancy: if one layer fails, the others remain to contain the hazard.

The three layers consist of:

1. Primary Container: The initial vessel holding the specimen (e.g., a test tube or sputum jar).
2. Secondary Container: A sealed, leak-proof container (such as a plastic specimen bag).
3. Outer Packaging: A robust, rigid container (such as a 1A container for Category A shipments).

Note: A 1A container is specifically designed for Category A (UN2814) materials and should never be used for Category B (UN3373) materials.

Summary Table of Biological Shipments