Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act

Regulations under the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act clarify what is classified as a ‘dangerous good’ and specify special transportation considerations (Transport Canada 2008).

The first Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act, of 1980, was prompted by a 1979 freight train derailment that released dozens of different dangerous goods into a densely populated area of Mississauga, Ontario (Transport Canada 2008). The Act was followed by a 722-page set of regulations covering all scenarios for all dangerous goods. As the types of dangerous goods and their means of transportation continually change, the Act and regulations have been continually upgraded.

The most recent version of the Act is from 1992. The most recent version of the Regulations was published on August 15, 2001; a series of amendments has followed.