OTTAWA — Transport Minister Lisa Raitt says Canada will bring in new regulations next month dealing with identifying dangerous goods transported by road or rail.
She says the new rules will harmonize Canadian and American rules to provide cross-border consistency.
They will give emergency teams a clear understanding of the risks posed by dangerous goods in the event of an accident.
The changes clarify how danger signs are used to identify shipments of certain classes of dangerous goods, such as pool chemicals, propane and acetone, contained in small packages.
They also introduce new safety marks to identify organic peroxides, marine pollutants and other dangerous goods transported in limited quantities.
The rules will go into effect July 14.
“The changes I’m announcing today will create a safer environment for the movement of goods that are necessary in a strong, developed economy,” Raitt said.
Transport regulations require safety marks to be displayed on trucks, rail cars and bulk containers used to transport dangerous goods. The safety marks identify the presence of the dangerous goods and the nature of the risk they pose.
The changes will clarify the criteria under which safety mark must be displayed, the department said.