# Bureau of Explosives Transportation Technology Center, Inc. — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

**Citation:** 10-0204  
**Type / status:** guidance / guidance  
**Agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration  
**Effective:** Not stated  
**Published:** 2010-10-27

10-0204 response to Bureau of Explosives Transportation Technology Center, Inc. concerning 172.519.

## Document text

<<<PAGE 1>>>

U.S. Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Ave, SE
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials
Washington, D.C. 20590
Safety Administration
OCT 27 2010
Mr. Sam Chapman
Headquarters Manager, Bureau of Explosives
Transportation Technology Center, Inc.
55500 DOT Road
Pueblo, CO 81001
Ref. No.: 10-0204
Dear Mr. Chapman:
This responds to your September 21, 2010 email requesting clarification of the Hazardous Materials
Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180). Specifically you would like clarification as to whether
the text "RADIOACTIVE" is required on placards for Class 7 (radioactive) materials.
Section 172.519(b )(3) states that for other than Class 7 or the DANGEROUS placard, text indicating
a hazard is not required. In your email you note that § 1n.519(f) provides exceptions to the
placarding requirements for hazardous ma~erials offered for transportation under the provisions of
Subpart C of Part 171, which provides authorization and requirements for the use of international.
transport standards and regulations. You indicate that the International Maritime Dangerous Goods
(lMDG) Code states that the use ofthe word "RADIOACTIVE" in the bottom half ofthe placard is
optional. This exception applies only to Class 7 (radioactive) materials that are transported under the
provisions ofthe IMDG Code. Shipments of Class 7 (radioactive) materials transported under the
provisions ofthe HMR require placards with text indicating the hazard.
I trust this satisfies your inquiry. Please contact us if we can be of further assistance.
Sincerely,
~~
Ben Supko
Acting Chief, Standards Development
Office of Hazardous Materials Standards

<<<PAGE 2>>>

Drakeford. Carolyn (PHMSA)
From: Betts. Charles (PHMSA)
Sent: Wednesday, September 22,20107:48 AM
To: Drakeford. Carolyn (PHMSA)
Subject: FW: Placard Text Inquiry
Attachments: US_HMUor_RaiL2010_Placard_Text. pdf
Importance: High
Carolyn Please
log in this request for interpretation and assigned for proper handling.
Thanks,
Charles
From: Sam_Chapman@aar.com [mailto:Sam_Chapman@aar.com]
Sent: TuesdaYt September 21t 20105:16 PM
To: KaseYt Ray (FRA); boeci.ret@gmail.com
Cc: cjw19@cox,net
Subject: Placard Text Inquiry
Ray and AI,
Charlie Wright and I are cleaning up AAR's United States Hazardous Materials Instructions for Rail before broadcasting it
to AAR member railroads for final approval. While doing so, we have developed an inquiry regarding a statement found in
the document about required placard text.
The statement currently reads: ''Text indicating the hazard is not required on placards other than the DANGEROUS and
RADIOACTIVE placards."
49 CFR 172.519(b)(3) requires a RADIOACTIVE placard to display hazard-indicative text, and 49 CFR 172.334(a)
prohibits a RADIOACTIVE placard from showing
an identification number. However. IMDG Code 5.3.1.2.2 makes optional the use of the word "RADIOACTIVE" to allow an
appropriate UN Number to be displayed on a RADIOACTIVE placard. 49 CFR 172.519(f) says that a placard conforming
to IMDG Code requirements may be used in place of a placard conforming to DOT requirements.
Thus, it would appear that text indicating the hazard is not always required on RADIOACTIVE placards, and the statement
in question should be modified to read: "Text indicating the hazard is not required on placards other than the
DANGEROUS placard."
The attachment contains a visual display of the above discussion. Please offer your perspectives as you wish. Thanks.
Sam Chapman
Headquarters Manager, Bureau of Explosives
Transportation Technology Center, Inc.
55500 DOT Road, Pueblo, CO 81001
719-584-0749 (office) 719-250-8768 (mobile)
719-584-7151 (fax)
sam chapman@aar.com I boe@aar.com
BOE is a department of TTCI--a subsidiary of AAR
1

<<<PAGE 3>>>

Cia" 1 (ExplosivfI$) Class 4 (Flammable Solids &
Reactive Solidslllqulds)
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o..rMltl 1 e
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~' '' 1
E........I
Class 5 (OxidIzers & Organic PeroxIdes)
Class 2 (Gases)
OM.o.cw'I;'r ' ~ Got.. , ~1On'n .... OOT nl h''IlII:(..af'1
Class 6 (Po isonous Materials)
..
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fPotSO'lCII t c :0'1 (PoftI()notra:- . ~WI..la""
k.•.tM.j [!'tMe:- rlHIj ,___ ralPIHtw TJt1)1
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. ""' ...."..tOfllylotu.s. '"
1005 c.n.ctt 00 C:ln.Mi.t to U S. ""'
.....'t"
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0......",•• I PGJ
~~rr*,~c.To . ,c,lnf .J liC:Irt
,~/ _.'POI,.
H.autU IPIio. rI nHIiI!
, PGII IPQiS<JNl '7 flGt*,
Class 7
""'-_ r......
ra ":.MI ..1afI1
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-
Class 8
Class J (Flammable Liquids)
Combu$lible Liquids Mixed Load
Class 9 (Miscellaneous Ha-zardous Materials)
Ah.. .df
~ .../ ,.
• Y "I
ea, ....' ""I
-
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.
T T-'
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~
Figure 4. Placards for Hazardous Materials by Hazard Class
Text indicating the hazard is not required on placards other than the DANGEROUS and
RADIOACTIVE placard.§.. The worded hazard class text. except for DANGEROUS, does not have to be
in English as long as the size, color, hazard class , and symbol are correct.
Comment: Replace " Anhydrous
Ammonia Canad13J1 Only·' with
.. nhydrous Ammo",,, (Canadian)" and
" 'JOI C' Au lhoriLed onl\ for S. to
Canudll or Canada to t' s. ~hipment"i "
Make sure all rect;t nglllar boxes inside
pl,card, arc white \\1m black borders.
Also 1!nsure white backgrounds.
Comment: 49 CTR 172 SI9(b)(3)
require; a RADIO C nVE pl. card to
display hazmd-indicalive text, a'od 49
CFR 171 34(,) prohi biiS,
RADIO CnVE placard from sho" log
1 0 idenflficallon nu mber.
However, IMDG Code 53 12 2 m.kes
Opll(,ll.l ult Ll<e of Ihe word
"RADIOACTIVE" 10 allow an
approprilue UN 'lum be r to be dl splaycd
un a RADIO G IVE pln""n!.
4 ~ CFR In 519(1) say, LIt", a plac,rd
conton1ung 10 l ~l DG Code n:·qu.ircmcnt:i
may be used In place of a plncarrl
confoflmng to DOT n:quin:i1ltnb.
Thus, it would appear lhal teXT tn d i catlll ~
thr.: lu v..ard 1$ not .dway'i r ~qum: J on
RA DI ClIVE pl.card.
(o;;;ted:Radioactive
Comment: Implied by 49 e FK
I I 22(t](3)1 (Only ,pmfle, English fo r
.s hipping papc:rs and pilckag..: markings,
nol placards )
23
United States Hazardous Materials Instructions for Rail

## Provenance

- Official: Yes
- Source: <https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretations/2010/100204.pdf>
- Source ID: `phmsa`
- SHA-256: `c0709db982eba16a81fb56cd1f4ac3580eaf78e5fce5efb89b5ccc56dbe57b17`
- Retrieved: 2026-08-20T00:59:31.977Z
- Exported: 2026-08-23T07:49:08.956Z
- Document slug: `phmsa-interpretation-10-0204`

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