# Cerasis Inc. — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

- **operation:** document
- **citation:** 08-0280
- **title:** Cerasis Inc. — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation
- **source type:** guidance
- **agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
- **status:** guidance
- **official:** true
- **published on:** 2009-01-30
- **effective on:** Not available
- **summary:** 08-0280 response to Cerasis Inc. concerning 172.202, 172.203.
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- **app url:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-08-0280
- **source url:** https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/2008/080280.pdf
**body:**

<<<PAGE 1>>>

U.S. Department
of Transportation
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials
Safety Administration
1200 New Jersey Ave., SE
Washington, DC 20590
JAN 3 0 2009
Mr. Frank Adams
Cerasis Inc.
3200 Courthouse Lane
Eagan, MN 55 121
Reference No. 08-0280
Dear Mr. Adams:
This is in response to your electronic transmission requesting clarification of the Hazardous
Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) pertaining to shipping description
requirements for bills of lading (shipping papers). Specifically, you ask whether both the
shipping description requirements in 5 172.202 and the National Motor Freight Classification
(NMFC) freight class description must be included on the shipping paper and whether it is
acceptable to print the NMFC number and associated class for the hazardous material in a
separate, specified field on the shipping paper.
Sections 172.202 and 172.203 specify the requirements for information that must be included
on shipping papers, which includes the proper shipping name prescribed for the material in
Column (2) of the 5 172.101 Hazardous Materials Table. The HMR do not require the NMFC
number and associated class to be included on the shipping paper. Additional information
that is not required by the HMR, such as the NMFC number and associated class, may be
included in a separate field on the shipping paper provided it is not interspersed in the
required elements of the basic description (proper shipping name, hazard class/division
number, identification number and packing group, if applicable) (see 5 172.202(b)), is not
inconsistent with the required basic description and is entered after the basic description (see
5 172.201(a)(4)).
I hope this information is helpful. Please contact this office if you have additional questions.
Sincerely,
Hattie L. Mitchell
Chief, Regulatory Review and Reinvention
Office of Hazardous Materials Standards

<<<PAGE 2>>>

Drakeford, Carolyn <PHMSA>
From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
INFOCNTR <PHMSA>
Monday, November 17,2008 9:54 AM
Drakeford, Carolyn <PHMSA>
FW: Interpretations (Letters) issued by PHMS
----- Original Message-----
From: PHMSA-Feedback [mailto:PHMSA-Feedback]
Sent: Friday, November 14, 2008 4:00 PM
To: PHMSA Web Initiative
Subject: Interpretations (Letters) issued by PHMS
Please furnish an Interpretation Letter/Email
Is it required that both the Hazmat Descriptions (172.202)AND the NMFC freight class
descriptions appear on the Bill of Lading for a given item shipped? OR can we print just
the Hazmat 172.202 descriptions and print the NMFC number and associated class in their
appropriate BOL column/ f ields?
Regards,
Frank Adams
Name: Frank Adams
Organization: Cerasis Inc.
Email: fadams@cerasis.com
Address: 3200 Courthouse Lane
City: Eagan
Zip Code: 55121
Phone: (651) 365-8143
FAX: (651) 365-8157
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