{"operation":"document","citation":"06-0117","title":"Manager of Technical Services — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"2006-08-24","effective_on":null,"summary":"06-0117 response to Manager of Technical Services concerning 172.202.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-06-0117.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-06-0117.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-06-0117","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/2006/060117.pdf","body":"<<<PAGE 1>>>\n\nof Transportation\nU.S. Department\n400 Seventh Street, S.W.\nWashington, D.C. 20590\nPipeline and Hazardous\nMaterials Safety Administration\nAUG 24 2006\nMr. Lon D. Santis\nReference No.: 06-0117\nManager of Technical Services\nInstitute of Makers of Explosives\nSuite 310\n1120 Nineteenth Street, NW\nWashington, DC 20036-3605\nDear Mr. Santis:\nThis responds to your May 18, 2006 letter regarding the description of Class 1 materials on\na shipping paper in accordance with the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR\nparts 171-180). Your questions relate to the requirement for the shipping paper to include\nthe net explosive mass (NEM) of the article being transported. Your questions are\nparaphrased and answered below.\nQ1. The HMR appear to require shipping papers to list the NEM as a whole rumber.\nFor an article containing less than one kilogram total NEM, may the NEM be\nexpressed as \"less than one kg\" rather than the actual NEM?\nAl. No. As provided in § 172.202(a)(5)(i), for an explosive article, the quantity shown\non a shipping paper may be expressed in terms of the net mass of the article or the\nnet mass of the explosive substance in the article. The HMR do not require the\nquantity to be expressed in whole numbers; indeed, the NEM should be is accurate\nindicated on the shipping paper must be either the net mass of the article itself or\nas possible. Thus, for an article containing less than one kilogram NEM, the NEM\nthe net mass of the explosive material in the article.\nQ2. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) uses a general\nstandard of 0.7 grams of explosive material per detonator to calculate the quantity\nA2. No. Transportation of hazardous materials poses certain risks that are not present\nwhen materials are stored. Your suggested approach has the potential to\nunderestimate the actual hazard of the article because an estimate rather than\nknown quantity is used to express NEM. Such errors may be more critical in\ntransportation where exposure to hazards is greater, which increases the risk to the\npublic, transportation workers, and emergency response personnel. For this reason\n192-202 (a)s)i)\n060117\n\n<<<PAGE 2>>>\n\nwe do not agree that standards applicable to the storage of explosives outside of\ntransportation should be applied in a transportation scenario. For a detonator, the\nNEM must be either the net mass of the detonator itself or the net mass of the\nexplosive material in the detonator.\nshipping paper in terms of the net mass of the article or the net mass of the explosive\nWe believe the option provided in the HMR allowing a shipper to express the NEM on a\nmaterial contained in the article provides flexibility for the regulated community and has\nworked well for transportation. It allows a conservative estimate of explosive mass unless\nthe more precise NEM of the explosive substance in the article, which is available from the\nexplosives approval process, is provided. Changing this requirement in the way requested\nwould require a regulatory change or a special permit rather than an interpretation.\nI hope this information is helpful. Please contact this Office if you have questions or need\nadditional information.\nSincerely,\n• Director, Office of Hazardous\nEdward T. Mazzullo\nMaterials Standards\n\n<<<PAGE 3>>>\n\nMAY-19-06 06:26\nFrom:\nCorbin T-003 P.0102 dob-888\nLOSTITUTE OF\nMAKERs oF\n$172.2.02 (a) 5)(1)\nEXPLOBIVES\nShipping Papers\n011Z\nThe safety & security institute of the commercial explosives industry • Founded 1913\nMay 18, 2006\nDr. Robert MoGuire\nOffice of Hazardous Materials Safety\nAssociate Administrator\nUS Department of Transportation\nPipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration\nWashington, DC 20590\n400 Seventh St., SW\nRE: Regulatory Interpretation\nDear Dr. McGuire:\n49 CFR 172.202(a)(S)(i), which requires net explosive mass (NEM) on shipping papers for Class\nI am writing on behalf of the Institute of Makers of Explosives (IME) regarding interpretation of\n1 materials.\nThe IME is the safety and security association of the commercial explosives industry. Our\nther essontial operations. Commercial explosives are transported and used in every state\ndditionally, our products are distributed worldwide. The ability to transport and distribute thes\nproducts safely and securely is critical to this industry.\nLast August, we met with PHMSA to explain compliance difficulties and questions with the\nisted on the shipping paper contains less than onc kilogram total NEM (including all the article\nHMSA expects shipping papers to list the NEM in whole number kilograms. When a produc\ncovered by that entry, IME believes that the shipping paper should list the NEM as \"less than I\nKG\" for that entry.\nIME also requests that PHMSA allow the use of one gram per detonator when calcu ating NEM\ndetonator contains no more than two grams NEM. The Department of Justice's Bureau of\nfor UN numbers 0360, 0361, 0500, 0030, 0255, 0456, 0029, 0267, and 0455 so long as the\nmaterial per detonator to calculate quantity-distance requirements for explosives storage at 27\nAlcohol, Tobacco. Firearms and Explosives uses a general standard of 0.7 grams of explosive\ndetonator will greatly aid in compliance without sacrificing safety.\nCFR 555.218, Note(3). For NEM on shipping papers, a general standard of one gram per\n1120 Nineteenth Street, N.W. • Suite 310 • Washington, D.C. 20036-3605 • Tel: (202) 429-9280 • Fax (202) 293-2420\n\n<<<PAGE 4>>>\n\nMAY-19-06\n06:26\nFrom:\nT-803 P.02/02 Job-939\ninterpretation clarifying its position on these issues. Please contact me at 202-266-4333 if you\nThank you for your attention to this matter. IME membership will benefft from a formal letter of\nhave any questions\nSincerely,\nManager of Technical Services\nLon D. Santis,","truncated":false,"body_characters":5753}