Shipping Specimens with Canadian Couriers: Packaging Rules for Purolator, FedEx and Canada Post
A specimen leaving a clinic does not travel as one package; it travels as three layers, a set of marks and a carrier willing to accept it. Most clinics get the first two right, then lose a day to the third: the rules a courier applies are not the rules a lab applies when it packs the box.
Category B specimens — everyday human and animal samples that are not Category A — are the case in point. The packaging and marking rules come from the TDG Regulations and, for air, from IATA Packing Instruction 650. What changes per carrier is how, and whether, a shipment can be tendered.
What packaging does TDG require before a courier takes a specimen?
Every Category B shipment uses the same three-layer build:
- A leakproof primary receptacle that holds the sample.
- Absorbent material that can take the full volume of the primary container.
- A rigid outer package that protects the layers in transit.
For liquid specimens the packaging must also pass a 95 kPa pressure differential, which is what the 95 kPa rating on a transport bag measures. The bag that carries the paperwork and the absorbent pad is part of that same compliant enclosure.
Which Canadian couriers accept UN3373 Category B?
| Courier | UN3373 Category B | How it is tendered |
|---|---|---|
| Purolator | Accepted | Account customers only, to a Shipping Centre or a driver, and verified by a Purolator dangerous goods specialist before acceptance |
| FedEx | Accepted | Tendered under the carrier's dangerous goods terms; check the current service guide for limits and locations |
| Canada Post | Not in the mail stream | Dangerous goods defined by the TDG Regulations are non-mailable matter |
The practical difference is at the counter: a shipment containing dangerous goods cannot simply be dropped into a box, so a clinic moving to specimens has to plan the tender step, not only the packing step.
Do you need a dangerous goods shipping document for Category B?
No. The Category B exemption in the TDG Regulations removes the shipping document requirement for UN3373, as long as the packaging, marks and labelling meet the rule. Category A always needs a full dangerous goods document and a trained shipper, so Category B is the practical category for routine samples.
What has to be shown on the outside of the package?
The Category B mark replaces the Class 6.2 label: a diamond at least 50 mm on each side, bearing UN3373 and the words Biological Substance, Category B. Alongside it go the shipper and consignee details and, for air, the correct packaging reference. A 12 x 15 inch 95 kPa specimen bag gives room for the mark and the document pouch on larger shipments, while the 6 x 9 inch 95 kPa specimen bag covers the routine draw.
Running a laboratory or a draw site? See our laboratory consumables and specimen transport supplies.
What goes wrong most often when clinics ship specimens?
Three failures recur. A bag rated for 95 kPa is used without an absorbent pad. A package is sealed and left to sit, so the sample degrades before the run. And the tender step is skipped, so a compliant package is refused at the counter and the draw is repeated. For high-volume labs, a 3-wall specimen transport bag adds a stiffer wall for ground transport.
Where the packaging fits
The packaging rules are fixed, but the tender rules are per carrier: build the compliant enclosure first, confirm the carrier's current acceptance terms, and then book the run.
Ordering for a clinic, lab or care home? Wholesale and multi-site ordering covers case pricing and account setup, and the B2B wholesale collection lists the lines stocked for institutional buyers.
A printable specimen packaging and tender checklist is in the free log and template centre, which also carries a shipment planner for labs that ship on a fixed courier schedule.
References
- Canada Post — Dangerous goods overview (checked 3 October 2026)
- WHO — Guidance on regulations for the transport of infectious substances, 2023-2024 (checked 3 October 2026)
- Purolator — Ship UN3373 Biological Substance (checked 3 October 2026)
- IATA — Dangerous Goods (HAZMAT) (checked 3 October 2026)
Related Reading
- Specimen Shipping Compliance: Packaging Rules for Canadian Labs
- Specimen Transport Compliance: TDG Rules for Canadian Clinics
- Specimen Bag Labeling Requirements for Canadian Laboratories: PHAC and Transport Canada Standards
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Canadian couriers accept UN3373 Category B specimens?
Couriers that hold a dangerous goods program, such as Purolator and FedEx, accept Category B when the packaging and marks are correct. Canada Post treats dangerous goods under the TDG Regulations as non-mailable matter.
Do you need a shipping document for UN3373 Category B?
No. The Category B exemption in the TDG Regulations removes the shipping document requirement for UN3373, provided the packaging, marks and labelling meet the rule.
What has to be shown on the outside of the package?
The UN3373 diamond mark with the words Biological Substance, Category B, at least 50 mm on each side, instead of the Class 6.2 label, plus the shipper and consignee details.
What packaging does a courier expect before it will take a specimen?
Triple packaging: a leakproof primary receptacle, absorbent material, a secondary container and a rigid outer package. Liquid specimens must pass a 95 kPa pressure differential test.
Last updated: October 2026. CliniEco Medical is a licensed medical device establishment (MDEL #35334).
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