Safe shipping of dangerous goods in small quantities
Dangerous goods (LQ) value-added service for parcel consignments
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Which goods may be transported in the parcel channel?
The “Dangerous goods LQ” value-added service enables you to ship dangerous goods that are permitted in the parcel channel. This includes not only “limited quantities (LQ)” in the narrower sense, but also lithium batteries or dry ice. The following chart shows the dangerous goods permitted in the Swiss Post parcel channel:
The quantity of dangerous goods permitted in the parcel channel depends on the dangerous goods concerned and is governed by the ADR regulations.
As the sender, you are responsible and liable for ensuring that only permitted goods are sent in the parcel channel and that the dangerous goods are correctly safely packaged and correctly labelled. The “Dangerous goods LQ” value-added service barcode must be affixed to all permitted dangerous goods consignments.
You can find more details about goods which may be sent as dangerous goods LQ in the ADR regulations.
The sending of dangerous goods consignments is subject to a fee as of 1 January 2020:
Private customers: CHF 1.10 incl. VAT
Business customers: CHF 1.00 excl. VAT (list price)
The permitted types and quantities of dangerous goods that can be sent can be found in the ADR regulations in section 3.4 in table 3.2 A, column 7a. This lists the quantities permitted per inner packaging.If column 7a contains the value 0, the dangerous goods cannot be sent as “dangerous goods in limited quantities”.
| Dangerous goods | UN number | Maximum quantity permitted per inner packaging |
|---|---|---|
| Perfume bottles | UN 1266 | up to 5 litres |
| Spray cans | UN 1950 | up to 1 litre |
| Matches | UN 1944 | up to 5 litres |
| Petroleum | UN 1203 | up to 1 litre |
| Camping gas | UN 2037 | up to 1 litre |
| Methylated spirits | UN 1170 | up to 1 litre |
| Liquid fuel paste | UN 1993 | up to 1 litre |
| Hair tinting lotion/bleach | UN 2984 | up to 5 litres |
| Dyes/paints/stains/thinner with solvent | UN 1263 | up to 5 litres |
| Car batteries | UN 2794 | with up to 1 litre of acid (separate) as content in plastic packaging |
The list is not exhaustive.
- Explosive substances and objects such as fireworks, table crackers, sparklers, rockets, fountains, etc.
- Gas canisters for grills
- Lithium batteries for e-bikes
- Lithium batteries with more than 100 watt hours of energy
- Radioactive material
What must I pay attention to?
Packaging and labelling correctly
Swiss Post agrees to transport dangerous goods via the parcel channel that satisfy standard parcel dimensions and comply with road and rail transport regulations:
If in doubt, please contact us.
- The maximum quantity per inner packaging may not be exceeded. The maximum quantities per dangerous good are indicated in the ADR in table 3.2, column 7a and in the safety data sheets of your goods.
- The packaged consignment may not exceed 30 kg.
- The dangerous good is packed using the correct inner packaging (e.g. tightly closed bottles) as well as suitable outer packaging (e.g. strong cardboard or Dispobox.
- The inner packaging is well padded and secured against slipping, may not damage the outer packaging and must be airtight.
- The outer packaging must protect the contents securely.
The following information must be indicated on the parcel (shipping item):
- A weatherproof dangerous goods label adapted to the dangerous goods
- Gross weight
- An LQ value-added service barcode
- UN numbers of the packaged dangerous goods.
- For liquids: orientation arrows on 2 opposite sides of the shipping item
- For even greater safety, dangerous goods consignments can be combined with the “Signature” value-added service; in this case, the consignment will only be handed over in exchange for the recipient’s signature.
- With regard to electronic addressing, please consult our “Domestic parcel labels” online service.
All dangerous goods consignments that can be transported in the parcel channel must also be labelled in accordance with the following rules.
Swiss Post liability
The liability limits for the shipping option selected apply.
Sender’s liability
As the sender, you are responsible for ensuring that you only send permitted goods as LQ via the parcel channel and that these are correctly packaged and labelled.
If you do not, Swiss Post must invoice you for any damage and consequential damage and is required to report major violations.