| ADR/RID | European Road/Rail Conventions (govern ground transport of dangerous goods throughout Europe) |
| CCC | Sub-Committee on Carriage of Cargoes and Containers (IMO) |
| CEN | Committee on European Normalization |
| COHMED | Cooperative Hazardous Materials Enforcement Development |
| Committee of Experts or COE | United Nations Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods and on the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals |
| DG | Dangerous Goods (more or less the international equivalent of the US term "hazardous materials") |
| DGP | ICAO Dangerous Goods Panel |
| DGR | IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations |
| E & T Group | Editorial &Technical Group (IMO) |
| ECOSOC | UN Economic and Social Council |
| ESPH | Evaluation of Safety and Pollution Hazards of Chemicals (IMO) |
| GESAMP | Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environment Protection |
| GHS | Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (is variously used either in reference to the UN GHS Sub-Committee or the actual publication of that Sub-Committee which is also informally called the Purple Book) |
| Hazmat | Hazardous Materials (as designated by the Secretary of Transportation through delegation to PHMSA, these materials are regulated in commercial transportatoin because they are capable of posing an unreasonable risk to health, safety and property) |
| HM | see "Hazmat" above |
| HMR | Hazardous Materials Regulations (a portion of 49 CFR, it governs commercial transportation of hazardous materials by all modes within US jurisdiction, promulgated by PHMSA) |
| IAEA | International Atomic Energy Agency |
| IATA | International Air Transport Association |
| ICAO | International Civil Aviation Organization |
| ILO | International Labour Organization |
| IMDG CODE | International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code |
| IOMC | InterOrganization Program for Sound Management of Chemicals |
| MEPC | Marine Environmental Protection Committee (IMO) |
| MSC | Marine Safety Committee (IMO) |
| NAFTA LTSS | Nafta Land Transportation Standards Subcommitte |
| OECD | Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development |
| PHMSA | Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration of the US Department of Transportation (promulgates the HMR and otherwise manages the Federal hazardous materials transportation safety program and serves as the focal point and as the US "competent authority" for international dangerous goods transportation issues) |
| PPR | Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response (IMO) |
| TDG | Transport of Dangerous Goods (frequently used in reference to the UN TDG Sub-Committee on the Transport of Dangerous Goods) |
| Technical Instructions | ICAO Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air |
| TI | See "Technical Instructions" above |
| UN | United Nations |
| UNCED | UN Conference on Environment & Development |
| WHO | World Health Organization |
| WSO | World Safety Organization |
