The Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations in Canada have been amended to reflect the reclassification of anhydrous ammonia from non-flammable, non-toxic gas, to toxic gas, according to Transport Canada information.
In the United States, anhydrous ammonia is classified as a 2.2 non-flammable gas. The tank must be marked inhalation hazard, notes John Conley, president of National Tank Truck Carriers.
The Canadian change in classification is partly in response to the Transportation Safety Board's recommendation that Transport Canada review the primary class and safety marks for anhydrous ammonia.
Additional regulatory amendments in Canada include changes regarding the transportation of infectious substances, as well as changes to the requirements for transporting explosives. The amendments are technical in nature and are designed to make the regulations consistent with a number of new international and Canadian standards, modal requirements, and technical developments for the transportation of dangerous goods, according to the Transport Canada information.
These changes of the regulations in Canada also harmonize the regulations with recent changes to the United Nations Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods Model Regulations, Transport Canada said.