# HAZMAT and Dangerous Goods Program — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

**Citation:** 98-0428  
**Type / status:** guidance / guidance  
**Agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration  
**Effective:** Not stated  
**Published:** 1998-07-16

98-0428 response to HAZMAT and Dangerous Goods Program concerning 172.704.

## Document text

<<<PAGE 1>>>

Memorandum
U.S. Department
of Transportation
Research and
Special Programs
Administration
Date:
JUL 1 6 1998
Reply to Attn. of:
Subject:
From:
RSPA Office of Hazardous Materials Standards
*:
Charles Lovinski, Manager,
HAZMAT and Dangerous Goods Program
This is in response to your memo requesting clarification of employee (or contractor
employee) training requirements. Your question is paraphrased and answered as follows:
Question: Are employees of (or contractor employees for) an airline who perform
security functions related to cargo, including loading and unloading onto pallets and x-
ray machines, opening for inspection, and transporting cargo that includes hazmat to
the aircraft, required by the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) to have function-
specific training?
The answer to your question is yes. Both employees and contract employees of an airline
who perform any function subject to the requirements of the HMR are required to be
instructed in the requirements of the HMR that apply to those functions. Section 172.704
contains the requirements for the training of hazmat employees, one item of which is
function-specific training (§ 172.704 (a) (2)). We also believe that this answer is consistent
with the training requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO)
Technical Instructions.
I trust this satisfies your inquiry. If this office can be of further assistance, please contact us.
i..
#
:
•

<<<PAGE 2>>>

*APE 6.1998
3: 44PM
CIVIL AVIATION SECURITY
NO. 609
P.2/2
Memorandum
of Transportation
U.S. Department
Edmorsion
Federal Aviation
Fle: 172:704
Administration
Subjecti
ACTION: Dangerous Goods Training for Air
Date:
Carrier Employees
APR - 6 1998
From: Manager, Dangerous Goods & Cargo Security
Reply to
Attn, ofi
To: Director, Office of Hazardous Materials Standards
1
The Division Manager in our Southern region, has asked for an interpretation for the
following questions to the Hazardous Materials Regulations.
Are employees (or contractor employees) for an airline who perform security functions
related to cargo required to have function specific training?
Their duties include loading, unloading cargo onto pallets and x-ray machines, opening
cargo for physical inspection, and transporting cargo to the aircraft. The aforementioned
cargo does include hazardous materials.
The ICAO Technical Instructions, Part 6, page 6-1-1 and page 6-1-2 details the
international community's standards and expectations relative to the kind of training
required of certain employees.
Should this ICAO requirements be taken into
-
consideration when answering the above questions?
wwilky
for Charles Lovinski

## Provenance

- Official: Yes
- Source: <https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/1998/980428.pdf>
- Source ID: `phmsa`
- SHA-256: `e5e169bcd4ce04ad483d07d03e4185cb54c4e16e885ec54ecd055ac06be0e0cc`
- Retrieved: 2026-08-20T00:59:31.977Z
- Exported: 2026-08-23T02:17:49.432Z
- Document slug: `phmsa-interpretation-98-0428`

### Source metadata

```json
{
  "materialSubtype": "interpretation",
  "interpretationArea": "hazardous_materials",
  "representation": "full_text_from_official_pdf",
  "companies": [
    "HAZMAT and Dangerous Goods Program"
  ],
  "individuals": [
    "Charles Lovinski"
  ],
  "refIds": [
    "98-0428"
  ],
  "catalogDates": [
    "1998-07-16"
  ],
  "catalogParts": [
    172
  ],
  "catalogRowCount": 1,
  "sourceRecordUrls": [
    "https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/node/69841"
  ],
  "linkedAttachmentUrls": [],
  "unavailableResponseUrls": [],
  "duplicateRepresentationUrls": [],
  "citedSections": [
    "172.704"
  ],
  "catalogPageUrls": [
    "https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/regulations/title49/section/172704"
  ],
  "pdfUrls": [
    "https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/1998/980428.pdf"
  ],
  "representations": [
    {
      "viewUrl": "https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/1998/980428.pdf",
      "detailUrl": null,
      "detailHtmlPath": null,
      "pdfUrl": "https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/1998/980428.pdf",
      "pdfArtifactPath": "data/sources/phmsa-interpretations/98-0428-dc6cd6a809.pdf",
      "pdfArtifactSha256": "cf243f50247cd568b6c59b1d2fead80acfcebfda568145cc77300789ccb1aa6e",
      "extractedTextPath": "data/sources/phmsa-interpretations/98-0428-dc6cd6a809.v2.txt",
      "extractedTextSha256": "25c83baef0bbf24baf06aefa96a47f6d4be3784f56aaf9cd9320d8e51d52d8fc",
      "pageCount": 2,
      "extractionVersion": 2
    }
  ],
  "caveat": "Interpretations apply regulations to the facts presented and do not create independently enforceable requirements.",
  "jurisdiction": "US"
}
```