Frequently Asked Questions

Members of the public can distinguish DG through the marking and labelling of the goods.  They can also refer to Section 14 – “Transport Information” of the Safety Data Sheet (“SDS”) of the goods, which lists the classification information of the UN Model Regulations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods, such as “UN number” and “proper shipping name”.  In Hong Kong, the local DG classification shares the same regime as the UN classification system for DG.

Different abbreviations will be used in Section 14 of the SDS depending on the international transportation code applicable to the DG, such as the transportation industry standard of the People’s Republic of China, Regulations Concerning Road Transportation of Dangerous Goods (JT/T 617), International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code (IMDG), Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR) and International Air Transport Association Dangerous Goods Regulations (IATA), etc.

Members of the public can ascertain whether a substance is a DG under the Fire Service Department’s regulation by entering the “UN number” and “proper shipping name” on the search engine of this website.

Class 3A DG (including diesel, fuel oil and furnace oil having flashpoint exceeding 60°C (140°F) in the closed-cup test) is a DG under regulation of the Dangerous Goods Ordinance (“DGO”) in Hong Kong, which is assigned a “Hong Kong number” – H301 in the DGO.  Since the DG is not classified as a DG under the UN classification, there is no “UN number” for the DG.

These DG are mainly used as bleach and bleaching powder in daily life.  After balancing between public safety and facilitation of the trade and public use of the DG, these DG will continue to enjoy a higher exempt quantity (250L/kg) to meet the actual needs of the society.  Please refer to Section 17 of the Dangerous Goods (Application and Exemption) Regulation 2012 (Cap. 295E) for the list of special Classes DG and details of exemption.

Regarding the classification of DG in the DGO, reference has been made to the UN classification system for aligning with international DG classification.  However, not all the chemicals or substances which are classified as DG under UN system are regulated by the Fire Services Department (“FSD”).  Generally, the following listed chemical types or substances are not subject to the regulation of FSD under the DGO:

- Ammunition or bombs

- Batteries or fuel cells

- Elevated temperature substances

- Environmentally / health hazardous substances

- Fire extinguishers

- Gases regulated under Cap. 51 (e.g. town gas, liquefied petroleum gas, natural gas etc.)

- Infectious substances

- Machine, equipment or articles containing DG

- Medicines, plants, animals or food

- Non-pressurized gases

- Pesticides / insecticides

- Radioactive materials

- Substances giving off harmful substance when involved in fire