# Johes-Blair Company — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

**Citation:** 11-0099  
**Type / status:** guidance / guidance  
**Agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration  
**Effective:** Not stated  
**Published:** 2011-06-09

11-0099 response to Johes-Blair Company concerning 172.315.

## Document text

<<<PAGE 1>>>

U.S. Department
of Transportation
Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety
Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE
Washmgton. DC 20590
Mr. Matt Barfknecht
Jones-Blair Company
2728 Empire Central
Dallas, TX 75235
Reference No. 11-0099
Dear Mr. Barfknecht:
This responds to your April 27, 2011 email regarding the limited quantity marking
requirements of the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) as
amended under final rule HM-215K (76 FR 3308; January 19,2011). Specifically, you
request confirmation that the tan color of the boxes used by your company to package
limited quantity hazardous material provides a suitable contrasting background for the
limited quantity marking as illustrated in a picture you provided to us.
Based on the picture provided, the color of the packaging provides a suitable contrasting
background for the limited quantity marking. As amended under HM-215K,
§ 172.315( a )(2) requires the top and bottom portions and the border forming the square-onpoint
(Le., the limited quantity marking) to be black and the center white or of a suitable
contrasting background. To rephrase, the center of the limited quantity marking must be
white or of a suitable contrasting color to the black top and bottom portions and the border.
Printing the limited quantity marking on a fiberboard box in the manner illustrated by the
picture you provided meets this condition.
I trust this satisfies your inquiry. Please contact us if we can be of further assistance.
Sincerely,
Ben Supko
Chief, Standards Development Branch
Standards and Rulemaking Division

<<<PAGE 2>>>

Drakeford, Carolyn (PHMSA)
From: Betts, Charles (PHMSA)
Sent: Wednesday, April 27, 2011 12:31 PM
To: Drakeford, Carolyn (PHMSA)
Subject: FW: Question regarding new Limited Quantity Mark
Attachments: LQ tan,JPG; LQ White,JPG
Please log this in for expedited handling
From: Matt Barfknecht [mailto:mattb@jones-blair.com]
Sent: Wednesday, April 27, 2011 8:57 AM
To: Betts, Charles (PHMSA)
Subject: Question regarding new Limited Quantity Mark
Mr. Betts,
We are in the process of changing to the new limited quantity mark as required by 172.315. I have
attached two pictures for your review. I would like to print the black diamond on our tan boxes and avoid
printing white. My questions is does the black over tan provide a "suitable contrasting background"?
Thank you for your time.
Matt Barfknecht
Plant Manager
.Jones-Blair Company
21.4-353-1.600
1

<<<PAGE 3>>>



<<<PAGE 4>>>

## Provenance

- Official: Yes
- Source: <https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretations/2011/110099.pdf>
- Source ID: `phmsa`
- SHA-256: `6655aee7c324507ff1c084496a6edcef4e996e4999e66b37e1b5d9a8c78cb69f`
- Retrieved: 2026-08-20T00:59:31.977Z
- Exported: 2026-08-22T19:23:24.518Z
- Document slug: `phmsa-interpretation-11-0099`

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