Regulations that a Shipper or a Forwarder Should Comply with When Offering or Handling Dangerous Goods for Air Carriage
Under the Dangerous Goods (Consignment by Air) (Safety) Regulations Chapter 384 Subsidiary Legislation, consignors i.e. shippers and freight forwarders must ensure all dangerous goods are properly classified, packed, marked, labelled and documented before they are offered for air transportation. A person who contravenes these Regulations commits an offence and is liable to a fine of $250,000 and to imprisonment for 2 years. Under Section 5 of Chapter 384, every director and every officer concerned in the management of the company maybe convicted of the like offence. Even if you do not physically handle the dangerous goods for air carriage, you may still be liable for an offence committed by other persons under Dangerous Goods (Consignment by Air) (Safety) Regulations Chapter 384 Subsidiary Legislation. Therefore, you have to adopt measures to ensure the dangerous goods are in proper condition for air carriage and as a Director or a managerial officer, you must supervise your staff to prevent the commission of offence.
If you are uncertain whether the goods you consign is dangerous goods, you can contact your supplier or manufacturer of goods to obtain the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) which shows the physical and chemical properties of goods. Then you can contact your freight forwarder or airline for advice and assistance in any special arrangements required. You must never falsely describe the goods, or offer the goods for air carriage when you have doubts about their properties. False description of dangerous goods and improper packing and handling can result in a maximum fine of $250,000 and to imprisonment for 2 years.