2021/2022 Infectious Substances Shipping Guidelines PDF

The IATA Infectious Substances Shipping Guidelines is a comprehensive guide designed to enable shippers, carriers and receivers of infectious substances and patient specimens to safely meet their obligations under the various regulations which govern the shipping of these materials. Infectious substances are classified as dangerous goods under internationally recognised legislation based on the United Nations Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods–Model Regulations. Consequently, infectious substances placed into transport are subject to specific requirements governing the classification, packing, marking, labelling, packaging, documentation and handling.

This 16th Edition of the IATA Infectious Substances Shipping Guidelines is current as of 1 January 2021. The content of the Guidelines is based on the requirements contained in the 62nd Edition (2020) of the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations, but also includes information applicable to the transport of infectious substances by other modes of transport including sea, road, rail and through mail and courier systems. In general, the requirements for the transport of dangerous goods by air are more restrictive than the surface modes (sea, road or rail). Therefore, compliance with the air regulations will, with some exceptions, be sufficient to meet other modal requirements.

While the title of the publication is the “Infectious Substances Shipping Guidelines,” the content also includes information regarding the transport of biological products, clinical waste, exempt human specimens and exempt animal specimens.