Formatting Changes to TDG Regulations

Summary#

These final amendments (/SOR/2020-23/) change how the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations are formatted. The changes are housekeeping only — they do not change the substance of the rules — and they let the Regulations be published in an official consolidated form on the Justice Laws Website. The amendments came into force on February 19, 2020.

What it does#

• Removes or restyles layout and “clear language” features so the Regulations match standard federal drafting:
  • removes the separate Table of Contents that preceded the Regulations and the Tables of Contents inside Parts 1 to 16.
  • moves each section number to the first line of the section and converts section titles into headings.
  • moves the number of each special provision in Schedule 2 to the first line of that provision.
• Removes most italicized explanatory annotations across the text (for Parts 1 to 16, Schedule 1, Schedule 2, and Schedule 3), with a few specific exceptions:
  • retains UN numbers listed immediately after a special provision in Schedule 2.
  • in the French version, removes some italicized UN number portions for UN0282 and UN2660 in Schedule 1.
• Updates presentation of referenced documents and standards:
  • replaces quotation marks around the titles of Acts, regulations, standards or other documents with italics.
  • replaces the old table of safety standards with a numbered list (see replacement of section 1.3.1).
• Replaces and republishes the definitions sections (notably section 1.3.1 and section 1.4) so defined terms and referenced standards appear in the new format.
• Adds two short annotation notes to Appendix 3 to Part 2 clarifying symbols in the Category A and B tables (one indicates an ERAP is required; one marks animal-only infectious substances).
• Keeps the legal content and provision numbers the same. The amendments change how the law looks and is arranged, not what it requires.

Who's affected#

• Businesses and workers who handle, package, ship or respond to dangerous goods — carriers, shippers, freight companies, and emergency responders.
• Laboratories and medical facilities that deal with infectious substances (because of the small change to Appendix 3 to Part 2 and continued reference to Category A/B rules).
• Legal and compliance users who need an official consolidated copy of the Regulations (lawyers, regulators, inspectors).
• Transport Canada, which will rely on the Department of Justice to host and consolidate the official text on the Justice Laws Website.
• If it is unclear who is affected by a particular formatting change in practice, stakeholders are advised to check the official consolidated text on the Justice Laws Website or guidance on Transport Canada’s website.

Why it matters#

• The changes make the Regulations compatible with the way federal laws are normally published. That allows an official, consolidated version to appear on the Justice Laws Website, making the rules easier to find and cite.
• Having the consolidated version maintained by the Department of Justice reduces the chance of errors that can happen when Transport Canada maintains an unofficial consolidated copy.
• Because most in-text explanatory italics were removed, some readers who relied on that inline guidance will need to use Transport Canada’s separate guidance materials instead. Transport Canada has said it will keep the old “clear language” version on its website for reference (but it will have no legal force).