A300
Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Multiengine
Time Pressure
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Hazardous Material Violation
Flight Crew Became Reoriented; General Maintenance Action
Human Factors
During preflight the DG (dangerous goods) Specialist handed us the paperwork for the Hazmat. It included a DOT-SP-XXXXX Form [special transport permit]; which I was unfamiliar with. We were told to fill in our names and employee numbers; and I was told to sign the form; which I did. The explanation for this requirement was that the Hazmat can contained radioactive material with a corrosive sub risk that required it to be loaded in the can rather than farther back. The Ti (Transport Index) level for this item was 0.2; well below the 200 Ti limit. After getting airborne (which; in hind sight should have been done before blocking out); I checked more closely in the FOM to make sure we had properly complied with company guidance. Upon further review; I discovered a note in the dangerous goods section of the FOM; that states; - 'The flight plan must specify it is a DOT-SP-XXXXX flight.' There was no such statement on the flight plan release. Upon arrival at our destination I called Dispatch to inform them of the issue and that I would be filling an ASAP report. Unfamiliarity with the exemption form and rushing on my part. (We were already 45 minutes behind schedule and I allowed this to factor into the equation.) Take the extra time it would require to reference the FOM and to call Dispatch to get their input; and to ensure proper documentation.
We were given a DOT-SP-XXXXX along with the DG (dangerous goods) paperwork and told that it was due to the separation criteria. There was an item with a radioactive subrisk in the accessible Hazmat can in the 3L position. All paperwork was filled out correctly and signed by the Captain. The inspection by myself; the First Officer; found everything to be in order in the Hazmat can. The accessible TIs (Transport Index's) were 0.1; and the total to include inaccessible was 1.5. All readings were taken at the appropriate points on the form and were annotated as zero. We pushed back and flew the flight uneventfully. After level off; we checked the FOM for that form and found in the notes that the form should have been annotated on the flight plan. We were unable to find the DOT-SP-XXXXX annotated on the flight plan release. We queried the Dispatcher; and he was unaware of it as well and if it was on the flight plan. More research is still being done to determine if we actually needed it because the flight was less than 200 TIs; and it was just the separation criteria not met. We should have immediately looked in the FOM when we received the DOT-SP-XXXXX. We should have also queried the Dispatcher and the DG Specialist about it. These things could have caught that we needed the form words on our flight plan. We should have immediately looked in the FOM when we received this form. We should have also queried the Dispatcher and the DG specialist with any questions. These things would have alleviated any confusion. The FOM only covers the greater than 200 TIs for radioactive materials and not the separation criteria which is what our flight fell under. I filed this as a safety concern because none of the flying or ground related events matched.
A-300 flight crew reported departure with incomplete flight plan Hazmat information.