You may think that a box is a box is a box, but boxes used to transport fireworks have to meet a strict set of tests.
Accord Dangereux Routier, which translates from French to “European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road”, defines a set of tests. It started as part of a Treaty signed in 1957 and has been evolving ever since. It’s known by its initials ADR. In the UK, we have The Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations 2009 (CDG Regs), the current implementation of ADR into domestic legislation.
Section 5 of the CDG Regs states
“No person is to carry dangerous goods, or cause or permit dangerous goods to be carried…where that carriage does not comply with any applicable requirements of ADR or RID”.
RID: Regulations Concerning the International Transport of Dangerous Goods by Rail
What do the letters and numbers mean on a UN box?
On the side of all fireworks boxes must be a form of the code below showing that it has been tested and approved for transportation of explosives. The position, font size and other aspects are specified.
UN 4G/Y30/S/20GB/123
UN
The UN is displayed in a circle, as shown in the picture and shows that the box meets the UN criteria and the information displayed follows the UN format.
4G
A comprehensive series of tables details the materials and construction methods used to make packaging for explosives (Class 1) items. We use fibreboard (cardboard) to construct the boxes for fireworks transportation (Packing Group II). In our case, 4 denotes it’s a box instead of a drum, jerrycan, or some other container, and G denotes it’s made of fibreboard.
Y30
The Y tells us that it conforms to Packing Group II, the group of packing rules used for explosives. The 30 denotes the maximum gross mass the box is designed to carry, measured in Kilograms. It can be up to 40kg.
S
The S denotes that the box is designed to carry solid rather than liquid goods.
20GB
This is the year and country - the last two numbers from the year and the standardised country code for transport.
123
The last set of numbers is the manufacturer’s certifying code, the Packing Mark.
Construction
Box construction has several criteria, such as creasing without scoring and construction without cracking, surface breaks, or undue bending.
Box Tests
To get certification, a manufacturer must submit the boxes for a series of tests, and each packaging type has a different test.
Firework fibreboard boxes are put through the mill to ensure that the products inside are unaffected during transportation.
Water Absorption
Using a procedure in the Cobb Method, the box materials are tested for water absorption over 30 minutes and designed to simulate rainfall. They must not absorb water and increase mass by more than 155g/m2.
Drop Testing
Drop Testing uses five boxes in the sample test.
The boxes are conditioned for 24 hours before testing. Conditioning rules apply, and the preferred method is to maintain an atmosphere of 23°C plus or minus 2° and 50% relative humidity plus or minus 2%.
Each box is dropped five times onto a defined, perfectly flat, firm surface from a height of 1.2 metres:
- Flat on the bottom
- Flat on the top
- Flat on the long edge
- Flat on the short edge
- Onto a corner
Following the test, a box passes if it doesn’t show any signs of damage that could affect safety during carriage. No rupture is permitted, allowing the spillage of loose explosive substances or articles from the outer packaging.
Stack Test
The boxes are stacked to a minimum height of 3 metres for 24 hours. To pass, they must not leak, deteriorate, or distort in a way that can reduce their strength or cause instability in a stack of packages.
Every new box sample must undergo these stringent tests, and importers must inform the Health and Safety Executive or other Competent Authority of the Packing Mark, which proves they have passed the relevant tests. So, you can see a box is not just a box for transporting fireworks.