What is the purpose of the UN number on shipping papers?

The UN number serves a crucial role in the transportation of hazardous materials, as it provides a unique identifier for specific substances or articles that are classified as hazardous. Each UN number corresponds to a particular material, allowing for quick and accurate identification by emergency responders, transporters, and regulatory agencies. This standardization helps ensure that appropriate safety measures can be taken during transport and in the event of an incident, such as a spill or accident.

While identifying a shipment's destination, providing tracking information, and indicating shipping costs are important aspects of shipping logistics, they do not directly relate to the function of the UN number, which is primarily focused on the safe handling and transportation of hazardous materials.