{"operation":"document","citation":"PHMSA Guidance, Safety Advisory: Packaging and Handling Ebola Virus Contaminated Infectious Waste for Transportation to Disposal Sites","title":"Safety Advisory: Packaging and Handling Ebola Virus Contaminated Infectious Waste for Transportation to Disposal Sites","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"2014-10-30","effective_on":"2014-10-30","summary":"Safety Advisory: Packaging and Handling Ebola Virus Contaminated Infectious Waste for Transportation to Disposal Sites Document ebola_sa.pdf (56.7 KB) Guidance: Packaging and Handling Ebola Virus Contaminated Infectious Waste for Transportation to Disposal Sites This Safety Advisory provides guidance on the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 C.F.R., Parts 171-180) to pe","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-guidance-safety-advisory-packaging-and-handling-ebola-virus-contaminated-dedb91a1.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-guidance-safety-advisory-packaging-and-handling-ebola-virus-contaminated-dedb91a1.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-guidance-safety-advisory-packaging-and-handling-ebola-virus-contaminated-dedb91a1","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/transporting-infectious-substances/safety-advisory-packaging-and-handling-ebola-virus-contaminated","body":"Safety Advisory: Packaging and Handling Ebola Virus Contaminated Infectious Waste for Transportation to Disposal Sites\n\nDocument\n\n ebola_sa.pdf (56.7 KB)\n\n        Guidance: Packaging and Handling Ebola Virus Contaminated Infectious Waste for Transportation to Disposal Sites\n\nThis Safety Advisory provides guidance on the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT)\n\nHazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 C.F.R., Parts 171-180) to persons who prepare,\n\noffer and transport materials contaminated or suspected of being contaminated with the Ebola\n\nvirus. The HMR apply to any material that the DOT determines is capable of posing an \n\nunreasonable risk to health, safety, and property when transported in commerce.\n\nMaterial contaminated or suspected of being contaminated with Ebola is regulated as a Category A infectious substance under the HMR. To ensure their safe transportation, the Ebola\n\ncontaminated materials must be packaged in conformity with the applicable requirements in the\n\nHMR for Category A infectious substances. Ebola contaminated materials that have been\n\nappropriately incinerated, autoclaved, or otherwise inactivated are not considered Category A\n\ninfectious substances and are not subject to the requirements of the HMR. For more information\n\non the HMR requirements see http://phmsa.dot.gov/hazmat/transporting-infectious-substances .\n\nFor guidance on how to handle infectious substances before transporting them, refer to the\n\nCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/hcp/index.html\n\nThis document is intended to provide general guidance and does not address many of the\n\nspecific provisions and exceptions contained in the HMR. It should not be used as a substitute\n\nfor the HMR to determine compliance. Strict compliance with the HMR is required, unless you\n\nhave been granted a special permit.\n\nTransportation of a hazardous material in a motor vehicle, aircraft, or vessel operated by\n\na Federal, state, or local government employee solely for noncommercial Federal, state, or local\n\ngovernment purposes is not subject to the HMR. Accordingly, waste generated from the\n\ntreatment of a patient contaminated or suspected of being contaminated with the Ebola virus\n\ntransported by a Federal, state, or local government employee to a disposal facility is not subject\n\nto the HMR. DOT, however, recommends that Federal, state, or local governments comply with\n\nappropriate safety requirements provided in the HMR to ensure the safe transportation of waste\n\ncontaminated or suspected of being contaminated with the Ebola virus. We also recommend\n\ncompliance with all conditions and operational controls specified in any applicable special\n\npermit issued for the transportation of waste contaminated or suspected of being contaminated\n\nwith the Ebola virus and our guidance referred to below. To transport materials contaminated or\n\nsuspected of being contaminated with the Ebola virus, a special permit may be necessary to\n\nallow for a variance of the HMR packaging requirements to handle the larger volume of\n\ncontaminated waste generated during the treatment of Ebola patients. DOT may grant a special\n\npermit if the applicant can demonstrate that an alternative packaging will achieve a safety level\n\nthat is at least equal to the safety level required under HMR or is consistent with the public\n\ninterest if a required safety level does not exist. Emergency processing of special permits applies\n\nwhen the special permit is necessary to prevent significant injury to persons or property not\n\npreventable under normal processing, for immediate national security, or to prevent significant\n\neconomic loss. To qualify for emergency processing, the application must meet specific criteria,\n\njustifications must be well documented, and describe the impact if the special permit is not\n\ngranted.\n\nPHMSA issued a non-site specific special permit (Special Permit DOT-SP 16279) to\n\ncertain waste haulers, which authorizes the transportation in commerce of waste contaminated\n\nwith or suspected of being contaminated with the Ebola virus for disposal. Other waste haulers\n\nnot yet authorized under Special Permit DOT-SP 16279 may apply for party status in accordance\n\nwith 49 CFR 107.107. If an entity needs a variance from the HMR, it must apply for a special\n\npermit as provided in 49 CFR 107 subpart B. \n\n          Issued Date: Thursday, October 30, 2014\n\n<<<PAGE 1>>>\n\nBilling Code: 4910-60-P\nDEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION\nPipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration\n[Docket No. PHMSA-2014-0134, Notice No. 14-04]\nSafety Advisory: Packaging and Handling Ebola Virus Contaminated Infectious Waste for\nTransportation to Disposal Sites\nAGENCY: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), DOT.\nACTION: Safety Advisory Notice\nSUMMARY: PHMSA is issuing this safety advisory to provide guidance on the U.S.\nDepartment of Transportation’s (DOT) Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 C.F.R., Parts\n171-180) to persons who prepare, offer, and transport materials contaminated or suspected of\nbeing contaminated with the Ebola virus.\nFOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Charles E. Betts, Office of Hazardous Materials\nSafety, Standards and Rulemaking Division, (202) 366-8553, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials\nSafety Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Ave., S.E.,\nWashington, DC 20590-0001.\nSUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:\nThis Safety Advisory provides guidance on the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT)\nHazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 C.F.R., Parts 171-180) to persons who prepare,\noffer and transport materials contaminated or suspected of being contaminated with the Ebola\nvirus. The HMR apply to any material that the DOT determines is capable of posing an\n\n<<<PAGE 2>>>\n\nunreasonable risk to health, safety, and property when transported in commerce.1 Material\ncontaminated or suspected of being contaminated with Ebola is regulated as a Category A\ninfectious substance under the HMR. To ensure their safe transportation, the Ebola\ncontaminated materials must be packaged in conformity with the applicable requirements in the\nHMR for Category A infectious substances. Ebola contaminated materials that have been\nappropriately incinerated, autoclaved, or otherwise inactivated are not considered Category A\ninfectious substances and are not subject to the requirements of the HMR. For more information\non the HMR requirements see http://phmsa.dot.gov/hazmat/transporting-infectious-substances.\nFor guidance on how to handle infectious substances before transporting them, refer to the\nCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (see\nhttp://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/hcp/index.html).\nThis document is intended to provide general guidance and does not address many of the\nspecific provisions and exceptions contained in the HMR. It should not be used as a substitute\nfor the HMR to determine compliance. Strict compliance with the HMR is required, unless you\nhave been granted a special permit.\nTransportation of a hazardous material in a motor vehicle, aircraft, or vessel operated by\na Federal, state, or local government employee solely for noncommercial Federal, state, or local\ngovernment purposes is not subject to the HMR. Accordingly, waste generated from the\ntreatment of a patient contaminated or suspected of being contaminated with the Ebola virus\ntransported by a Federal, state, or local government employee to a disposal facility is not subject\n1 The HMR applies to interstate, intrastate, and foreign commerce.\n2\n\n<<<PAGE 3>>>\n\nto the HMR. DOT, however, recommends that Federal, state, or local governments comply with\nappropriate safety requirements provided in the HMR to ensure the safe transportation of waste\ncontaminated or suspected of being contaminated with the Ebola virus. We also recommend\ncompliance with all conditions and operational controls specified in any applicable special\npermit issued for the transportation of waste contaminated or suspected of being contaminated\nwith the Ebola virus and our guidance referred to below. To transport materials contaminated or\nsuspected of being contaminated with the Ebola virus, a special permit may be necessary to\nallow for a variance of the HMR packaging requirements to handle the larger volume of\ncontaminated waste generated during the treatment of Ebola patients. DOT may grant a special\npermit if the applicant can demonstrate that an alternative packaging will achieve a safety level\nthat is at least equal to the safety level required under HMR or is consistent with the public\ninterest if a required safety level does not exist. Emergency processing of special permits applies\nwhen the special permit is necessary to prevent significant injury to persons or property not\npreventable under normal processing, for immediate national security, or to prevent significant\neconomic loss. To qualify for emergency processing, the application must meet specific criteria,\njustifications must be well documented, and describe the impact if the special permit is not\ngranted.\nPHMSA issued a non-site specific special permit (Special Permit DOT-SP 16279) to\ncertain waste haulers, which authorizes the transportation in commerce of waste contaminated\nwith or suspected of being contaminated with the Ebola virus for disposal. Other waste haulers\nnot yet authorized under Special Permit DOT-SP 16279 may apply for party status in accordance\nwith 49 CFR 107.107. If an entity needs a variance from the HMR, it must apply for a special\npermit as provided in 49 CFR 107 subpart B.\n3\n\n<<<PAGE 4>>>\n\nThe DOT’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has provided the\nfollowing guidance on the transportation of these materials:\n• “DOT Guidance for Preparing Packages of Ebola Contaminated Waste for\nTransportation and Disposal” provides guidance to prepare packages containing waste\ncontaminated or suspected of being contaminated with the Ebola virus for transportation\nto off-site treatment and disposal.\nhttp://phmsa.dot.gov/staticfiles/PHMSA/DownloadableFiles/Files/suspected_ebola_patie\nnt_packaging_guidance_final.pdf\n• “DOT Guidance for Transporting Ebola Contaminated Items, a Category A Infectious\nSubstance” provides common FAQs regarding the HMR requirements for Category A\ninfectious substances.\nhttp://phmsa.dot.gov/portal/site/PHMSA/menuitem.6f23687cf7b00b0f22e4c6962d9c878\n9/?vgnextoid=4d1800e36b978410VgnVCM100000d2c97898RCRD&vgnextchannel=d2\n48724dd7d6c010VgnVCM10000080e8a8c0RCRD&vgnextfmt=print\n• “Transporting Infectious Substances Safely” brochure that explains the HMR for\ntransporting infectious substance is available at:\nhttp://www.phmsa.dot.gov/pv_obj_cache/pv_obj_id_54AC1BCBF0DFBE298024\nC4C700569893C2582700/filename/Transporting_Infectious_Substances_brochur\ne.pdf\n4\n\n<<<PAGE 5>>>\n\n• Special Permit DOT-SP 16279 provides certain carriers with alternative authorized\npackaging options for transporting waste contaminated or suspected of being\ncontaminated with the Ebola virus for treatment and disposal.\nhttp://phmsa.dot.gov/staticfiles/PHMSA/DownloadableFiles/Files/DOT_SP_16279.pdf\nAdditional Information\no All Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance regarding the\nEbola virus is available at:\nhttp://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/hcp/index.html\nFor questions on the HMR requirements, please contact the Pipeline and\nHazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA’s) Hazardous Materials\nInformation Center at 1-800-467-4922, 9am-5pm Eastern time.\nDr. Magdy El-Sibaie,\nAssociate Administrator for Hazardous Materials Safety, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials\nSafety Administration.\n5","truncated":false,"body_characters":11632}