# Boe Gases — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

**Citation:** 98-0421  
**Type / status:** guidance / guidance  
**Agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration  
**Effective:** Not stated  
**Published:** 1998-04-17

98-0421 response to Boe Gases concerning 172.334, 172.519.

## Document text

<<<PAGE 1>>>

•
-
US. Department
of Transportation
Washington, D.C.
400 Seventh Street, S.W
20590
Research and
Special Programs
Administration
APR | 7 1998
statistiatel
Mr. John N. Thompson
Hazardous Materials Specialist
BOC Gases
P.O. Drawer No. 272
:
Riverton, NJ 08077
Dear Mr. Thompson:
This is in response to your letter of April 17, 1998, requesting clarification of the placarding
requirements for oxygen under the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR parts 171-
180). Specifically you ask whether you may display the identification number for oxygen on an
OXYGEN placard in lieu of the text.
:
The answer is yes. As provided by § 172.334 no person may display an identification number on
a RADIOACTIVE, EXPLOSIVES, DANGEROUS or subsidiary hazard placard. It is acceptable
to display an At GEN placard bearing an identification number on a bulk packaging containing
oxygen. The apparent conflict with § 172.519(b)(3), which states that text is required on an
OXYGEN placard, will be addressed in a future rulemaking.
I hope this information is helpful.
-
Sincerely,
!
ThomA. all
Thomas G. Allan
Deputy Director
Office of Hazardous Materials Standards

<<<PAGE 2>>>

LEN BOC GASES
Telephones: 609 829 7878
-
April 17,1998
Diane DeVille
U.S. Department of Transportation
•
Research and Specials Programs Administration
Office of Hazardous Materials Safety
Washington, D.C. 20590
Dear: Ms. DeVille
Could you please clarify for BOC Gases the following question.
class 2 number in the lower corner, in which you replaced the word "OXYGEN"
Are you permitted to placard an liquid oxygen trailer with a yellow placard having a
, with the four digit identification number 1073?
Please respond to me at BOC Gases, 600 Union Landing Road, Riverton, NJ, 08077
phone: (609)-786-2906, fax: (609)-786-2959.
Sincerely,
BOC Gases
John N. Thompson
Toln N. Thompson
Hazardous Materials Specialist
A Delaware Corporation
A division of The BOC Group, Inc.
z0/20•d
8661-4I-440

## Provenance

- Official: Yes
- Source: <https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/1998/980421.pdf>
- Source ID: `phmsa`
- SHA-256: `6d9eb7e62fc36ef7921292d44ac3d4421fca10e429d935d46cab7eb8c48c0da5`
- Retrieved: 2026-08-20T00:59:31.977Z
- Exported: 2026-08-23T21:32:11.797Z
- Document slug: `phmsa-interpretation-98-0421`

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