CANUTEC: New Registration System in 2024

By: Alison Senyi, SENIOR PRODUCT SAFETY SPECIALIST, email

CANUTEC is the Canadian Transport Emergency Centre that is operated by the Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG) Directorate of Transport Canada. This Government of Canada department has the directive to promote public safety in the Transportation of Dangerous Goods using all modes of transport. CANUTEC was first established in 1979, and is used as a safety program by Transport Canada to help promote the safe movement of dangerous goods and people within Canadian borders.

The use of the CANUTEC emergency number is intended for use only in the event of an emergency involving transportation of dangerous goods.

Why register with CANUTEC?

According to Section 3.5 of the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations, a person who ships or imports dangerous goods must put a 24-hour emergency telephone number on the shipping documents of the dangerous goods. By registering with CANUTEC, you are able to add this 24-hour emergency number on your shipping documents.

The registration also allows for immediate technical assistance from CANUTEC advisors in the event of dangerous goods emergencies. The service offered by CANUTEC is free for Canadian companies, but in order to maintain your registration, it requires an annual account update and renewal.

Who can register with CANUTEC?

Any Canadian consignor of dangerous goods can register through CANUTEC. Registration does not apply to carriers (ex. Transport companies) unless they are also considered a consignor on the shipping document. Manufacturers can also register with CANUTEC as a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) Provider. The role of the SDS Provider is to submit their company’s SDS on behalf of the other consignors. They are not authorized to use CANUTEC’s 24-hour telephone number on shipping documents.

This service is intended only to be used within Canada, and only for those Canadian companies that have been registered. It is a free 24-hour service that can be used if there is a spill during transportation. It is important to be registered for this service before using!

What information is needed to register?

According to the CANUTEC Registration System website, the following information is needed for registration:

• Your company’s name and address and the names and addresses of all the sites (i.e. branch, head office, etc.) associated with your company that ships dangerous goods.
• Only one (1) administrative contact responsible for updating all the information related to your company (i.e. contacts, and technical documents).
• Only one (1) Alternate Admin who will serve as backup if we cannot reach the primary administrative contact.
• At least three (3) emergency contacts or one (1) dedicated 24-hour emergency number with a live-person answering or a dedicated duty roster cell phone number.
• Technical information on the dangerous goods to be shipped (such as Safety Data Sheets).

Dell Tech authors Safety Data Sheets  for Canada and the United States in English, Canadian French and Spanish. Learn more about our team’s safety data sheet services.

New Registration System in 2024

CANUTEC is currently in the process of transitioning to a new Registration system. Your information must be updated and your company files migrated to the new system. To update your information, you will need to log into your CANUTEC account and update your company information in the CANUTEC Registration System (CRS).

As a result of new regulatory requirements, Transport Canada has implemented the Client Identification Database (CID) for organizations and individuals associated with activities that involve dangerous goods. These activities can include import, handle, or transportation of dangerous goods at sites owned or operated in Canada. If this applies to you or your organization, then you may need to register in Transport Canada’s new Client Identification Database.

The deadline for registration to this new database is October 25, 2024. This is one year after the date that the regulations came into force (October 25, 2023).

More Information

Further information on the registration process, and who may register with CANUTEC services can be found here: Client Identification Database (CID) (canada.ca).

You can also visit this Government of Canada website for more on Transport Canada.

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