How to Classify Hazmat That Changes Its Characteristics
Q. I have to ship some solid phosphoric acid powder. The Hazardous Material Table says it's a Class 8—Corrosive hazardous material. I thought that Class 8 was only for corrosive liquids. What's up with that?
A. A material is a Class 8 hazmat if it fails the tests given in 49 CFR 173.137. The procedures for those tests are calibrated for...
New Requirements for Limited Quantities & Consumer Commodities
Q. Settle a bet. My co-worker says a limited quantity hazmat package doesn't need shipping papers; I say that exception is only for consumer commodities. Who's right?
A. You're both a little bit right, and you're both a little bit wrong...
IMO Releases New IMDG 2012 Edition
The 2012 Edition of the International Maritime Organization's IMDG Code is now available! The voluntary, or "phase-in," compliance period for the new Amendment 36-12 begins on January 1, 2013, and compliance with the new rules is mandatory starting January 1, 2014.
The new amendment includes a number of significant changes that will affect hazmat vessel shipping operations over the next two years. An overview of the most critical changes appears below...
What's New for the IATA DGR 54th Edition?
On January 1, 2013, the 54th Edition of the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations goes into effect. The 54th Edition of the DGR incorporates changes to the 2013-2014 edition of the ICAO Technical Instructions and other amendments made by IATA. A summary of significant changes and new provisions follows...
GHS vs. DOT Classification
Q. Less than one year ago, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) amended the Hazard Communication Standard (HazCom) to harmonize with the Globally Harmonized System of Chemical Classification and Labeling (GHS). HazCom is one of two major programs in the United States that classifies a large universe of chemical hazards. The other major system is the Hazardous Material Regulations (HMR) promulgated and enforced by the Department of Transportation (DOT). How do OSHA's new GHS classifications compare with the DOT's hazmat classification system...
ORM-D-AIR Classification to Be Phased Out
The U.S. Department of Transportation is phasing out the ORM-D classification. The last day to ship packages properly classified and marked as ORM-D-AIR is December 31, 2012. Starting January 1, 2013, no new ORM-D AIR packages may be offered for transportation. Instead, shippers have to use...
Basic Description Order Phase Out
When shipping fully regulated hazmat packages, all shippers must create shipping papers to provide hazard information to their carriers and emergency responders. The core element of a hazmat shipping paper is the "basic description" of each hazardous material in the consignment. [49 CFR 172.202(a)] The basic description is made up of the following four elements...
New Hazmat Rules and Mandatory Deadlines
To help keep your faciltiy up to date, following is a list of updated regulations based on the changes that have or will occur by the end of 2012...
MAP-21 Highway Bill Wrap-Up
In today's fourth and final installment of LionBlog's coverage of the recently signed MAP-21 (Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century) highway bill, we will discuss the last remaining hazmat–related portion of the bill – miscellaneous amendments made to the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR)...
New GHS Labels vs. DOT Labels
Q. I have a 55-gallon drum of a flammable chemical that I plan to ship to a customer. I know I am required to have a GHS label on the outside, as well as DOT markings and labels. I was told that the flame pictogram on the GHS label cannot be on the drum since there is already a Flammable Liquid label as required by the DOT. Is this true...
This 10-step Hazmat Shipper Starter Guide is your quick reference to the basics of hazardous materials shipping. While it's not designed to replace effective hazmat training, it will introduce new managers to the major considerations and details that impact hazmat shipping compliance.