# Global Industrial Packaging — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

**Citation:** 25-0060  
**Type / status:** guidance / guidance  
**Agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration  
**Effective:** Not stated  
**Published:** 2025-07-15

25-0060 response to Global Industrial Packaging concerning 178.503.

## Document text

<<<PAGE 1>>>

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
U.S. Department
of Transportation
Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety
Administration
July 15, 2025
John Foryt
Director, Global Product Safety & Compliance
Global Industrial Packaging
366 Greif Parkway
Delaware, Ohio 43015
Reference No. 25-0060
Dear Mr. Foryt:
This letter is in response to your May 1, 2025 email requesting clarification of the Hazardous
Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) applicable to markings on UN
specification non-bulk performance-oriented packagings. Specifically, can a single UN symbol
be used to meet the requirements in § 178.503(a)(1) when multiple (e.g., two or more) markings
are included on a packaging.
No. In accordance with § 178.3(c), the HMR specifically states if more than one marking appears
on a packaging, each marking must appear in its entirety. Thus, each marking string must include
its own UN symbol or the letters “UN” as part of the marking string.
I hope this information is helpful. Please contact us if we can be of further assistance.
Sincerely,
Dirk Der Kinderen
Chief, Standards and Development Branch
Standards and Rulemaking Division

<<<PAGE 2>>>

May 1, 2025
Mr. Shane Kelley
Director, Standards and Rulemaking Division
U.S. DOT/PHMSA (PHH-10)
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE East Building, 2nd Floor
Washington, DC 20590
Submitted via email to infocntr@dot.gov
Letter of Interpretation Request
Dear Mr. Kelley:
On behalf of Greif Inc. (GBC), this communication is to request a formal letter of interpretation
around the requirements for marking UN packaging in 49 CFR 178.503. Specifically, Greif wishes to
understand whether a single UN symbol can be used to meet the requirements of 178.503(a)(1)
when multiple (2 or more) markings are included on a packaging.
To better illustrate the question, the below graphic highlights the above-mentioned scenario where
a 1H1 plastic drum carries two markings in the embossment.
While the requirements for the inclusion of the lowercase UN symbol in a mark are clear, the CFR
text does not make clear whether each mark must begin with a separate UN symbol, or if one large
symbol at the beginning of each mark fulfills the requirement.
Thank you for your attention and response to Greif’s request for a formal letter of interpretation.
Global Industrial Packaging
366 Greif Parkway – Delaware, Ohio 43015
Corporate Office
425 Winter Road – Delaware, Ohio 43015
www.greif.com

<<<PAGE 3>>>

Sincerely,
John Foryt
Director, Global Product Safety & Compliance
John.Foryt@Greif.com
614-499-4919
Global Industrial Packaging
366 Greif Parkway – Delaware, Ohio 43015
Corporate Office
425 Winter Road – Delaware, Ohio 43015
www.greif.com

## Provenance

- Official: Yes
- Source: <https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/2025-07/250060.pdf>
- Source ID: `phmsa`
- SHA-256: `54913add4ccb9834afd5497c406c9be62d20b868442f3624fadf790198b115ec`
- Retrieved: 2026-08-20T00:59:31.977Z
- Exported: 2026-08-24T01:08:10.227Z
- Document slug: `phmsa-interpretation-25-0060`

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