Dangerous Goods in Aviation MRO — The Complete Operations Guide
The essential DG compliance resource for MRO professionals.
What are Dangerous Goods in aviation MRO?
In an aviation MRO context, "dangerous goods" refers to any substance or article that is regulated for transport under the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations because it presents a risk to health, safety, property or the environment. This includes obvious items like oxygen cylinders, lithium batteries and fire extinguishers, but also less obvious ones like adhesive sealants, aerosol cleaners and paint primers used every day in line maintenance and heavy checks.
Every Part 145 organisation must identify which parts and consumables it handles are dangerous goods, hold the corresponding Safety Data Sheets, train its shipping staff and maintain procedures for classification, packaging, marking, labelling and declaration. Failure to do so is one of the most common findings in regulatory audits.
Most common dangerous goods in MRO operations
- Oxygen cylinders — UN1072 (Class 2.2, 5.1 subsidiary)
- Lithium batteries — UN3480 / UN3481 / UN3090 / UN3091 (Class 9)
- Hydraulic fluids — variable (often Class 3 or 9)
- Fire extinguishers — UN1044 (Class 2.2)
- Adhesive sealants — variable (often Class 3 flammable liquids)
- Aerosol cleaners — UN1950 (Class 2.1 or 2.2)
- Paint primers — variable (often Class 3 flammable liquids)
- Escape slides — UN3268 / UN1956 depending on inflator
The MRO dangerous goods workflow
- Identification — establish which part number is being shipped.
- Classification — determine DG / NOT DG and UN number.
- SDS — retrieve and archive the current manufacturer Safety Data Sheet.
- DGD — prepare the IATA Dangerous Goods Declaration with PI, quantities and consignee details.
- Shipment — pack, mark, label and present to the carrier for acceptance.
AOG and dangerous goods — managing time pressure
AOG events are where dangerous goods compliance is most likely to fail. Under pressure, teams reuse old SDS revisions, transcribe UN numbers manually and skip verification steps. The result is a rejected shipment at acceptance, a missed flight and an aircraft on ground for another rotation. The fastest way to break this loop is to automate SDS retrieval and DGD pre-filling so the certified specialist's role becomes review-and-sign rather than search-and-transcribe. That is exactly the workflow DG Copilot is built for.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is responsible for DG classification in an MRO?
Ultimately the shipper of record is legally responsible, but classification is typically performed by a certified DG specialist or by trained shipping staff within the MRO. The Part 145 organisation must have documented procedures and trained personnel for handling, packing and declaring dangerous goods for transport.
What training is required for dangerous goods handling?
IATA DGR Category 6 (shippers) is the standard training for personnel preparing dangerous goods for air transport. Category 1, 3, 8 and others apply to operators, ground handlers and security screeners. Training must be renewed every 24 months under IATA DGR and at intervals defined by the local civil aviation authority.
What happens if dangerous goods are misclassified?
Misclassification can lead to refusal at acceptance, fines, suspension of shipping privileges and, in severe cases, criminal prosecution. Undeclared dangerous goods are one of the highest-risk safety events in aviation and are systematically reported to civil aviation authorities.
How can MRO teams speed up DG documentation?
By automating the slowest steps: locating the current SDS, extracting Section 14 transport data and pre-filling the DGD. DG Copilot does this end-to-end from a part number, leaving the certified specialist to review and sign rather than transcribe.
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Related guides
This information is provided for guidance only. Always verify against the current IATA DGR edition. Final DGD must be validated by a certified DG specialist.