The Shipping of Hazardous Materials
written by Maurine Claver

The Department of Environmental Health and Safety recently implemented a new program for University faculty and staff who ship hazardous materials and dangerous goods to locations off campus, using mail services, air transportation (such as Fed Ex or UPS), courier, etc.

This program provides all of the assistance needed to properly classify, document, prepare and offer hazardous materials for shipment, and to properly handle and provide security for materials prior to shipment. The program can be found on the EHS web site at http://www.ehs.psu.edu/hazmat/index.cfm.

The International Air Transportation Association (IATA) and the Federal Department of Transportation (DOT) regulate the shipment of hazardous materials. Regulations that govern the shipping of these materials are complex and their interpretation should be left to experts in the field. This resource is available to provide appropriate guidance for laboratories to comply with the regulations

Hazardous materials are generated by a variety of University activities such as teaching, testing/research laboratories and agricultural operations. These materials may cause severe injury or death or pose substantial environmental threats when improperly transported. To prevent this, materials must be properly classified, packaged, marked, labeled and documented.

Some examples of materials that must be shipped as hazardous materials or dangerous goods include:

• Chemicals: Explosives, compressed gases (including liquefied gases), flammable/combustible liquids (alcohols, solvents, paints), flammable solids (magnesium, sodium), spontaneous combustibles (activated carbon, phosphorus), dangerous when wet (alkaline earth metal alloys, aluminum powder), oxidizers (concentrated mineral acids, bromates, chlorates), organic peroxides (benzoyl peroxide), and/or corrosives (acids or bases which are corrosive to the skin and materials having a pH of 5.5-11.0).
• Others: biological toxins, specimen solutions, pesticides, infectious pathogens and/or miscellaneous hazardous materials (i.e., Dry Ice).

Additional details and examples of hazardous materials/dangerous goods can be found in the hazardous material guidelines at http://www.ehs.psu.edu/hazmat/HazardousMaterialsShippingGuidelines.pdf (PDF) or you can contact the EHS certified Hazardous Material Shipping Specialist, Barry Cowher (cowher@ehs.psu.edu, 865-6391) to discuss hazardous materials shipping regulations.