Specimen Transport Compliance: TDG Rules for Canadian Clinics

Q: Do I need TDG training to ship specimens from my clinic?

Yes. Any employee who packages, offers for transport or transports dangerous goods must hold a valid TDG training certificate, renewed every three years — even when a courier picks up the package.

August 26, 2026

Every day, Canadian clinics hand couriers parcels of blood, urine, swabs and other patient samples. When a shipment leaks or goes missing, Transport Canada holds the clinic responsible. The Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG) Regulations define how clinical specimens must be packaged, labelled and documented before they leave your door.

If your staff ships patient samples by courier, bus or air, specimen transport sits under the TDG Regulations, with the UN3373 framework at its core. Knowing the rules protects patients, staff and your standing with regulators.

What Is TDG and When Does It Apply to Your Clinic?

TDG refers to the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations, administered by Transport Canada. They govern dangerous goods — including infectious substances — moved by road, rail, air and marine within Canada. For clinics, the trigger is simple: offer a diagnostic specimen to a carrier, and you are a consignor.

Exemptions cover small quantities carried in a patient's own vehicle and some samples sent between health care settings where risk is judged minimal. most routine clinic-to-laboratory shipments fall under the regulations. When in doubt, classify as dangerous goods — a leak that exposes a courier costs more than a compliant package.

UN3373: Biological Substance, Category B

Most routine clinical specimens — blood draws, urine samples, nasal and throat swabs — are assigned to UN3373, Biological Substance, Category B, used when exposure is unlikely to cause disease. Category A (UN2814 or UN2900) covers pathogens that can cause permanent disability or life-threatening disease and demands a stricter packaging standard.

For most Canadian clinics, UN3373 is the classification you will use. It drives everything downstream: packaging, labelling, documentation and staff training.

Packaging Requirements: Triple Packaging and 95 kPa Tested Bags

TDG requires a triple packaging system for UN3373 shipments. Three layers, each with a distinct job:

Primary receptacle: the leak-proof tube, vial or container holding the specimen.
Secondary packaging: a second leak-proof layer protecting the primary receptacle — usually a 95 kPa specimen bag that passed the 95 kPa pressure test.
Outer packaging: a rigid box, mailer or courier envelope shielding the inner layers during transit.

Absorbent material must sit between the primary and secondary packaging — enough to soak up the full contents if the primary leaks. The CliniEco Medical specimen bags are 95 kPa leak-proof tested, with a clear pocket for the UN3373 label and documentation — the most common compliance item we supply and the cheapest insurance you will carry.

Labelling Your Shipment

Every UN3373 shipment must carry the diamond-shaped Category B label — white, with the UN3373 mark in the centre — on the outer packaging, with the shipper's name, address and a 24-hour emergency contact number.

Air transport adds a layer: IATA's Packing Instruction 650 requires the shipper's declaration attached to the airway bill. Ground couriers in Canada follow the TDG Regulations under Transport Canada, which for most clinic shipments demand the UN3373 mark and documentation rather than a full dangerous goods declaration.

Training Requirements for Clinic Staff

TDG training is not optional. Any employee who handles, offers for transport or transports dangerous goods — including UN3373 specimens — must be trained and certified. That includes the receptionist packaging a urine sample and the nurse handing a cooler to a courier.

Training must cover classification, packaging, labelling and emergency response, renewed every three years or whenever the regulations change. Transport Canada audits consignors — an untrained employee is a finding waiting to happen. Document every session; the certificate is your evidence.

Safe handling also means protecting collectors. Nitrile gloves keep samples uncontaminated and staff protected.

Common Clinic Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

The errors Transport Canada sees most often are preventable:

Using a plain zip-lock bag as secondary packaging. A sandwich bag will not survive the 95 kPa pressure test.
Forgetting absorbent material between the primary and secondary layers.
Shipping with an expired training certificate.
Applying the UN3373 label to the inner bag instead of the outer packaging.
Reusing a specimen bag that has been opened or damaged.

One more recurring error: swabs that shed fibres, forcing a redraw and a second shipment. double-tipped cotton swabs from CliniEco remove that variable — one clean collection, one compliant shipment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need TDG training to ship specimens from my clinic?

Yes. Any employee who packages or transports dangerous goods must hold a valid TDG training certificate, renewed every three years — even when a courier picks up the package.

What is the difference between Category A and Category B specimens?

Category A (UN2814 or UN2900) covers pathogens that can cause permanent disability or life-threatening disease. Category B (UN3373) covers specimens unlikely to cause disease — most routine clinical samples such as blood, urine and swabs.

Can I use any plastic bag for specimen transport?

No. The secondary packaging must be leak-proof and pass the 95 kPa pressure test under the TDG Regulations. Standard household bags are not tested and do not meet the standard.

Do the same rules apply for air courier shipments?

Ground shipments follow the TDG Regulations under Transport Canada. Air transport follows IATA's Packing Instruction 650, which requires the UN3373 mark, the Category B label and additional shipper documentation.

Who is responsible if a specimen shipment leaks in transit?

The consignor — the clinic — is responsible under the TDG Regulations. Compliant packaging, labelling and staff training are your legal protection as much as your patients'.