{"operation":"document","citation":"09-0299","title":"SeraCare Life Sciences — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"2010-02-03","effective_on":null,"summary":"09-0299 response to SeraCare Life Sciences concerning 173.4a.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-09-0299.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-09-0299.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-09-0299","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretations/2009/090299.pdf","body":"<<<PAGE 1>>>\n\n1 200 New Jersey Ave, SE\nU.S. Department of Transportation Washington, D.C. 20590\nPipeline and Hazardous Materials\nSafety Administration\nFED 3 2010\nMr. Colin Leavitt Jr.\nSeraCare Life Sciences\n25 Birch Street\nMilford, MA 01757\nRef. No. 09-0299\nDear Mr. Leavitt Jr.,\nThis responds to your December 8, 2009 email regarding the transportation of small quantities\nunder the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180). Specifically, you\nask whether materials transported by your company may be shipped as excepted quantities and\nyou request clarification of closure requirements for inner packagings used for excepted\nquantities.\nIn your letter, you state that your company produces biological panels containing 4 ml capacity\nvials filled with a mixture of methanol (2.4 ml) and human blood and that you plan to ship the\nmaterial by air. You ask whether you may ship this mixture of material as excepted quantities.\nAdditionally, with regard to closure requirements for inner packagings, you ask whether a screw\ncap with an o-ring seal conforms to the requirements to use a positive means of closure for inner\npackagings.\nAssuming the mixture meets the definition of a Class 3 flammable liquid material and the\nhuman blood does not meet the definition of a Division 6.2 infectious substance, you are correct\nthat your company may elect to transport the material by air using the exceptions for excepted\nquantities provided in § 173.4a. Regarding the closure requirements for inner packagings, a\nscrew cap with an o-ring seal does not provide a positive means to ensure that the screw cap will\nbe held in place. In accordance with § 173.4a(e)(2), a removable closure must be held securely\nin place with wire, tape, or other positive means (e.g., shrink-wrap).\nNote that the International Air Transport Association's standards do not have official standing\nunder the HMR. When transporting hazardous material by air, you must transport in accordance\nwith the HMR or alternative regulations authorized for use by the HMR in § 171.22 such as the\n\n<<<PAGE 2>>>\n\nInternational Civil Aviation Organization's Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of\nDangerous Goods by Air.\nI hope this infonnation is helpful. If you have further questions, please contact this Office.\nSinC:I~~\nharles E. Betts\nhief, Standards Development\no e..-ofHazardous Materials Standards\n\n<<<PAGE 3>>>\n\nDrakeford, Carolyn (PHMSA)\nFrom: INFOCNTR (PHMSA)\nSent: Tuesday, December 08, 2009 11 :55 AM\nTo: Drakeford, Carolyn (PHMSA)\nSubject: FW: Requesting clarification Sec 2.7.5 packaging; Excepted Quantities\nCarolyn,\nThis gentleman wants a letter of interpretation on the below topic.\nThanks,\nRob\nFrom: Leavitt, Colin [mailto:cleavitt@seracare.com]\nSent: Tuesday, December 08, 2009 11:26 AM\nTo: INFOCNTR (PHMSA)\nSubject: Requesting clarification Sec 2.7.5 packaging; Excepted Quantities\nDear Sir or Madame,\nWe have a project in development and our application is an OEM biological panel containing 4 vials at 4 mls\neach. Each vial would contain 2.4 ml of methanol (methyl alcohol) and the balance of each vial containing human\nderived blood. Packaged in \"Nunc\" panel container and shrink wrapped.\n1) I believe we can ship as an \"excepted quantity\", correct?\n2) If so, can you please provide assistance I clarification on lATA subsection 2.7.5.1 (a), reading in part;\n... the closure of each inner packaging must be held securely in place with wire, tape or other positive means; any\nreceptacle having a neck with molded screw threads must have a leak proof threaded type cap. The closure must\nbe resistant to the contents.\nWould I does a screw cap wi o-ring seal constitute a \"positive means of closure\" for the individual vial(s)1 each\ninner packaging?\nWe would ship domestically, by air, via Federal Express.\nThank You in advance for your assistance in this matter.\nColin Leavitt Jr.\nSr. Manager, Materials Management\nSeraCare Life Sciences\n25 Birch Street\nMilford, MA. 01757\nPhone: (508)244-6436\nFax: «508) 244-6536 or (508) 478-1740\nCell: (508) 958-9401\n\\f!:!{V:!.s_eraCiM~,com\n12/8/2009","truncated":false,"body_characters":4087}