# W.M. Barr & Company — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

**Citation:** 11-0250  
**Type / status:** guidance / guidance  
**Agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration  
**Effective:** Not stated  
**Published:** 2011-11-22

11-0250 response to W.M. Barr & Company concerning 172.406.

## Document text

<<<PAGE 1>>>

U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
1200 New Jersey Ave, SE
Washington, D.C. 20590
NOV 2 2 2011
John Rhodes
Packaging Engineer
W.M. Barr & Company
P.O. Box 1879
Memphis, TN 38101
Reference No.: 11-0250
Dear Mr. Rhodes:
This is in response to your October 3, 2011 letter requesting clarification of the Hazardous
Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) as they pertain to label placement. You
have provided a picture of a package labeled with a flammable liquid label that has one corner of
the square on point extending onto a separate side panel of the package. You ask if this example
constitutes a violation of § 172.406(f).
It is the opinion of this office that the label placement pictured in the photograph you submitted is
not in violation of § 172.406(f). The requirements for label visibility in § 172.406(f) require that
labels must be clearly visible and may not be obscured by markings or attachments. The intent of
this requirement is to ensure that hazard communication labels clearly illustrate the hazards
presented within the package, and that the view of the required label is not obstructed by any
additional markings or packaging accessories that may reduce the effectiveness of the required
hazard communication. The slight overlap of the label in the picture you provided does not reduce
the effectiveness of the label to convey the hazards represented within the package.
I hope this satisfies your inquiry. Please contact us if we can be of further assistance.
~ ~ ~
DelmerBilU
Senior Regulatory Advisor
Standards and Rulemaking Division

<<<PAGE 2>>>

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October 3, 2011
Office of Hazardous Materials Safety
Pipeline and Hazard Materials Safety Administration
U.S. Department of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE
East Building 2nd Floor
Washington, DC 20590
To Whom It Mat Concern,
I have enclosed a picture of a box the a flammable diamond affixed in the upper left
comer. As you can see, a small portion of the left comer is wrapped around the side of
the box. Is this much overlap a violation of 172.406 (f)? Also, the label with the number
Y9116 was not applied by my company.
I look forward to your response.
Rhodes, Packaging Engineer
(901) 775-5447
cc: Attachment
2105 ChanneliP.O. Box 1879
Memphis, TN 38113/38101
Ph 901.775.0100

<<<PAGE 3>>>

FLAMMABLE LIQUID
Y9116
32
ШАС 182

## Provenance

- Official: Yes
- Source: <https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretations/2011/110250.pdf>
- Source ID: `phmsa`
- SHA-256: `a1d6e5f979936004692b8a815056f88f01cdf948393d68e568f62aedcaf63b3d`
- Retrieved: 2026-08-20T00:59:31.977Z
- Exported: 2026-08-22T16:38:34.403Z
- Document slug: `phmsa-interpretation-11-0250`

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