{"operation":"document","citation":"10-0088","title":"Dyno Nobel, Inc. — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"2010-06-03","effective_on":null,"summary":"10-0088 response to Dyno Nobel, Inc. concerning 172.406, 172.407.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-10-0088.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-10-0088.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-10-0088","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretations/2010/100088.pdf","body":"<<<PAGE 1>>>\n\nU.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials\nSafety Administration\n1200 New Jersey Ave, SE\nWashington, D.C. 20590\n\\JUN - 3 2010\nMark Anderson\nDyno Nobel Inc.\n660 Hopmeadow\nP.O. Box 2006\nSimsbury, CT O()070\nRef. No.: 10-0088\nDear Mr. Anderson:\nThis responds to your e-mail dated April 20,2010 regarding the Hazardous Materials\nRegulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) as they apply to reduced size hazard warning labels\nfor Class 1 (Explosives). You did not enclose a diagram or photograph depicting the orientation\nof the Class 1 (Explosives) label nor the dimensions of the box. Subsequently, an inspector\nprovided photographs of orientation of the Class 1 (Explosives) label on the box.\nAccording to your letter, during an inspection, several DOT inspectors questioned whether a\nsquare-on-point (diamond) reduced size label meets the requirements of the HMR, and said that\nit should be rotated 90°. You believe that the rotation of the diamond shaped hazard warning\nlabel 90° would misrepresent the product to emergency responders, as the diamond shape makes\nit identifiable as a hazardous material package. You ship these packages internationally to other\ncountries that do not accept a hazard warning label rotated 900 on its side. Several boxes used to\ntransport your company's Class 1 (Explosives) products are shorter in height than the square-onpoint\nor diamond shaped 100 mm (3.9 inches) hazard warning label. You ask whether your\nunderstanding is correct that §172.407(f) allows use of a reduced size hazard warning label that\nconforms to the UN Recommendations.\nThe labeling specifications provided in §172.407(c) of the HMR require each hazard warning\nlabel to be at least 100 mm (3. 9 inches) on each side. The provisions in §172.406(b )(1) and (3)\nspecify that a label may be printed on or placed on a securely affixed tag or may be affixed by\nother suitable means to: (1) a package that contains no Class 7 (Radioactive) material which has\ndimensions less than those of the required label; and (2) a package which has an irregular surface\nthat a label cannot be satisfactorily affixed. The UN Recommendations (5.2.2.2.1.1) specify that\na hazard warning label must be in the form of a square set at an angle of 45° (diamond-shaped)\nwith minimum dimensions of 100 mm X 100 mm (3.9 inches), except in the case of packages of\nsuch dimensions that they can only bear small labels, as provided in 5.2.2.2.1.2.\n\n<<<PAGE 2>>>\n\nThe HMR do not prohibit the placement of a hazard warning label (e.g., Class 1 (Explosives)) in\nan orientation where the square-on-point is located with its flat sides parallel to the sides ofthe\npackages. That is, the label may be placed square-on-side when the square-on-point is not\npracticable. In accordance with §172.407(f) of the HMR, except for materials poisonous by\ninhalation, a label conforming to specifications in the UN Recommendations may be used in\nplace of a corresponding label that conforms to the requirements ofthe HMR, which permit use\nofa reduced size hazard warning label when a package surface is too small or of an irregular\nshape for a full size label. Therefore, you may use a reduced size hazard warning label that\nconforms to the UN Recommendations.\nI hope this information is helpful. Ifwe can be of further assistance, please contact us.\nSincerely,\nCharles E. Betts\n. f, Standards Development\nOffice of Hazardous Materials Standards\ncc: Bob Burns, PHH -40\nEdward Ratstetter, PHH-40\nJohn Henegan, PHH-40\n\n<<<PAGE 3>>>\n\n.Q!akeford, Carolyn (PHMSA)\nFrom: INFOCNTR (PHMSA) 10-0088\nSent: Tuesday, April 20, 2010 11 :39 AM\nTo: Drakeford, Carolyn (PHMSA)\nSubject: FW: Training Requirements (Sections 172.1 - 172.807)\nCarolyn,\nRob\nBelow is a request for a formal written letter of interpretation of the regulations Thanks,\n-----Original Message----From:\nmark.andersen@am.dynonobel.com [mailto:mark.andersen@am.dynonobel.com]\nSent: Tuesday, April 20, 2010 10:49 AM\nTo: PHMSA HM InfoCenter\nSubject: Training Requirements (Sections 172.1 - 172.807)\nDear Mr. Mazzullo,\nDyno Nobel Inc. is requesting a written interpretation of 49CFR part\n172.407 paragraph f on the reduced size hazard class label, specifically\nfor Class 1.\nSeveral boxes used to transport our products are shorter in height than the\nstandard required hazard class label square-on-point with 100 mm sides.\nDyno Nobel interprets that 49CFR part 172.407 paragraph f allows for a\nreduction in size of the hazard class label that conforms to the UN\nRecommendations. This has been confirmed twice in verbal conversation with\nthe US DOT Hazardous Materials Information Center. Each time the HMIC has\ncorroborated that the hazard class label can be reduced in size if the\ndimensions of the box will not accommodate the standard square-on-point 100\nmm sided label.\nThe question has been raised by several US DOT inspectors that the reduced\nsize Class 1 hazard label doesn't meet 49 CFR requirements. The inspectors\nhave stated that the hazard label should be rotated 90°. We feel that the\nrotation of the hazard class label 90° would misrepresent the product to\nemergency first responders, as the diamond shape makes this immediately\nidentified as a hazardous material. Since our products are shipped\nthroughout the world other countries don't accept the hazard class label\nrotated on its side.\nWritten clarification on what is acceptable would be greatly appreciated.\nThanks in advance for your help in this matter.\nBest regards,\nMark Andersen\nDyno Nobel Inc.\n660 Hopmeadow Street, P.O. Box 2006, Simsbury, CT 06070, USA\nOffice: +1 860 408 1832 I Fax: +1 860 408 1983 I Mobile: +1 860 299 6608\nemail:mark.andersen@am.dynonobel.com\nhttp://www.dynonobel.com\n1\n\n<<<PAGE 4>>>\n\nGroundbreaking Performance Through Practical Innovation\nConfidentiality Notice: The information contained in this e-mail\n(including any attachments) may contain confidential and/or privileged\ninformation. If you are not an intended recipient you must not use,\ndisclose, disseminate, copy or print its contents. If you receive this\ne-mail in error, please notify the sender by reply e-mail and delete this\nmessage from your system. Dyno Nobel does not undertake liability for any\ndamage sustained as a result of software viruses and advises that you carry\nout your own virus checks before opening any attachment.\n2\n\n<<<PAGE 5>>>\n\nEngrum, Helen (PHMSA)\nFrom: Burns, Bob (PHMSA)\nSent: Friday, May 07, 2010 1 :30 PM\nTo: Engrum, Helen (PHMSA)\nCc: Rastetter, Edward (PHMSA); Heneghan, John (PHMSA)\nSubject: Reduced Labeling Issue\nAttachments: DYNO REsponse from DOT on reduced size of labeling.jpg; DSC03478.JPG;\nDSC03469.JPG; DSC03470.JPG; DSC03471.JPG; DSC03472.JPG; DSC03473.JPG;\nDSC03474.JPG; DSC03475.JPG; DSC03476.JPG; DSC03477.JPG\nImportance: High\nHelen,\nHere are the photos from the package of explosives I spoke with you about on Thursday. I also attached the letter from\nDyno Nobel to the company I inspected, which they forwarded on to me. As you can see, there is room on the top of\nthe box for a normal size label. There is even room on the side of the box for a normal size label if you turned the label\nsquare instead of square-on-point. Dyno Nobel's letter states that they did not want to turn the label square because\nthey felt it reduces the labels effectiveness to emergency responders. I am not buying into that argument as we do\nallow the label to be turned in cases like this and the emergency responders are not that ignorant.\nAdditionally, I can see maybe not wanting to apply the label to the top of the box for stacking purposes but that is no\ndifferent than a company the applies their marking & labels to the top of a 55-gallon drum instead of the side, and then\nthe drums are stacked one on top of another or in transit freight is stacked on the drum. We don't violate anybody for\nnot labeling the drum once we find they have labeled the top or side of the drum, all we look for is to see that it is\nlabeled and not on the bottom.\nAs I mentioned during our discussion, I believe caution should be exercised here in what we do as if word gets out to the\nindustry that all you have to do is say that my package doesn't work well with DOT's labeling requirements and I can use\nthe 172.407(f) exception for UN recommendations that allow reduced labels if my package dimensions are inadequate,\nwe are opening up a can of worms with industry doing all sorts of things with the labels. Again, the UN\nrecommendations do say labels of reduced size may be used if the dimensions of the package will ONLY accommodate\nsmaller labels. In this case, the dimensions on the top of the box would accommodate normal size labels and/or, the\nside of this package is sufficient to fit a label of normal size if turned square.\nThanks for the dialog yesterday and I hope the attached information will assist you in your endeavors to assist industry\nwith their concerns. If I can provide any further assistance please don't hesitate to call on me.\nRegards,\nRobert F. Burns\nHazardous Materials Investigator\nU.S. Department of Transportation\nPipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration\nOffice of hazardous Materials Safety\nOffice of Hazardous Materials Enforcement\nSouthern Region/Florida Resident Investigator\n233 Peachtree Street, N.E., Suite 602 (PHH-46) Atlanta, Georgia 30303\nOffice (404) 832-1140\nCell (386) 871-4470\nOffice Fax (404) 832-1168\nE-fax (321) 747-0391\n1\n\n<<<PAGE 6>>>\n\nDyno Nobel Americas DYNO\nOyno Nobel\nMr. J D Mann DYNO NOBEL INC.\n2650 Decker Lake Blvd.\nBoren Explosives Suits 300\n8425 Highway 269 Salt Lake City, Ulah\n84119 USA\nParish, AL 35580 Telephone: 801-364-4800\nUSA Fax: 801-32&&152\nwww.dynonobel.com\nDate 20 April 2010\nRe: Exceptions to the label Specifications in 49CFR, 172.407(f)\nDear Mr. Mann:\nDyno Nobel has requested written interpretation of the DOT regulation (which we expect to receive in\nabout 6 weeks) in support of our use of the reduced size hazard class label on our booster box R06690.\nDue to the height of this cast booster. the box is shorter than the DOT required hazard class label size.\n49CFR, part 172.407 paragraph f, allows a reduction in size of the required hazard class label that\nconfonns to the UN recommendations.\nThis size reduction has been confirmed twice verbally with the US DOT Hazardous Materials Information\nCenter and, on each occasion, the U.S. DOT confirmed that the hazard class label can be reduced in size if\nthe dimensions of the box will not accommodate the standard square-on-point 100 mm sided label.\nRotating the hazard class label goo would misrepresent the product to emergency first responders since the\ndiamond immediately identifies the material as hazardous.\nIf you have any questions or comments conceming this or any other packaging issue, please feel free to\ncontact me.\n;p/Y~\nMark T. Andersen\nGlobal Packaging Engineer\nPhone: +1 860 408 1832\ne-mail: mark.andersen@am.dynonobel.com\n\n<<<PAGE 7>>>\n\nPTNO\nDyno Nobel\nDYNO\nEPURE\nDyno Nobel\nDYNO\nDyno Nobel.\nDYNO :\nEXPLOSIE\nPETARD\nHENFORCATEURS\nBOOSTERS\nONAG\n\n<<<PAGE 8>>>\n\n-\n-\n..\n-\n-\nJ<\n-:\n-\nC\n-\n-\n.. ( ­w\n.....\n•\n\n<<<PAGE 9>>>\n\nPETARD\nRCATEURS\nOOSTERS\n$342\n\n<<<PAGE 10>>>\n\n7268843\nS/I\nГОЛІН\n206690\nUSA/+AV2097\n4G/Y18.2/S/09","truncated":false,"body_characters":11188}