UN 1950 — classification, transport and safety data sheet essentials for aerosol export
Quick-reference aid for regulatory, QA, packing and export documentation teams · Prepared as a working reference, not a regulatory approval document
Read before use. This is a reference and planning aid, not regulatory advice and not a
certification of compliance. It describes the structure of the requirements only; edition-specific
quantity limits, thresholds, concentration limits and submission deadlines are deliberately excluded
because they change. Verify every point against the current applicable legislation and, where the
position is unclear, with a qualified regulatory professional in the destination market. Responsibility
for any classification, declaration or submission remains with the shipper's own regulatory or QA function.
Content last reviewed: 3 August 2026 · Check for a newer version before relying on this document.
1 · Basic Identification
Field
Value / Notes
UN Number
UN 1950
Proper Shipping Name
AEROSOLS (may require qualifier, e.g. AEROSOLS, flammable)
Hazard Class
Class 2 — Gases. Division depends on contents (see §2)
Packing Group
None. Class 2 goods are not assigned a packing group. A DG declaration showing a PG for UN 1950 is a common error.
Subsidiary hazard
May apply where contents are corrosive or toxic — check contents classification
Max receptacle capacity
Aerosol receptacles are limited to 1 000 mL capacity (metal). Verify against the applicable modal regulation.
2 · Division Assignment Logic
Q1. Do the contents meet criteria for a flammable gas or flammable liquid propellant/solvent, or does the aerosol yield a flame projection / enclosed space ignition result?
→ Yes: Division 2.1 Flammable aerosol
Q2. Are the contents toxic by inhalation at the relevant threshold?
→ Yes: Division 2.3 Toxic aerosol — heavily restricted, forbidden on passenger aircraft
Q4. Are the contents corrosive to skin or metals?
→ Assign subsidiary risk Class 8 in addition to the primary division
Flammability test basis: aerosol flammability is determined by the ignition distance / enclosed space and foam flammability tests, not simply by the flash point of the bulk formulation. A formulation with a high flash point can still yield a flammable aerosol depending on propellant ratio and spray pattern. Test data should be on file for each formulation, not inferred.
3 · Common Exceptions & Limited Quantity
Small-capacity exception
Aerosols with a receptacle capacity of 50 mL or less, containing only non-toxic contents, may be excepted from full dangerous-goods requirements under certain modal provisions. Applicability differs by mode (air / sea / road) — confirm the special provision reference in the current edition before relying on it.
Limited Quantity
Aerosols may be shipped as Limited Quantity where each receptacle is within the LQ capacity limit and the completed package is within the gross mass limit. LQ shipments use the LQ mark rather than full hazard labels for surface transport; air LQ uses the "Y" packing instruction with its own lower limits.
Do not carry limits across modes. Air, sea and road limits for UN 1950 are different numbers. The single most frequent cause of a detained aerosol consignment is applying a road/sea limit to an air waybill, or reusing last year's figures after a regulation edition change.
4 · Mode-by-Mode Documentation Map
Mode
Governing framework
Documents typically required
Air
ICAO Technical Instructions, applied via the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations
Shipper's Declaration for Dangerous Goods (unless excepted); air waybill with DG handling statement; packing instruction reference; UN-spec or approved packaging; hazard + handling labels; trained-shipper certification on file
Sea
IMDG Code
Dangerous Goods Declaration; container/vehicle packing certificate; stowage & segregation information; marine pollutant marking if applicable; LQ mark where used
Road / inland
National rules; ADR where applicable in Europe
Transport document with UN number, PSN, class, quantity; placarding; driver documentation
Version discipline: IATA DGR is reissued annually and IMDG on a two-year cycle. Every generated DG document should record which edition it was produced against, so that a document produced before an edition change can be identified and regenerated rather than silently reused.
5 · Package Marking & Labelling Checklist
UN number and Proper Shipping Name on the outer package
Primary hazard label for the assigned division
Subsidiary hazard label where assigned
Orientation arrows where required by the packing instruction
Shipper and consignee full name and address
Package specification marking where UN-spec packaging is used
Limited Quantity mark where LQ provisions are applied
Net / gross quantity per package as declared
Emergency contact number where required by the mode
Overpack marked as "OVERPACK" where used
6 · Safety Data Sheet — 16-Section Structure
§
Section
Aerosol-specific points to check
1
Identification
Product identifier must match the label and the DG declaration; include recommended use and restrictions
2
Hazard identification
Aerosol hazard category and correct signal word; pressurised-container precautionary statements
3
Composition
Propellant must be disclosed as a component; declare concentration ranges consistently across markets
4
First-aid measures
Inhalation route usually the lead exposure route for sprays
5
Fire-fighting measures
Explicit BLEVE / container-rupture warning for heated aerosol cans
6
Accidental release
Ignition-source removal where flammable propellant is used
7
Handling and storage
Temperature ceiling for storage; do not pierce or burn; segregation from oxidisers
8
Exposure controls
Occupational limits for propellant and solvent components, not only for actives
9
Physical and chemical properties
Internal pressure at reference temperature; spray characteristics; flammability test outcome
10
Stability and reactivity
Can/valve material compatibility; corrosion behaviour of the formulation
11
Toxicological information
Endpoint data per component; identify where data are read-across rather than measured
12
Ecological information
EU SDSs require PBT / vPvB assessment; US format does not
Must agree exactly with the DG declaration — UN 1950, division, no packing group
15
Regulatory information
Region-specific; this section differs most between US and EU formats
16
Other information
Revision date, version number, and reason for revision
7 · US vs EU Safety Data Sheet — Where They Diverge
Point of difference
United States
European Union
Governing basis
OSHA Hazard Communication Standard
CLP Regulation for classification; REACH Annex II for SDS format
Language
English
Official language(s) of each member state where the product is placed on the market
PBT / vPvB assessment
Not required
Required in Section 12
Exposure scenario annex
Not applicable
May be required for registered substances above threshold
Poison centre notification
Not applicable in this form
Notification required; UFI to appear on the label / SDS as applicable
Supplier identity
US manufacturer, importer or distributor with US address
An EU-established supplier address is required
Review / revision
Update when significant new information becomes available
Update on classification change or new hazard information; revision history expected
Practical consequence for a CDMO: the same formulation needs two separately maintained SDS documents, and they will drift apart over time. Keeping one master composition record and generating region-specific SDS output from it is the only way this stays consistent at multi-SKU scale.
8 · Pre-Shipment Verification — 12 Points
#
Check
Why it fails in practice
1
Division on the DG declaration matches the flammability test record
Assigned from bulk flash point instead of aerosol test data
2
No packing group shown for UN 1950
Template carried over from a Class 3 product
3
Section 14 of the SDS agrees with the DG declaration
SDS revised, declaration template not updated
4
Quantity limits are those of the actual mode of transport
Sea limits applied to an air shipment
5
Regulation edition in use is the current one
Annual IATA edition change missed
6
Packaging matches the packing instruction cited
Substituted carton during a stock shortage
7
All required labels and marks applied and legible
Label obscured by shrink wrap or overpack
8
Shipper's declaration signed by a currently trained person
Training certification lapsed
9
SDS supplied in the destination market language
English-only SDS sent into the EU
10
Destination-market registration or notification is live
Product shipped ahead of notification confirmation
11
Batch COA attached and matches the batch shipped
Previous batch COA reattached
12
Document set archived with the shipment record
Cannot reconstruct the declaration during an audit
9 · Records to Retain per Formulation
Aerosol flammability test report
Classification rationale and assignment record
Current SDS, per region, with version history
Composition master with propellant ratio
Container-closure and valve compatibility data
Pressure and leak-test records
DG declarations issued, with edition reference
Shipper training certification records
Issuing department · Document no. · Revision · Effective date (to be completed on internal adoption)
Aerosol Dangerous Goods & SDS Reference — UN 1950 · Version 1.0 · Content last reviewed 3 August 2026
Prepared by hloo.in · servpga@gmail.com · Latest version: hloo.in/tools
Reference aid only — not regulatory advice. Verify against current legislation before use.
Prepared by hloo.in · servpga@gmail.com
Independent regulatory documentation & systems consulting
Version 1.0 · Latest version always at
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