As a B2B courier service we often find ourselves handling items that could be classed as hazardous in different ways; this includes a wide range of items related to different industries such as engineering, construction and manufacturing. We specialise in delivering items for these sectors and more but we do have to ensure that they are properly packaged and handled correctly, to protect everyone involved in the transit journey, from start to finish!
Flammable liquids
This includes petrol, chlorine and lighter fluid, all of which are highly reactive when in the presence of heat. They must be transported correctly in approved containers and with the right shipping labels and documentation, so all are aware of what is being moved.
Heavy Goods
Heavy goods can be dangerous purely down to how they need to be handled by everyone during the transit process. There are laws and regulations that govern the manual handling of heavy goods (see HSE for more details) and everyone from the initial person packing the order to the end recipient needs to be aware of proper manual handling requirements and work within them!
Examples of heavy goods that fall into this category include panels, car parts, signage and crated goods.
Gases
These are 3 sub-types of dangerous gases that we have to be aware of. These are:
- Toxic gases, such as phosgene, carbon monoxide or hydrogen sulfide
- Non-flammable, non-toxic gases, such as helium, nitrogen or carbon dioxide
- Flammable gases, such as propane, butane or oxygen
There are specific regulations we have to be aware of when handling gases, such as ventilation requirements, classification documentation and appropriate security and safety measures against theft and injury.
Prohibited Goods
There are a range of prohibited goods that we, and many other courier companies, will not ship. These include:
- Livestock
- Ammunition/Firearms
- Furs
- Pornographic material
- Large sums of cash
- Articles of exceptional value (works of arts, antiques, gold, precious stones etc)
Resources
- UK Shipping dangerous goods – https://www.gov.uk/shipping-dangerous-goods/what-are-dangerous-goods
- HSE Manual Handling Regulations – https://www.hse.gov.uk/msd/manual-handling/index.htm
- DSV Gas Shipping: https://www.dsv.com/en-gb/support/faq/transporting-dangerous-goods/9-classes-of-dangerous-goods/class-2-gases
