Placards are not used in maritime shipping of hazardous materials. Even in US ground transportation, placards are not required for the shipment of "Limited Quantities."
"Reportable Quantity" for Hazardous Substances
No, it is not legal to haul any quantity of hazardous material without a hazmat endorsement on your CDL license. You need the endorsement to legally transport hazardous materials as it requires additional training and certification to ensure the safety of yourself and others on the road.
RQ represents "reportable quantity" which means the quantity specified in column 2 of the App. to 49 CFR 172.101 for any material identified in Column 1 REF: 49 CFR 171.8
Silica Gel packets can be thrown away in the trash. They are not toxic and will not harm the environment, unless they have come in contact with a hazardous substance, which is rare in typical household applications.
A placardable quantity of hazardous materials means that it is a large enough amount to be contained within tanks or drums which are fixed to the exterior surface of transport vehichles for safety reasons.
When shipping regulated hazardous materials in UN Specification containers, a "Y" in the specification code indicates that the container is suitable for packing group II or packing group 3 materials. When shipping regulated hazardous materials by air, a "Y" in the Packing Instruction indicates that the package contains a Limited Quantity, and a "Y" in the Limited Quantity marking is the shipper's certification that the item meets the requirements for the packaging of limited quantities to be shipped by air..
When accumulating hazardous waste on-site, large quantity generators (LQGs) must comply with 40 CFR 262.34(a) to avoid the requirement to obtain a hazardous waste treatment, storage, or disposal permit. [Generators of 1000 kg/month of hazardous waste or >1 kg/month of acute hazardous waste are large quantity generators (LQGs). LQGs may accumulate hazardous waste on-site without interim status or a permit for up to 90 days.
In the United Kingdom, fire extinguishers are not considered as hazardous material for transportation by road. Fire extinguishers are considered hazmat for transportation by road and sea and should be accompanied with Dangerous Goods Note and Material Safety Data Sheets. Certain types of fire extinguishers may contain placard-required amounts of hazardous materials, including pressurized CO2 or nitrogen, liquids such as carbon tetrachloride, among other things. Therefore, the answer to the question would depend upon the specific type and quantity of extinguishers being transported.
Verification that the quantity of materials in the shipment match the quantity on the order
To answer the question, the density of the material of this quantity should be known!!!!!!
The Hazmat marking RQ identifies a package that contains a reportable quantity of a hazardous substance. Hazmat markings are very important and very useful in the work place and industrial areas.
ONLY if it's carrying a quantity of hazardous material which requires placards to be displayed, or if it's a bus designed to transport more than 15 persons (including the driver).