# The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Department of Environment, Health & Safety — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

**Citation:** 11-0258  
**Type / status:** guidance / guidance  
**Agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration  
**Effective:** Not stated  
**Published:** 2011-11-22

11-0258 response to The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Department of Environment, Health & Safety concerning 171.8, 172.203.

## Document text

<<<PAGE 1>>>

1200 New Jersey Avenue SE
U.S. Department Washington, DC 20590
of Transportation
Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety
Administration
NOV 2 ::: 2011
Mr. Daniel Vick
The University ofNorth Carolina at Chapel Hill
Department of Envirorunent, Health & Safety
1120 Estes Drive Ext., CB# 1650
Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
Ref. No. 11-0258
Dear Mr. Vick:
This responds to your letter requesting clarification of the Hazardous Materials
Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) applicable to shipping papers. Specifically,
you ask for guidance in detennining what technical name, ifany, should be indicated on a
shipping paper for a Category A infectious substance prepared in accordance with
§ 172.203(k:) when the specific agent or pathogen is known.
Category A infections substances must be described on a shipping paper as "UN2814,
Infectious substances, affecting humans, 6.2" or "UN2900, Infectious substances, affecting
animals, 6.2", as appropriate. Because both § 172.101 Hazardous Materials Table (HMT)
entries are identified by the letter "G" in column 1 ofthe HMT, the technical name must be
entered on a shipping paper, in parentheses, in association with the basic description as
prescribed in § 172.203(k).
Section 171.8 of the HMR defines a "technical name" as a recognized chemical name or
microbiological name currently used in scientific and technical handbooks, journals, and
texts. It also authorizes a generic description to be used as a technical name provided it
readily identifies the general chemical or microbiological group ofthe material. Therefore,
when the identity ofthe pathogen contained in an infectious substance is known, the
technical name ofthe pathogen must be indicated in parentheses in association with the
basic description on a shipping paper as prescribed in § 172.203(k). When the identity of
the pathogen contained in an infectious substance is not known, but sufficient infonnation
is available to strongly suspect that it does contain a Category A infectious substance,
§ 172.203(k) ofthe HMR requires that the words "suspected Category A infectious
substance" must be entered in parentheses in place of the technical name as part ofthe

<<<PAGE 2>>>

proper shipping description on a shipping paper. Further, as specified in §§ 172.203(k)
and 172.30 1 (b), regardless ofwhether the pathogen ofan infectious substance is known or
not known, the technical name ofa Division 6.2 material should not be marked on the
surface of its outer package.
I trust this satisfies your inquiry. Please contact us ifwe can be of further assistance.
Sincerely,
T. Glenn Foster
Chief, Regulatory Review and Reinvention Branch
Standards and Rulemaking Division

<<<PAGE 3>>>

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The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill I (_ /'\. 'J &.. ()
Department of Environment, Health & Safety c.,...I ~ <5
1120Estes Drive Ext., CB# 1650
Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
September 22,2011
Mr. Charles E. Betts
Director, Office ofHazardous Materials Standards
U.S. DOTIPHMSA (PHH-10)
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE East Building, 2nd Floor
Washington, DC 20590
Re: 49 CFR 172.203(k) interpretation request
Dear Mr. Betts,
I hope you can provide some clarification regarding 49 CFR 172.203(k) as it applies to UN2814 Infectious
Substance, affecting humans.
According to section 172.10 I (b)(4) when the letter G appears in column one ofthe Table ofHazardous Materials
(172.10 I) a technical name is required in parenthesis in association with the basic description. Section 172.203(k)
also explains that any item with the letter "G" in column one ofthe Table ofHazardous Materials (172.101) must
show a technical name in parenthesis in association with the basic description on the shipping paper. Since section
172.203(k) explains that a technical name for division 6.2 materials should not be marked on the outer package this
request only pertains to the proper shipping name and technical name that is written on the shipping paper. Section
172.203(k) goes on to say that when a substance is suspected to contain a division 6.2 substance the phrase
"suspected Category A infectious substance" should be entered in parenthesis in place ofthe technical name. This
leads me to believe that when we know the technical name ofthe substance we are to write it in parenthesis next to
the proper shipping name on the shipping paper.
We were told recently by a PHMSA agent that regardless ofwhether or not we know what the substance is we must
always write "suspected Category A infectious substance" in parenthesis next to the proper shipping name on the
shipping paper. I have read through the relevant sections ofthe 49 CFR and simply cannot find where this rule is
written. Can you please clarify if we are to write the actual technical name in parenthesis after the proper shipping
name on the shipping paper for UN2814 items or are we to write only "suspected Category A infectious substance"
in parentheses next to the proper shipping name regardless if we know what the substance is?
Daniel Vick
Phone: 919-962-5712
Fax: 919-962-0227
Email: dcvick@ehs.unc.edu

## Provenance

- Official: Yes
- Source: <https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretations/2011/110258.pdf>
- Source ID: `phmsa`
- SHA-256: `f721fefe2763a20ec0dee48c9c8c09025dc8f23a01498d5a736cdf513ad21c3b`
- Retrieved: 2026-08-20T00:59:31.977Z
- Exported: 2026-08-24T10:52:29.789Z
- Document slug: `phmsa-interpretation-11-0258`

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