# Avon Products Inc. — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

**Citation:** 10-0237  
**Type / status:** guidance / guidance  
**Agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration  
**Effective:** Not stated  
**Published:** 2010-12-21

10-0237 response to Avon Products Inc. concerning 171.24.

## Document text

<<<PAGE 1>>>

U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials
Safety Administration
DEC 2 1 2010
1200 New Jersey Ave, SE
Washington, D.C. 20590
Mr. Kevin Gannon
Manager, Hazmat Compliance & Transportation
A von Products Inc.
1 Avon Place
Rye, NY 10580
Ref. No.: 10-0237
Dear Mr. Gannon:
This is in response to your October 22,2010, letter requesting clarification of requirements in the
Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) applicable to consumer
commodities shipped by air. Specifically, you ask if an air carrier has the discretion to require a
package to display consumer commodity markings in accordance with the International Civil
Aviation Organization's Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air
(ICAO Technical Instructions) in lieu ofmarkings required by the HMR.
A material shipped by air and described with the proper shipping name "Consumer commodity" may
be offered and transported in accordance with the ICAO Technical Instructions as specified in
§ 171.24. The ICAO Technical Instructions describe consumer commodities as Class 9 while the
HMR use the hazard class ORM-D. Since the HMR provide the option for shippers and carriers to
use the ICAO Technical Instructions in domestic air commerce, airline carriers may require shippers
to offer hazardous material for transport in accordance with the ICAO Technical Instructions.
I hope this answers your inquiry. If you need additional assistance, please contact the Standards and
Rulemaking Division.
Sincerely,
~5,~
Ben Supko
Acting Chief, Standards Development Branch
Standards and Rulemaking Division

<<<PAGE 2>>>

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KEVIN GANNON
MANAGER
HAZMAT COMPLIANCE &
TRANSPORTATION
1 Avon Place
Rye, NY 10580
914-935·2029
October 22,2010
Mr. Edward T Mazzullo
Director, Office of Hazardous Materials Standards
U.S. DOT / PHMSA (PHH-10)
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE East Building, 2nd Floor
Washington, DC 20590
Mr. Mazzullo
Avon Products Inc. is a shipper by air freight to Hawaii, Alaska, Guam, and Saipan from our
California based distribution facility. Our products are produced as Consumer Commodity ORM-D.
We tender our freight to a 3rd party air freight forwarder whom have come back to us stating that the
Airlines whom they work with will not accept or recognize the Consumer Commodity ORM-D-AIR
classification. The Airlines will only honor the ICAO/IATA 108000 Consumer Commodity Class 9
PI910 to the pOints which I have referenced.
When referencing Title 49,171.8 United States, means a State of the United States, the District of
Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands,
the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, or any other territory or posseSSion of the United States
designated by the Secretary.
My question, is it the discretion of the Airline to make the call in favoring the ICAO/IATA regulations
over the 49 CFR , or do the Airlines base this call on the 12 mile variance which these points exceed.
Looking forward to the regulatory clarity on this.
Thank You

## Provenance

- Official: Yes
- Source: <https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretations/2010/100237.pdf>
- Source ID: `phmsa`
- SHA-256: `552b084505ff077a2a6b27ded49124a8ff1d309e334046e389effaf6e273e7a8`
- Retrieved: 2026-08-20T00:59:31.977Z
- Exported: 2026-08-22T11:40:00.942Z
- Document slug: `phmsa-interpretation-10-0237`

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