When someone says UN number, what are they referring to?
The United Nations Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods creates UN IDs.
In a global society, the uniformity of these markings enables a clear and concise way to understand the risks associated with the materials enclosed and transported. One standard applies to all, whether down the street or around the globe.
UN numbers help identify cargo as hazardous materials, dangerous/toxic goods, explosives, or flammable liquids.
Viewers learn more as a Greif expert breaks down the different components of UN Markings. These UN markings are applicable throughout the industrial packaging industry for the transport of dangerous goods, so they serve as an important focal point in the development of products for transportation.
More about UN numbers and markings
A UN marking is linked to the Transport of Dangerous Goods described in the Orange Book. The orange book is the UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods. It is a document published by the United Nations that lists international standards for the safe transport of dangerous materials. It includes guidelines for classifying, labeling, packaging, and transporting dangerous goods, as well as emergency response procedures.
The UN marking, also known as the UN number, is a four-digit code assigned to each hazardous material listed in the Orange Book. This number helps emergency responders quickly find and handle any possible dangers. It is used to identify the type of dangerous goods being moved. The UN marking is required on all packages and containers containing dangerous goods being transported by road, rail, sea, or air.
Most of the information is the same for all Greif products. As we will see in the video, all new steel drums that will carry dangerous goods and have a capacity of over 100 liters must have the marking.
Decoding Steel Barrel UN Marks
Every marking starts with three alphanumeric characters for the packaging type. On steel drums, the UN marking starts as follows:
- 1 for drum
- A for steel
- 1 for tight head or 2 for open head
Next, we find a letter X, Y, or Z that’s linked to the packaging group.
- X for High danger
- Y for Medium danger
- Z for low-danger
This number is directly linked to the product that you will put in the drum.
Container Type:
1 – Drums/Pails
2 – Barrels
3 – Jerricans
4 – Boxes
5 – Bags
6 – Composite Packaging
7 – Pressure Receptacle
Container Material:
A – Steel
B – Aluminum
C – Natural Wood
D – Plywood
F – Reconstituted Wood
G – Fiberboard
H – Plastic
L – Textile
M – Paper
N – Metal other than Steel or Aluminum
P – Glass, Porcelain, or Stoneware
Container Packaging Head Type:
For Drums:
1 – Closed Head (Non-Removable lid)
2 – Open Head (Removable lid)
The UN markings on packaging are crucial for identifying and safely handling hazardous materials. They give important information about the contents, including the type of danger, the packaging details, how it was made, and safety rules.
There’s always more to learn…
Check out a webinar on UN Markings by the quality team at Greif.
The lesson was a general awareness and security training for HazMat employees in packaging. The speaker discussed the Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations, the classification of hazardous materials, different types of packaging used for various hazardous materials, and the importance of understanding UN marks on packaging for transporting dangerous goods.
Watch the Explaining UN DOT Markings video on this page, or read the recap here.
