The IATA DGR manual is based on ICAO's Technical Instructions. The IATA manual is in a more user friendly format ie you don't have to be a chemistry professor to understand it.
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The IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations are published by the IATA Dangerous Goods Board pursuant to IATA resolutions 618 and 619 and constitute a manual of industry carrier regulations to be followed by all IATA Member airlines. This edition of the IATA Regulations is based on the requirements of Annex 18 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago, 1944) and the 2001-2002 Edition of the associated Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air (Doc 9284-AN/905) adopted by the Council of ICAO and published by ICAO.
Annex 18 to the Chicago Convention and the associated Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air are recognised as the sole authentic legal source material in the air transport of dangerous goods. Consequently, any additional or explanatory material added by IATA does not form part of the authentic text of the ICAO Technical Instructions and does not have the same legal force.
In developing its Regulations, IATA has drawn on its extensive experience to give special attention to the format and wording of these Regulations to make this a readily understandable and easy-to-use manual. There are certain differences between IATA and ICAO regulations which stem from operational considerations and result in a regulatory regime which is necessarily more restrictive than the ICAO requirements.
Unquote (phew!)
Interesting to note that non-IATA airlines don't necessarily have to follow the IATA DG manual. I guess they do anyway, 'coz I've seen the ICAO manual. Not easy to comprehend.
Edit: The UN stands for United Nations; ICAO is part of the UN. Can't really give more than that. All DG "approved" boxes/barrels/drums etc show UN with the U above the N so that they are identifiable even when upside down (so I've always been told)! DG is given a UN number instead of some complicated chemical name. They also use Proper Shipping Names like "Flammable Liquid NOS" NOS=Not Otherwise Specified. That way you can tell at a glance what the danger is all about. The technical name is given in brackets on the Shiper's Declaration; interesting to the emergency services - little interest to us.
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rgds Rat
[This message has been edited by CargoRat2 (edited 03 May 2001).]