{"operation":"document","citation":"10-0149","title":"Minnesota Department of Transportation — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"2010-09-03","effective_on":null,"summary":"10-0149 response to Minnesota Department of Transportation concerning 172.312, 173.25.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-10-0149.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-10-0149.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-10-0149","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretations/2010/100149.pdf","body":"<<<PAGE 1>>>\n\nU.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration\n1200 New Jersey Ave. SE\nWashington, D.C. 20590\nSEP 3 2010\nMr. Mike Ritchie\nHazardous Materials Specialist\nMinnesota Department of Transportation\n395 John Ireland Boulevard, Mail Stop 460\nSt. Paul, MN 55155\nRef No. 10-0149\nDear Mr. Ritchie:\nThis responds to your July 16,2010 letter requesting clarification ofthe overpack marking and\nlabeling requirements under the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171180).\nSpecifically, you ask if clear shrink wrapped pallets must be marked on the outside with\nthe required package markings (e.g., proper shipping name, identification number, orientation\narrows, and \"OVERPACK\") when the markings on individual packages are not visible because\nofthe package configuration, but markings and labels representative of each hazardous material\nare visible from the outside of the overpack. Your areas of concern are restated and answered as\nfollows:\nLabels and Proper Shipping Name/Identification Number Markings\nSection 173.2S(a)(2) requires the overpack to be marked with the proper shipping name and\nidentification number, and labeled for each hazardous material contained therein, unless\nmarkings and labels representative of each hazardous material in the overpack are visible. For\nexample, an overpack need not be marked and labeled if the markings (i.e., proper shipping\nname and identification number) and labels on an individual package inside the overpack are not\nvisible but the same markings (i.e., proper shipping name and identification number) and labels\nrepresentative of that package are clearly visible from the outside on another package contained\nin that overpack.\nOrientation Arrow Marking\nSection 173.2S(a)(3) requires an overpack containing packages subject to the orientation arrow\nmarking requirements of § 172.312 to be marked with orientation arrows on two opposite\nvertical sides of the overpack. This requirement is in addition to the orientation arrows\ndisplayed on the individual packages.\n\n<<<PAGE 2>>>\n\n\"OVERPACK\" Marking\nSection 173.25(a)(4) requires an overpack to be marked \"OVERPACK\" when specification\npackagings are required, unless specification markings on the inside packages are visible. The\n\"OVERPACK\" marking is not required if the overpack contains multiple packages with\nidentical package specification markings provided package specification markings\nrepresentative of each package specification contained in the overpack are visible from the\noutside.\nI hope this information is helpful. If you have further questions, please contact this office.\nSincerely,\nBen Supko\nActing Chief, Standards Development\nOffice of Hazardous Materials Standards\n\n<<<PAGE 3>>>\n\nDrakeford, Carolyn (PHMSA)\n£jeh erJ (eutb\n~ li3 .;;25 1/3.812..\nFrom:\nSent:\nTo:\nSubject:\nBetts, Charles (PHMSA)\nFriday, July 16, 20102:56 PM Drakeford, Carolyn (PHMSA)\nFW: Marking of overpacks overpa..c ks\nto - 01'-19\nPlease log this in as a new request for interpretation.\nThanks,\nCharles\nFrom: Ritchie, Mike (DOT) [mailto:MichaeI.Ritchie@state.mn.us]\nSent: Friday, July 16, 2010 2:29 PM\nTo: Betts, Charles (PHMSA)\nSubject: Marking of overpacks\nJuly 16, 2010\nCharles Betts\nChief, Standards Development\nOffice of Hazardous Materials Standards\nUSDOT/ PHMSA\n1200 New Jersey Avenue\nWashington, DC 20590\nRe: Marking, Labeling and Display of Package Specifications on Overpacks\nDear Mr. Betts,\n49 CFR 173.25 requires overpacks to be marked with the proper shipping name and identification number, and\nthe authorized labels, for each hazardous material contained in the overpack, unless those labels and marks\nare visible On the packages. Paragraph (a) (4) of that section requires the overpack to be marked with the\nword OVERPACK when the hazardous material is required to be in specification packaging unless the\nspeCification markings on the inside packages are visible.\nThe most common type of overpack our safety investigators encounter while doing Hazardous Materials\nPackage Inspection Program (HMPIP) inspections are shrink wrapped pallets. Many are not marked\nOVERPACK. These pallets often contain different types of packages, for example drums and boxes On the same\npallet, and may contain several different hazardous materials. Labels and marking on packages loaded in the\ncenter of the pallet are not visible because they are covered by packages on the edge or top of the pallet.\nMany non-bulk packages display the required hazmat marking and labels on a different surface than the\nprinted or embossed specification marking required by §178.3.\nQuestion: If an overpack contains packages requiring specification marks, must all specification marks on each\npackage be visible or is a representative sample of each different specification mark acceptable?\n1\n\n<<<PAGE 4>>>\n\nQuestion: If packages displaying orientation arrows as required in §172.312 are in an overpack, and those\norientation arrows are visible on the packages on two opposite sides of the overpack, must additional\norientation arrows be added the outside ofthe overpack to comply with §173.25 (a) (3)7\nYours truly,\nMichael Ritchie\nHazardous Materials Specialist\nMinnesota Department of Transportation\nOffice of Freight &Commercial Vehicle Operations\n395 John Ireland Boulevard, Mail Stop 460\nSt. Paul, MN 55155-1899\n(651) 366-3697\n2","truncated":false,"body_characters":5360}