# Grafco, LLC — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

- **operation:** document
- **citation:** 09-0121
- **title:** Grafco, LLC — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation
- **source type:** guidance
- **agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
- **status:** guidance
- **official:** true
- **published on:** 2009-10-01
- **effective on:** Not available
- **summary:** 09-0121 response to Grafco, LLC concerning 172.301.
- **machine formats:** - **json:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-09-0121.json
- **markdown:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-09-0121.md
- **app url:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-09-0121
- **source url:** https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretations/2009/090121.pdf
**body:**

<<<PAGE 1>>>

U.S. Department
of Transportation
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials
Safety Administration
1200 New Jersey Ave., SE
Washington, DC 20590
OCT 0 1 2009
Ms. Jan Cowles
Grafco, LLC
P.O. Box 814
Owasso, OK 74055
Ref. No. 09-0121
Dear Ms. Cowles:
This is in response to your e-mail requesting clarification of marking requirements under the
Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180). Specifically, you ask
whether the letters "USP" may be displayed before the proper shipping name on a package or
whether a special permit currently authorizes this marking variation to the HMR.
As specified in § 172.301(a), each person who offers a hazardous material for transportation
in a non-bulk packaging must mark the package with the proper shipping name and
identification number for the material as shown in the Hazardous Materials Table (HMT) in
5 172.101. The letters "USP" are not part of the proper shipping name as shown in the HMT
and are not authorized to be included as part of the proper shipping name marking.
Additional wording, such as "USP," may be included after the required wording (proper
shipping name and ID number) provided the additional wording does not reduce the
effectiveness of the required information and other specifications for displaying markings (see
5 172.304(a)(4)).
The procedure for applying for a special permit can be found in 49 CFR Part 107, Subpart B
and can also be found on our website at htlt~://www.uhmsa.dot.gov/hazn~at under "Special
Permits." PHMSA has not issued a special permit to authorize the letters "USP" to be
displayed before the proper shipping name on packages.
With respect to labeling requirements, it is difficult to determine the specifications of the
Class 2 label in the pictorial you submitted, but please note that label specifications, including
size, are specified in § 172.407; modifications are specified in 5 172.405; and exceptions are
specified in 5 172.400a. Unless otherwise excepted, packages must be labeled with both the

<<<PAGE 2>>>

primary and subsidiary hazard labels, as specified in Column 6 of the 5 172.101 Hazardous
Materials Table. "Oxygen, compressed," UN1072 requires a Division 5.1 subsidiary hazard
label (see 5 172.402) as well as a Class 2 primary hazard label.
I hope this information is helpful. Please contact this office should you have additional
questions.
Sincerely,
& att tie L. Mitchell
u Chief, Regulatory Review and Reinvention
Office of Hazardous Materials Standards

<<<PAGE 3>>>

Drakeford, Carolyn <PHMSA>
From: INFOCNTR <PHMSA>
Sent: To: Thursday, May 07, 2009 10: 19 AM
Drakeford, Carolyn <PHMSA>; Supko, Ben <PHMSA>
Subject: FW: ISP Oxygen Labels
Attachments: photo.JPG
photo.JPG (246 KB)
----- Original Message-----
From: Jan Cowles [mailto:acjc3333@gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, May 06, 2009 3:30 PM
To: Special Permits <PHMSA>
Subject: ISP Oxygen Labels
To: Ann Mazzullo
Ann :
Than you for talking with me today. My company, Grafco, LLC, repackaged bulk medical grade
liquid oxygen into compressed gas cylinders. Our clients, mainly home health companies,
then distributes these cylinders to their patients.
At issue is one of our clients was issued a warning by Kansas State Patrol citing our
label had "USP" on it. This was not consistent with either their shipping manifest nor the
MSDS sheet. My dilemma is that the FDA requires "USP" to be included on the label. In
addition the cylinder must be lot numbered and may not have 2 labels nor may one label be
placed on top of another label.
We have looked at our competitor's labels and from the ones we have seen, all have "USP"
either in front of the word "oxygen" or behind the word "oxygen". We are trying hard to
be in compliance with FMCSA, FDA and Pharmacy Board regulations.
The Kansas Corporation Commission asked me to contact your office to ascertain whether a
special permit exists for this situation. If one does not currently exist, I need the
procedure to apply for one.
Any help you can give me regarding this matter would be appreciated.
You may contact me directly at 918-740-7861. I have emailed you a
copy of our label under separate cover.
Sincerely,
Jan Cowles
- **truncated:** false
- **body characters:** 4167
