Lee Nelson, Operations Manager at Emergency Response Assistance Canada (ERAC) is guest speaker in international webinar on Global Compliance Gaps in Dangerous Goods Logistics.

1. ciltinternational.org1 Dangerous Goods Shipping by Rail in Canada
Dangerous Goods Shipping by Rail in Canada
Lee Nelson
Operations Manager, ERAC

2. ciltinternational.org2 Dangerous Goods Shipping by Rail in Canada
• Transport Canada sets the requirements for consignors, carriers and consignees
• Railways are under a common carrier agreement to transport materials
o Intermodal is an exception
Regulatory Framework

3. ciltinternational.org3 Dangerous Goods Shipping by Rail in Canada
• Tank car selection is established by TP14877
• Intermodal tanks are authorized by their UN Spec
Bulk Means of Containment Selection

4. ciltinternational.org4 Dangerous Goods Shipping by Rail in Canada
• Shippers / Consignors are required to select the authorized package for their commodities
• The container must be secured for transport
o All valves closed and secured with a secondary closure (e.g., cap, plug, etc.)
o No dangerous goods may leak from the container (vapour or liquid)
o The container may not have any dangerous goods adhering to the exterior
• Safety marks are provided by the consignor (5’ in 5’ rule for Intermodal)
• Shipping documents are provided by the consignor to the railway
Loading Requirements

5. ciltinternational.org5 Dangerous Goods Shipping by Rail in Canada
• The railway conductor will inspect the shipment prior to placing it in the train
o Ground-level inspection looking to verify the following
• Safety marks match shipping papers
• The container is not leaking
• All closures appear secure
• The container appears mechanically sound
• Switching regulations
• Marshalling regulations
• Speed restrictions
Railway Requirements

6. ciltinternational.org6 Dangerous Goods Shipping by Rail in Canada
• Transport Canada requires consignors / importers to have a pre-planned, audited and
practiced emergency response in place for higher-hazard dangerous goods
• The requirement for an Emergency Response Assistance Plan (ERAP) is found in Column 7
of Schedule 1 in the TDG regulations
• The ERAP requirement assures an effective emergency response is in place prior to an
incident. A consignor may not ship without an approved ERAP
• ERAP will provide
o Trained personnel
o Specialty equipment
o Technical advisors for containers and products
ERAP Requirements

7. ciltinternational.org7 Dangerous Goods Shipping by Rail in Canada
ERAPs in Action

8. ciltinternational.org8 Dangerous Goods Shipping by Rail in Canada
Thank You
Lee Nelson
Operations Manager, ERAC
Lee.Nelson@erac.org
250-318-5708
ERAC Twitter / LinkedIn