# Lifetime Brands, Inc. — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation **Citation:** 18-0142 **Type / status:** guidance / guidance **Agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration **Effective:** Not stated **Published:** 2018-12-20 18-0142 response to Lifetime Brands, Inc. concerning 173.185. ## Document text <<>> 0 U.S. Department of Transportation Plpellne and Hazardous Materlale Safety Administration 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC 2059. 0 DEC 2 0 20\8 Mr. Jeff Koon Director of Engineering Lifetime Brands, Inc. 2311 W. 22nd Street Suite 200 Oak Brook, IL 60523 Reference No. 18-0142 Dear Mr. Koon: This letter is in response to your November 14, 2018, email and subsequent phone call · requesting clarification of the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) applicable to hazard communication requirements for packages containing lithium button cell batteries installed in equipment. Specifically, you ask whether packages containing lithium button cell batteries installed in equipment must display the lithium battery mark in accordance with§ l 73.185(c)(3). The answer is no. Packages containing only lithium button cell batteries installed in equipment, including circuit boards, that comply with the requirements of§ 173 .185( c) are not required to display the lithium battery mark. This applies regardless of the number of packages per consignment, the number of pieces of equipment per package, or the number of lithium button cell batteries installed in each piece of equipment. I hope this information is helpful. Please contact us if we can be of further assistance. ~~ uk~%nde~~ Chief, Standards Development Branch Standards and Rulemaking Division <<>> January, lkeya CTR (PHMSA) From: INFOCNTR (PHMSA) Sent: To: Subject: Thursday, November 15, 2018 11:01 AM Hazmat Interps FW: Request for letter of interpretation Hello Alice and lkeya, Below is a request for letter of interpretation. We told him the answer because of an IG but could not find an actual letter that answered his question. Thanks, Jonathon, HMIC From: Jeff Koon [mailto:jkoon@filamentbrands.com] Sent: Wednesday, November 14, 2018 4:54 PM To: INFOCNTR (PHMSA) Cc: Ajit Shanbhag Subject: Request for letter of interpretation Jeff Koon Phone#:630-468-5247 Email: jkoon@filamentbrands.com Physical address: Taylor Precision Products Ann: Jeff Koon 2311 W. 22nd Street, Suite 200 Oak Brook, IL 60523 I am writing specifically in regards to 49 CFR 173.185 (c) (3) (3) Hazard communication. Each package must display the lithium battery mark except when a package contains button cell batteries installed in equipment (including circuit boards), or no more than four lithium cells or two lithium batteries contained in equipment, where there are not more than two packages in the consignment. The questions are: 1. Does this statement "where there are not more than two packages in the consignment." at the end of this section apply back to button cell batteries installed in equipment? 2. Are all lithium button cell batteries contained in equipment exempt from hazard communication labeling? For example this section has two unique and separate exemptions and these are them (1&2 below): Each package must display the lithium battery mark except when 1. A package contains button cell batteries installed in equipment (including circuit boards) Or 2. No more than four lithium cells or two lithium batteries contained in equipment, where there are not more than two packages in the consignment. We have been instructed by a customer that we have to apply the UN 3091 label 1 <<>> to our products that have lithium button cell batteries contained in the equipment. Because, even though they are lithium button cell batteries contained in equipment there will always be more than two packages in our consignments to them. They are interpreting the section as: (3) Hazard communication. Each package must display the lithium battery mark except when a package contains button cell batteries installed in equipment (including circuit boards), where there are not more than two packages in the consignment. We need written confirmation of the correct application of this exemption. Thank you, Jeff Koon I Director of Engineering I Lifetime Brands, Inc. 2311 W. 22nd Street, Suite 200 I Oak Brook, IL 60523 Phone: 630.468.5247 I Fax: 630.954.1275 E-mail: jkoon@filamentbrands.com CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This transmission and the information contained herein is privileged, confidential and proprietary information intended only for the addressee. If you are not the addressee, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, dissemination, distribution, copying or use of the contents of this transmission is not allowed and expressly prohibited. If you received this transmission in error, please destroy it and notify the sender immediately. 2 ## Provenance - Official: Yes - Source: - Source ID: `phmsa` - SHA-256: `3bcf5264c4144009785f26f3dbe6b2d81d0668e3ed2bbfb769f29b9fbc5c53a1` - Retrieved: 2026-08-20T00:59:31.977Z - Exported: 2026-08-22T05:51:05.457Z - Document slug: `phmsa-interpretation-18-0142` ### Source metadata ```json { "materialSubtype": "interpretation", "interpretationArea": "hazardous_materials", "representation": "full_text_from_official_pdf", "companies": [ "Lifetime Brands, Inc." ], "individuals": [ "Jeff Koon" ], "refIds": [ "18-0142" ], "catalogDates": [ "2018-12-20" ], "catalogParts": [ 173 ], "catalogRowCount": 1, "sourceRecordUrls": [ "https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/node/71181" ], "linkedAttachmentUrls": [], "unavailableResponseUrls": [], "duplicateRepresentationUrls": [], "citedSections": [ "173.185" ], "catalogPageUrls": [ "https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/regulations/title49/section/173185" ], "pdfUrls": [ "https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/docs/standards-rulemaking/hazmat/interpretations/70676/180142.pdf" ], "representations": [ { "viewUrl": "https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/docs/standards-rulemaking/hazmat/interpretations/70676/180142.pdf", "detailUrl": null, "detailHtmlPath": null, "pdfUrl": "https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/docs/standards-rulemaking/hazmat/interpretations/70676/180142.pdf", "pdfArtifactPath": "data/sources/phmsa-interpretations/18-0142-fe1c8aecc5.pdf", "pdfArtifactSha256": "67ec1a7d8cbd87756f6154725dd1ceea208691f0079c5e330d7828c38690eac2", "extractedTextPath": "data/sources/phmsa-interpretations/18-0142-fe1c8aecc5.v2.txt", "extractedTextSha256": "cb2f77f1e1fef16148c2156c477769675533154a4828c74c42d1e50a1ee4d586", "pageCount": 3, "extractionVersion": 2 } ], "caveat": "Interpretations apply regulations to the facts presented and do not create independently enforceable requirements.", "jurisdiction": "US" } ```