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What is HAZMAT? First: What is Hazmat? Hazardous Materials, also known as Dangerous Goods, are substances in the form of gasses, liquids and solids which pose a threat to human life, damage to property, or harm to the environment if not properly handled or contained.  Labelling was undertaken by materials producers and transporters largely as an insurance initiative to attenuate liability following a series of high-profile incidents in the late nineteenth century.  The American Railroad Association, a trade organization, created an office in 1907 called the Bureau of Explosives to inspect and regulate the labelling and transport of dangerous goods, specifically explosives.  Around the world, generally labels were in the local language, with a few symbols, such as the flame for flamable or the ancient skull and crossbones for poisonous. Back    Show the whole article        There are several basic classes of HazMat in common use: Click to see the list1.x   Explosive2.1   Flammable Gas2.2   Non-Flammable Gas2.3   Poison Gas3     Flammable Liquid4.1   Flammable Solid4.2   Spontaneously Combustible4.3   Dangerous When Wet5.1   Oxidizer5.2   Organic Peroxide6.1   Poison6.2   Infectious substance7     Radioactive8.1   Corrosive, Acid8.2   Corrosive, Alkali9     Class 9 Also, see our Hazmat Code page References: o Bureau of Explosives of the Association of American Railroads o United States Fire Administration Hazardous Materials Guide for First Responders      (Search from the HSDL homepage -- no direct link) o United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) o UNECE UN Codes o U.S. DOT CFR 49.172.101 (para 172.332, page 378-379)