DG Class 9: Miscellaneous Dangerous Goods – ADG Code, Chapter 2.9

Published: July 26, 2025| Last Updated: July 26, 2025

There are 9 dangerous goods classes in total, as set by the Australian Dangerous Goods Code, which is developed and maintained by the National Transport Commission (NTC)
This article covers the 9th dangerous goods class, referred to as Dangerous Goods (DG) Class 9
The information from this article was obtained from Chapter 2.9 – Miscellaneous Dangerous Substances and Articles on the latest version of the ADG Code
This guide provides up-to-date, helpful information on DG Class 9, but is not a replacement for the official documentation, which can be accessed from the National Transport Commission’s (NTC’s) website at the following address: https://www.ntc.gov.au/codes-and-guidelines/australian-dangerous-goods-code

Dangerous Goods (DG) Class 9 serves as the critical “catch-all” category for items that present a danger during transport but don’t fit elsewhere. Its breadth can be challenging, covering everything from common industrial products to advanced technologies. Here’s what logistics providers, shipping professionals, and SME’s need to know about properly classifying Dangerous Goods (DG) Class 9: Miscellaneous Dangerous Substances and Articles.

Overview of DG Class 9 Materials

At a glance, Class 9 includes a diverse range of materials and articles. Here is a comprehensive summary of what this category covers:

Batteries: Includes various types like lithium-metal, lithium-ion, and sodium-ion batteries, whether shipped alone, packed with, or installed in equipment.
Environmentally Hazardous Substances: These are solids or liquids that, while not necessarily dangerous to humans, are regulated because they are toxic to aquatic life and can cause long-term damage to ecosystems.
Substances with Inhalation or Vapour Hazards: This covers materials that are hazardous if inhaled as a fine dust (like asbestos) or those that can release flammable vapours.
High-Temperature Materials: Substances, such as molten metal or bitumen, that are transported in a liquid or solid state at extremely high temperatures, posing a severe burn risk.
Life-Saving and Safety Equipment: Includes articles that contain hazardous components as part of their function, such as self-inflating life rafts or vehicle airbag modules.
Specialised Industrial Materials: A group of specific chemical compounds, like Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), that are regulated because they can form highly toxic dioxins if involved in a fire.
Capacitors and Electrical Equipment: High-energy storage capacitors that can pose a short-circuit or thermal risk.
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMMOs & GMOs): Regulated to control the transport of organisms that have been modified in a laboratory.
Fertilisers: Specifically, ammonium nitrate-based fertilisers which can become hazardous under certain conditions.
Other Miscellaneous Goods: A broad collection of other regulated items, including vehicles, engines, kits, dry ice, and magnetised materials.

Detailed Breakdown of Class 9 Categories

Here we expand on each of the categories listed above with their specific UN numbers and key compliance details.

Batteries

Batteries are a common and strictly regulated item in Class 9 due to the fire risk from thermal runaway. The ADG Code provides specific UN numbers to differentiate between battery chemistries, such as lithium-metal (non-rechargeable) and lithium-ion (rechargeable). Furthermore, the regulations account for how they are shipped: whether on their own, packed alongside equipment, or already contained within a device.

UN 3090: LITHIUM METAL BATTERIES
UN 3091: LITHIUM METAL BATTERIES CONTAINED IN or PACKED WITH EQUIPMENT
UN 3480: LITHIUM ION BATTERIES
UN 3481: LITHIUM ION BATTERIES CONTAINED IN or PACKED WITH EQUIPMENT
UN 3536: LITHIUM BATTERIES INSTALLED IN CARGO TRANSPORT UNIT
UN 3551: SODIUM ION BATTERIES
UN 3552: SODIUM ION BATTERIES CONTAINED IN or PACKED WITH EQUIPMENT

Key Compliance Requirements: All batteries must be of a type proven to meet stringent criteria. This includes passing the safety tests outlined in the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria (Part III, subsection 38.3), incorporating safety venting and short-circuit prevention, and being produced under a documented Quality Management Programme.

Environmentally Hazardous Substances

These substances are regulated to prevent damage to aquatic ecosystems. They are given generic “Not Otherwise Specified” (N.O.S.) designations because they cover any substance meeting the criteria without having its own specific UN number.

UN 3077: ENVIRONMENTALLY HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCE, SOLID, N.O.S.
UN 3082: ENVIRONMENTALLY HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCE, LIQUID, N.O.S.

Common Examples Include:

For UN 3077 (Solid): Zinc oxide powder (a common white pigment), or certain solid pesticides that are harmful to aquatic life but not classified as a poison.
For UN 3082 (Liquid): Certain solvent-based paints, liquid herbicides, wood preservatives, and some industrial chemical preparations.

Key Classification Criteria: Classification is a technical process based on scientific data. A substance falls into this category based on its properties, which are determined through specific testing. These properties include:

Aquatic Toxicity: This is the substance’s danger to aquatic life. It is measured by its acute toxicity (the concentration lethal to 50% of a test population, known as the LC50 value) and its chronic toxicity (the “No-Observed-Effect Concentration,” or NOEC, over a longer period).
Degradability: This refers to how quickly the substance breaks down in the environment.
Bioaccumulation: This is the substance’s tendency to build up in living organisms over time.

Substances with Inhalation or Vapour Hazards

Substances with inhalation or vapour hazards covers distinct types of risk under a single heading. The first is a health hazard from substances whose fine dust is dangerous upon inhalation, while the second is a physical hazard from materials that can emit flammable vapours, especially when heated. Inhalation Hazards (Fine Dust)

UN 2212: ASBESTOS, AMPHIBOLE
UN 2590: ASBESTOS, CHRYSOTILE

Hazard: Inhalation of fine asbestos dust can cause severe long-term health effects. Flammable Vapour Hazards

UN 2211: POLYMERIC BEADS, EXPANDABLE
UN 3314: PLASTICS MOULDING COMPOUND

Hazard: These materials can release flammable vapours, creating a fire risk in confined spaces.

High-Temperature Materials

This group of substances is regulated not for their inherent chemical properties, but simply because they are transported at extremely high temperatures. The ADG code sets different temperature thresholds for liquids and solids, as the intense heat alone poses a significant risk for severe burns and the ignition of other materials. Common examples include hot liquid asphalt (bitumen) for road paving or molten metals like aluminum.

UN 3257: ELEVATED TEMPERATURE LIQUID, N.O.S. (at or above 100°C)
UN 3258: ELEVATED TEMPERATURE SOLID, N.O.S. (at or above 240°C)

Hazard: The primary risk is severe contact burns and the potential for the substance’s intense heat to ignite combustible materials like wood, paper, or certain chemicals.

Life-Saving and Safety Equipment

This group covers finished articles that are regulated as dangerous goods because their essential components are hazardous. Common examples include inflatable life rafts, which contain compressed gas cylinders, and vehicle airbag modules, which contain small pyrotechnic initiators.

UN 2990: LIFE SAVING APPLIANCES, SELF INFLATING
UN 3072: LIFE SAVING APPLIANCES NOT SELF INFLATING
UN 3268: SAFETY DEVICES, electrically initiated
UN 3559: FIRE SUPPRESSANT DISPERSING DEVICES

Hazard: The risk comes from the contained dangerous goods, such as an accidental activation causing a sudden release of pressure or a small explosion.

Specialised Industrial Materials

These are chemical compounds, most notably Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), that are regulated primarily due to the extreme danger they pose if involved in a fire. While stable in normal conditions, they can produce highly toxic by-products (dioxins) when burned. They are often found in older electrical equipment.

UN 2315 / 3432: POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS (PCBs), LIQUID / SOLID
UN 3151 / 3152: POLYHALOGENATED BIPHENYLS or TERPHENYLS, LIQUID / SOLID

Hazard: Formation of highly toxic dioxins during combustion.

Capacitors and Electrical Equipment

This applies to large industrial capacitors used for energy storage. While smaller capacitors are not regulated, those with an energy storage capacity greater than 0.3 Wh hold enough energy to be dangerous if they short-circuit or fail.

UN 3499: CAPACITOR, ELECTRIC DOUBLE LAYER (>0.3 Wh)
UN 3508: CAPACITOR, ASYMMETRIC (>0.3 Wh)

Hazard: Risk of a powerful and hazardous electrical discharge, short-circuiting, or fire from a thermal event.

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMMOs & GMOs)

This designation is used to regulate modified biological materials that do not meet the definitions of being toxic or infectious. It provides a framework for safely transporting organisms that have been altered in a laboratory.

UN 3245: GENETICALLY MODIFIED MICRO-ORGANISMS or ORGANISMS

Key Consideration: The most important factor for this group is its potential for exemption. GMOs are not subject to the ADG Code if they are authorised for use by competent authorities in Australia, such as the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR).

Fertilisers

While a common agricultural product, certain high-concentration ammonium nitrate based fertilisers are regulated due to their potential to become unstable under specific conditions, particularly when heated or confined.

UN 2071: AMMONIUM NITRATE BASED FERTILIZERS

Hazard: Risk of self-sustaining decomposition or, in severe circumstances, explosion. Classification requires specific testing as per the Manual of Tests and Criteria.

Other Miscellaneous Goods

This final group is a broad collection of other specific articles and substances regulated under Class 9. Key examples include:

UN 1845: CARBON DIOXIDE, SOLID (DRY ICE): Poses an asphyxiation hazard in confined spaces and a severe cold burn risk.
UN 2807: MAGNETISED MATERIAL: Regulated primarily for air transport, as strong magnetic fields can interfere with aircraft navigation systems.
UN 3166 / 3171 / 3556-3558: VEHICLES: Vehicles powered by flammable fuels, batteries, or fuel cells are regulated articles.
UN 3316: CHEMICAL KIT or FIRST AID KIT: Regulated because the kits contain small quantities of various other dangerous goods.
UN 3509: PACKAGINGS DISCARDED, EMPTY, UNCLEANED: Empty packaging can still contain hazardous residue.
Other specific substances and articles: Including Acetaldehyde ammonia (UN 1841), Zinc dithionite (UN 1931), Dibromodifluoromethane (UN 1941), Benzaldehyde (UN 1990), Stabilised fish meal (UN 2216), Castor beans (UN 2969), Aviation regulated substances (UN 3334/3335), Fumigated cargo units (UN 3359), Dangerous goods in articles/machinery (UN 3363), Internal combustion engines (UN 3530), and Articles containing miscellaneous DG (UN 3548).

Practical Takeaways for Your Business

Classification is Your Responsibility: The consignor is responsible for correctly identifying and classifying dangerous goods. Never assume a product is non-hazardous without verification.
Documentation is Key: For regulated items like batteries, possessing and providing the required test summaries and quality documentation is as important as the packaging itself.
When in Doubt, Refer to the Code: This guide serves as a helpful summary, but it is not a substitute for the full ADG Code. The code is developed and maintained by the National Transport Commission (NTC), and the official version should always be consulted for detailed compliance requirements. It is available at: https://www.ntc.gov.au/codes-and-guidelines/australian-dangerous-goods-code.

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