{"operation":"document","citation":"08-0046","title":"Mr. Stanley Peterburgsky — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"2008-06-12","effective_on":null,"summary":"08-0046 concerning 173.124.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-08-0046.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-08-0046.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-08-0046","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/2008/080046.pdf","body":"<<<PAGE 1>>>\n\nU.S. Department\nof Transportation\nPipeline and Hazardous\nMaterials Safety\nAdministration\n1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE\nWashington, D.C. 20590\nMr. Stanley Peterburgsky\n530 West 186\" Street\nNew York, New York 10033\nRef. No. 08-0046\nDear Mr. Peterburgsky:\nThis responds to your e-mail regarding the applicability of the Hazardous Materials\nRegulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) to flameless heaters used to warm packaged\nmeals for human consumption. You ask whether previously issued de minimus\ninterpretations (Ref. No. 98-0345 issued on March 3, 1999; Letter to Department of Defense\nissued on July 7, 1992) for certain flameless heaters are still valid and under what\nconditions. Additionally, you ask whether the meals may be warmed in-flight by a\npassenger if the heaters are not subject to the HMR.\nThe flameless heater you describe is manufactured by Innotech Products, Ltd. (Innotech)\nand contains a maximum of eight grams of a magnesium-iron alloy (as magnesium powder).\nInnotech's Material Safety Data Sheet indicates that the magnesium alloy contained in its\nflameless heaters meets the definition of a Division 4.3 (Dangerous When Wet) material.\nThe salt water catalyst for the heater is securely packaged separately within the meal carton.\nEach meal carton contains one heater and one water packet.\nThe previously issued interpretations you cite in your inquiry remain valid. A flameless\nheater containing eight grams or less of a magnesium-iron alloy (as magnesium powder) is\nin a quantity and form that does not pose a hazard in transportation and, thus, is not subject\nto the HMR. This exception does not apply to a heater that is packaged separately from a\nmeal or a heater that contains more than eight grams of magnesium powder within a meal\ncarton.\nThe Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is the agency responsible for security in\nall modes of transportation, including civil aviation, and has the authority to restrict\npassengers from carrying materials perceived as security threats. We note that the Internet\nwebsite belonging to the company that markets the meals you wish to consume in-flight\n\n<<<PAGE 2>>>\n\ncautions its customers not to activate the flameless heater on an airplane. For information\nabout items that may be prohibited by the TSA, you should contact the TSA's Contact\nCenter directly by telephone at (866) 289-9673 or by e-mail at: TSA-\nContactCenter@,dhs.gov.\nI trust this satisfies your inquiry. Please contact us if we can be of hrther assistance.\nSincerely,\nHattie L. Mitchell\nChief, Regulatory Review and Reinvention\nOffice of Hazardous Materials Standards\n\n<<<PAGE 3>>>\n\nS)-euos Page 1 of 1\nh\nc Drakeford, Carolyn <PHMSA>\nFrom: Stevens, Michael <PHMSA>\nSent: Thursday, February 21,2008 3:01 PM\nTo: Drakeford, Carolyn <PHMSA>\nSubject: Stevens interp\nAs you requested:\nRequestor: Mr. Stanley Peterburgsky\n530 West 1 86th Street\nNew York, New York 10033\nAre La Briute Meals containing a water-activated heating apparatus regulated under the\nQuestion: HMR?\nSection: $ 173.124(b)(2)\nSubject: Self-heating materials","truncated":false,"body_characters":3075}