{"operation":"document","citation":"10-0082","title":"Osram Sylvania — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"2011-09-29","effective_on":null,"summary":"10-0082 response to Osram Sylvania concerning 173.403, 173.424, 173.436.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-10-0082.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-10-0082.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-10-0082","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretations/2010/100082.pdf","body":"<<<PAGE 1>>>\n\nU.S. Department of Transportation\nPipeline and Hazardous Materials\nSafety Administration\n1200 New Jersey Ave, SE\nWashington, D.C. 20590\nSEP 2 9 2011\nMr. John Fichera\nManager, Product Safety and Compliance\nGovernment Regulatory Affairs\nOsram Sylvania\n100 Endicott Street\nDanvers, MA 01923\nRef. No. 10-0082\nDear Mr. Fichera:\nThis is in response to your letter regarding the applicability of the Hazardous Materials\nRegulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) applicable to radioactive manufactured articles.\nYour questions specifically concern the applicability of the HMR to finished light bulbs and to\nthe tungsten filaments alone normally encapsulated within the finished light bulbs that both\ncontain small amounts of naturally occurring thorium. I apologize for the delay in responding\nand any inconvenience it may have caused. Your questions are paraphrased and answered as\nfollows:\nQ1. Does a finished light bulb meet the definition of a manufactured article under\n§ 173.403?\nAI. It would if the radioactive material activity concentration and consignment activity totals\nare both above the § 173.436 exempt radionuclide limits.\nQ2. Does tungsten wire containing thorium that is formed into filaments meet the conditions\nspecified for a manufactured article under § 173.424?\nA2. No, it would not. Because the active material is not completely enclosed by non-active\ncomponents, the filaments you describe in your letter do not meet the criterion for a\nmanufactured article as specified in § 173.424( e).\nQ3. What is the basis of the HMR requirements for radioactive materials in transportation,\ntheoretical calculations of radioactivity, or, actual measured radioactivity?\n\n<<<PAGE 2>>>\n\nA3. Measured activity forms the basis of the HMR requirements for radioactive materials\noffered for transportation and transported in commerce. Where direct measurement is not\nfeasible, calculations are normally suitable. Therefore, if the applicable conditions can be\nmet by actual measurement, the manufactured articles you describe in your letter are\neligible for the exceptions provided for such articles in § 173.424.\nI trust this satisfies your inquiry. Please contact us if we can be of further assistance.\nSincerely,\nT. Glenn Foster\nChief, Regulatory Review and Reinvention Branch\nStandards and Rulemaking Division\n\n<<<PAGE 3>>>\n\nMr. Edward Manzullo\nDirector, Office of Hazardous Materials Standards\nPipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, US DOT\n1200 New Jersey Ave, SE\nWashington, DC 20590\nCertified Mail: 7005 1160000442066406\nSubject: Interpretation of Hazardous Material Transportation Requirements\nDear Mr. Manzullo:\nWe are writing to inquire about an interpretation to the Hazardous Material Transportation\nRequirements specifically section 49 CFR 173.424 \"Excepted packages for radioactive\ninstruments and articles.\"\nHistorically the lighting industry has incorporated into the design various materials embedded\nwithin the tungsten filaments to improve the robustness of the filaments to shock and\nvibration. Typically these materials have included thorium in very low concentration levels\nwithin the structure of the tungsten between 0.7% and 1.0% by weight.\nWe are seeking clarification of section 49 CFR 173.424 \"Excepted packages for radioactive\ninstruments and articles.\"\n173.426 Excepted packages for articles containing natural uranium or thorium.\nA radioactive instrument or article and its packaging are excepted\nfrom requirements in this subchapter for specification packaging .\n. labeling, mark;ng (except for the UN identification number marking\nrequirement described in Sec. 173.422(a», and if not a hazardous\nsubstance or hazardous waste, shipping papers and the requirements of\nthis subpart if:\nCertain electrical components can contain tungsten wire doped with up to 1 % thorium.\nTypically the net amount of thorium is extremely small, dispersed within a solid tungsten\nmatrix, and has measureable radiation levels well below those listed under CFR 173.424 and\nup to 105 to 108 times smaller than the reportable quantities listed under section 172.101 for\nhazardous substances .. However, the activity concentration levels can still exceed the values\nlisted for thorium (natural) given in section 173.436.:-:\nP a 9 el1 100 Endicott Street\nDanvers, MA 01923\nir (978) 777·1900\nwww.sylvania.com\n\n<<<PAGE 4>>>\n\nQuestion: If an individual article contains a tungsten wire component that is doped with 1 %\nthorium and formed into a filament that results in an activity concentration exceeding the\nexempted values listed in section 173.436, does the packaging for the article automatically\nrequire special labeling and marking regardless of the amount of thorium actually contained\nwithin the individual article?\nIn summary, our interpretation of 49 CFR 173.403 is that a finished lamp (bulb) would be\nconsidered an individual article and therefore exempt for the labeling requirements defined in\n49 CFR 173.403. It is also our interpretation that raw tungsten wire material containing\nthorium (0.7% to 1%) would not fall into this same exempt category. Our specific requests for\ninterpretation are:\n1. Would a finished lamp (bulb) be considered an individual article under section 49 CFR\n173.403, and therefore need to meet the requirements of section 49 CFR 173.424?\n2. Would tungsten wire containing thorium and formed into filaments be considered a raw\nmaterial, and therefore need to meet the requirements of section 49 CFR 173.424?\n3. Are the radioactivity requirements based on theoretical calculations of radioactivity or\nactual measured radioactivity?\nThe correct interpretations may affect future design criteria considerations for OS RAM and we\nwant to make sure we have the proper understanding. We appreciate your assistance.\nBest regards,\nProduct Safety and Compliance\nvcor'n.lI'nent Regulatory Affairs\n100 Endicott Street\nDanvers, MA 01923\n(978) 750 2581\nPage 12\nOSRAM SYLVANIA\n100 Endicott Street\nDanvers. MA 01923\n.. (978) 777·1900\nwww.sylvania.com","truncated":false,"body_characters":6009}