Your guide for safely sending

your goods via our postal

network

Dangerous Goods &

Prohibited items

instructions

Version 2.1

October 2017

This document does not replace the Dangerous Goods Regulations

of IATA or the regulations of ADR or customs regulations

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Content

Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 2

1. What can you send? ........................................................................................................... 3

2. Regular network - Lithium batteries or Cells allowed inside equipment .......................... 7

3. Dangerous Goods network –Lithium batteries or cells allowed

with equipment or loose .................................................................................................... 8

4. Dangerous Goods network - Aerosols, Perfume & Nail varnish ..................................... 12

5. Appendix I – Examples prohibited weapons .................................................................... 15

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Introduction

To comply with transport legislation, to protect the health, safety and wellbeing of our

employees and customers, and ensure that mail in transport does not present a danger to

the general public, PostNL restricts or prohibits certain items from its network.

What are the prohibitions and restrictions?

‘Dangerous goods’ are articles or substances which are capable of posing a risk to health,

safety, property or the environment. Existing regulations prohibit sending nearly all

dangerous goods in the mail. Prohibited items (such as narcotics, weapons and life animals)

must never be sent in the post.

To comply with IATA regulations for Dangerous Goods and Customs regulations for

prohibited items, PostNL will enforce the regulations which prohibit dangerous goods &

prohibited from international post. Specific country restrictions apply which you should check

before posting any item .

What if you ignore the rules?

Failure to comply with the legal requirements for the transport of dangerous goods puts lives

at risk and is a criminal offence which may be subject to prosecution. If you send dangerous

goods or prohibited goods and do not comply with the applicable IATA regulations or

Customs regulations then PostNL or Dutch customs may deal with the goods as it sees fit

including destroying or disposing of the relevant items. Any costs related to destroying or

disposing will be charged to you.

What should you do next?

Please refer to this guide and the relevant terms and conditions before packaging or posting

any items to ensure you meet minimum safety requirements. It is your responsibility to check

the list of prohibited and restricted items and any applicable packaging, volume, quantity and

labelling requirements that apply prior to posting any item.

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1. What can and cannot be sent?

Below list is not complete, all content of your packages must be compliant to IATA

regulations. Next to this you can also check the UPU website to see if the content is

compliant with the regulations of the country of destination :

http://www.upu.int/uploads/tx_sbdownloader/listCustomsProhibitedArticlesEn.pdf

Contact your Account Manager in case you have any questions regarding the content of your

shipments.

Description Examples Qualification

Loose Lithium

batteries /cells

Lithium batteries/ cells packed with equipment

Lithium batteries/ cells packed inside equipment

Powerbanks (with or without hardcover)

4

Alkaline/ Ni-Cd/Ni-Mh /batteries Packaging must prevent short circuit and unintentional activation.

Batteries/cells without any print / indication (Loose or with equipment)

Hover boards

Bluetooth receivers

Bluetooth headsets

Laserpen

Kitchen knives (Securely packed in strong box)

Weapons ((fake) weapons, tasers, knuckle duster, knives, see appendix 1)

5

Ninja Fidget Spinners/ Ninja Stars In case of doubt, do not send

Filled lighters

Electronic lighters

CO2 chargers

Ink/toner cartridges (water base only and not considered dangerous according to MSDS)

Refill ink/toner Tattoo ink (water base only and not considered dangerous according to MSDS)

Alcoholic beverages and liquids >25% Alcohol

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Alcoholic beverages and liquids < 25% Alcohol Packing must withstand a droptest of 1,2 meter

Additional information:

Each package must bear below label, min. 5 x 5 cm.

Nail varnish

Nail gel (not considered dangerous according to MSDS)

Perfume

Aerosols (non toxic)

Magnets

Maximum magnetic field strength sufficient to cause a compass deflection of more than 2 degrees at a distance of 2.1 m from any point on the surface of the assembled package. The magnetic field strength at the compass producing a 2 degree deflection is taken to be 0.418 A/m (0.00525 Gauss).

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2. Regular network - Lithium batteries or Cells allowed inside equipment

Available to

All destinations transported by PostNL by air and truck

Type of batteries or cells allowed inside equipment

Lithium ION (max. watt-hour rating)

• Cell max. 20 Wh

• Battery max. 100 Wh

Lithium METAL (max. lithium content)

• Cell max. 1 gram

• Battery max. 2 gram

Quality requirements

Each cell or battery is of the type proved to meet the requirements of each test of the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria, Part III, subsection 38.3. If necessary, a test report must be send. Cells and batteries must be manufactured under a quality management program as described in 3.9.2.6 (e) of the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations. The Watt-hour rating must be marked on the outside case of the battery except for batteries manufactured before January 2009.

Requirements per packet

• Batteries/cells shall always be incorporated in equipment

• Not more than 4 cells or 2 batteries in any single packet It is not required to connect the battery/cell to the equipment, but the lithium battery must be properly installed and covered in the battery case of the equipment and must be meant to give its power to the specific equipment in which it is installed.

• If the battery/cell is connected to the equipment, it is very important to make sure that the equipment cannot be activated accidentally during transport.

• Per package, not heavier than 5 kilogrammes (max 2 kilogrammes for packets

• The batteries may not be susceptible to overheating or short circuiting

• The shipment must be packed in a strong rigid outer packaging constructed of suitable material of adequate strength and design in relation to the packaging’s capacity and its intended use unless the battery is afforded equivalent protection by the equipment in which it is contained

The below items are considered to be loose batteries/cells or batteries/cell outside equipment and must be processed & packed as described in chapter 3:

• Powerbanks/battery packs

• Packages with equipment containing a lithium battery inside but also a spare battery

Undeliverable packets

Packages that could not be delivered to the recipient could be returned to the customer, please discuss the options with your Account Manager.

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3. Dangerous Goods network – Lithium batteries or cells with equipment or loose

Available to

Limited destinations transported by PostNL by truck only

Type of batteries or cells allowed outside equipment

Lithium ION (max. watt-hour rating)

• Cell max. 20 Wh

• Battery max. 100 Wh

Lithium METAL (max. lithium content)

• Cell max. 1 gram

• Battery max. 2 gram

Quality requirements

Each cell or battery is of the type proved to meet the requirements of each test of the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria, Part III, subsection 38.3. If necessary, a test report must be send. Cells and batteries must be manufactured under a quality management program as described in 3.9.2.6 (e) of the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations. The Watt-hour rating must be marked on the outside case of the battery except for batteries manufactured before January 2009.

Maximum per packet

Loose batteries / cells: Lithium ION Lithium METAL

Batteries / cells with equipment: The number of cells or batteries in each package must not exceed the appropriate number for the equipment’s

operations, plus two spares

The batteries may not be susceptible to overheating or short circuiting

The below items are considered to be loose batteries/cells or batteries/cell outside equipment and must be processed & packed as described in this chapter:

• Powerbanks / battery packs

• Packages with equipment containing a lithium battery inside but also a spare battery

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Destinations that allow Lithium batteries or cells meeting above requirements

Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic*, Denmark, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway,

Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain Mainland, Sweden Mainland**, Switzerland

Spain excl. Balearic Islands & Canary Islands (postcode range 38000-38999 and 07000-07999 and 35000-35999)

Sweden excl. Gotland (postcode range 62000-62999)

France excl. Islands (postcode range 97100 –97999 and 98600-98999)

*Czech Republic does not accept PostNL Packet Tracked material

**Sweden does not accept PostNL Registered material

Packaging

Items must be placed in strong inner packaging that completely enclose the cell/ battery and then placed in a strong

rigid outer packaging.

The package must be capable of withstanding a 1.2m drop test in any orientation without:

• Damage to cells or batteries contained therein

• Shifting of the contents so as to allow battery to battery (or cell to cell) contact

• Release of content

Before sending the first shipment your packaging must be approved by your Account Manager

Package Label

Each packet must be labelled with a lithium ion / metal battery handling label and phone number must be written

on the label. The size of the label is min. 10,5 x 7,4 cm.

Lithium ION Lithium METAL

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Please note that the above labels are valid until 31-12-2017. The labels on the next page may already be used

and are mandatory per 1-1-2018

Lithium ION mandatory per 1-1-2018 Lithium METAL mandatory per 1-1-2018

Loose batteries Loose batteries

Packed with equipment Packed with equipment

When a package contains lithium cells or batteries assigned to different UN numbers, all applicable UN numbers must be indicated on one or more labels.

Hand-over & processing location

Items should be send to PostNL processing location:

POSTNL c/o dnata Warehouse Section 6c Pelikaanweg 1 1118 DT Schiphol The Netherlands

Undeliverable packets

Packages that could not be delivered to the recipient will NOT be returned to the customer & will be destroyed by PostNL.

Transit times

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On average there’s an increase of transit times of 4 working days compared to our Priority service, depending on the destination

The Sender is responsible for correct packaging of the items. PostNL will

perform random checks. If items are not packed correctly, these items will be

rejected. PostNL will notify the sender, but will need to destroy the rejected

items for safety reasons without exception and prior notice.

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4. Dangerous Goods network - Aerosols, Perfume & Nail varnish

Available to

Limited destinations transported by PostNL by truck only

Types allowed

Aerosols for personal grooming or medicinal purposes including deodorants, body sprays, hair sprays, shaving and hair removal creams, medicinal aerosols for prevention or cure such as flea sprays, etc. NOT containing any toxic ingredients. All other aerosols, including those containing spray paints, lacquers, solvents, air fresheners and oven cleaners are prohibited.

N/A N/A

Maximum per packet

2 aerosols of maximum 50 ml each

4 x 150 ml = 600 ml

15 ml or 3 bottles

Destinations

Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway,

Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain Mainland, Switzerland

Spain excl. Balearic Islands & Canary Islands (postcode range 38000-38999 and 07000-07999 and 35000-35999)

France excl. Islands (postcode range 97100 –97999 and 98600-98999)

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Packaging

Valves must be protected by a cap or other

suitable means to prevent inadvertent

release of the contents during transport.

Items must be placed in strong inner

packaging that completely enclose the

aerosols and then placed in a strong outer

packaging.

The package must be capable of

withstanding a 1.2m drop test in any

orientation without:

• Damage to aerosol

• Shifting of the contents so as to allow

aerosol to aerosol contact

• Release of content

Before sending the first shipment your

packaging must be approved by your

Account Manager

Items must be placed in inner packaging that completely enclose

bottle of perfume and then placed in a strong outer packaging.

The package must be capable of withstanding a 1.2m drop test in any

orientation without:

• Damage to bottle

• Shifting of the contents so as to allow bottle to bottle contact

• Release of content

Before sending the first shipment your packaging must be approved

by your Account Manager

Label

Each package must be labelled with a Limited Quantity label next to the address. The size of the label is min. 5 x 5

cm and max. 10 x 10 cm. Also a “this end up” label should be placed on each package to mark the package direction

to ensure that the package remains upright.

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Hand-over & processing location

Items should be send to PostNL processing location

POSTNL c/o dnata Warehouse Section 6c Pelikaanweg 1 1118 DT Schiphol The Netherlands

Undeliverable packets

Packages that could not be delivered to the recipient will NOT be returned to the customer & will be destroyed by PostNL.

Transit times

On average there’s an increase of transit times of 4 working days compared to our Priority service, depending on the destination

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5. Appendix I – Examples prohibited weapons

It is forbidden to ship items which are considered as prohibited weapons designed to kill or

inflict serious injury.

Below you find examples of what is considered as prohibited weapons.

• Firearms

• Alarm guns

• Dummy weapons

• Ammunition

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• Stunguns/taser

• Pepper spray

• Knives

• Blackjacks – Nunchakus

• Ninja stars – Knuckledusters – Ninja Fidget Spinners

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• Hand – foot claws

• Catapults

When these type of goods are shipped, the item will be seized by PostNL or Customs

and destroyed.