Hazardous Materials and UN FIBCs

Bulk bags are being used in more situations than ever before. Construction, food, pharmaceutical, and many more industries are continually finding more uses for them in an exciting trend for bulk bag suppliers. However, certain industries and applications require bags that meet very stringent specifications in order to handle the materials contained in the bag. This is particularly relevant in industries that deal with hazardous materials and volatile chemicals.

For these industries, the UN (yes, that UN!) has created a certification for bags that meet specific standards and follow certain guidelines. These are called UN FIBCs (or UN certified FIBCs). In this post, we discuss which hazardous materials can be used with UN certified bulk bags and the classification system used.

Hazardous materials classifications

In order to be considered UN certified FIBCs, the bags need to be labeled with the hazardous materials they contain. These are separated into 8 different classes:

1. Class 4.1: Flammable solids, self-reactive substances and desensitized explosives
2. Class 4.2: Substances liable to spontaneous combustion
3. Class 4.3: Substances that emit flammable gases when they come in contact with water
4. Class 5.1: Substances that oxidize
5. Class 5.2: Organic peroxides
6. Class 6.1: Toxic substances
7. Class 8: Corrosive substances
8. Class 9: Miscellaneous dangerous substances and articles

The hazardous materials you will be transporting/storing in the UN bag are crucial to determining what bag you need. Work with your supplier to make sure you’re getting the right bag for your product/application.

Proper Labeling & Testing 

Proper labeling is another big part of a UN certified bag. Having the right classification displayed on the bag at all times is crucial to safe usage and essential to proper use. For more information on the identification and labeling standards used, check out this blog “Identification and Labeling Standards for UN Bulk Bags”. 

UN certified FIBCs must also go through rigorous testing in order to qualify to store and transport potentially dangerous materials. For more information on these testing procedures, be sure to check out our two posts:

1. http://blog.nationalbulkbag.com/un-certified-bulk-bags-rigorous-testing-procedures-part-1-of-2
2. http://blog.nationalbulkbag.com/un-certified-bulk-bags-rigorous-testing-procedures-part-2-of-2

Where to find UN Certified FIBCs

In order for a supplier to sell UN certified bulk bags, they must have a special certification distributed by licensed provider. This is important for multiple reasons. First, the supplier must have employees take and pass courses designed to educate about UN bags. Second, a licensing fee must be paid by the supplier. If you’re in the market for UN bags, be sure to ask your supplier if they are a licensed provider before making a purchase. Only licensed suppliers can buy and distribute UN bags, so this is extremely important to the purchasing process.