Explosives shipping classification system
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The U.S. government now uses the United Nations explosives shipping classification system. This new system is based on hazard in shipping only, vs. the old USA system that considered both shipping and use hazzards. The BATF and most states performed a direct substitution of Shipping Class 1.3 for Class B, and Shipping Class 1.4 for Class C. This allows some items that would have previously been classified as Class B and regulated to be classified as Shipping Class 1.4 due to some packaging method that confines any explosion to the package. Being Shipping Class 1.4, they can now be sold to the general public and are unregulated by the BATF.
Here is a matrix of the various UN Shipping Classifications, and typical uses of each. Note that each classification consists of a Class Number that indicates the shipping hazard and a Compatibility group suffix describing the type of material in general:
| Compatibility Groups --> | Primary explosive substance
A | Article, primary explosive, not two protections
B | Propellant
C | Aricle, primary explosive, two protective features
D | Pyrotechnics
G | Extremely Insensitive
N | Packed so as to not hinder near-by firefighters
S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1 - Mass explosion Possible | 1.1A
Dynamite, Etc. | 1.1B
Blasting Caps | 1.1C | 1.1D
Det. Cord, Blasting Explosives | 1.1G
Flash Powder, Bulk Salutes | 1.1N | 1.1S |
| 1.2 - Projecton but not mass explosion | 1.2A | 1.2B | 1.2C | 1.2D | 1.2G
Fireworks (Rare) | ||
| 1.3 - Fire, minor blast | 1.3C | 1.3G
Display Fireworks | |||||
| 1.4 - Minor explosion hazard, confined to package. | 1.4B
Blasting Caps | 1.4C | 1.4D
Det. Cord | 1.4G
Consumer Fireworks, Proximate Pyro | 1.4S
Proximate Pyro, Blasting Caps | ||
| 1.5 - Blasting Agent, very insensitive | 1.5D
Blasting Agents | ||||||
| 1.6 - Explosives, extremely insenstive, no mass explosions | 1.6N |
