# The Sherwin-Williams Company — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

- **operation:** document
- **citation:** 11-0098
- **title:** The Sherwin-Williams Company — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation
- **source type:** guidance
- **agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
- **status:** guidance
- **official:** true
- **published on:** 2011-10-25
- **effective on:** Not available
- **summary:** 11-0098 response to The Sherwin-Williams Company concerning 172.304, 172.315, 172.316.
- **machine formats:** - **json:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-11-0098.json
- **markdown:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-11-0098.md
- **app url:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-11-0098
- **source url:** https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretations/2011/110098.pdf
**body:**

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U.S. Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Ave, SE
Washington, D.C. 20590
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials
Safety Administration
OCT 25 2011
Ms. Sandra Chapman
Director of Transportation
Corporate Regulatory Affairs
The Sherwin-Williams Company
101 Prospect Avenue, N. W.
Cleveland, OH 44115
Reference No. 11-0098
Dear Ms. Chapman:
This responds to your April 18, 2011 email requesting clarification of the marking requirements of
the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180). Your inquiry concerns the
phase out of the Consumer Commodity, ORM-D exception, the concurrent implementation ofthe
internationally recognized limited quantity exception, and the subsequent effect ofthis change on
the marking requirements. According to your email, your company is considering printing both
the Consumer Commodity, ORM-D marking, as described in § 172.316, and the new limited
quantity marking, as illustrated in § 172.315(a)(2), on the same fiberboard boxes. Your questions
are paraphrased and answered as follows: .
Ql. May we continue to display the markings on the fiberboard boxes on January 1, 2014?
AI. The answer to your question is no. The Consumer Commodity, ORM-D marking and the
new limited quantity marking may be displayed until December 31, 2013 as long as the markings
are separated from one another so as not to substantially reduce the effectiveness (see
§ 172.304(a)(4». After December 31,2013 the proper shipping name "Consumer Commodity"
may not be associated with "ORM-D" (see § 172.303(a». Further, the only limited quantity mark
that would be associated with the "Consumer Commodity" proper shipping name is the marking
intended for transportation by aircraft, which is shown in § 172.315(b )(2).
Ifthe proper shipping name "Consumer Commodity" is marked on packages after December 31,
2013, it must be associated with Identification Number ID8000. Also, it should be noted that only
the following materials or substances will be allowed to be classed or reclassed as ID8000,
Consumer Commodity and are the only materials allowed to bear the involved markings on
packaging: gases in Division 2.1 or 2.2; materials in Class 3, Packing Group II or III; materials in
Division 6.1, Packing Group III; UNINA3077, Environmentally hazardous substances, solid,
n.o.s.; UNINA3082, Environmentally hazardous substances, liquid, n.o.s; and UN3175, Solids

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containing flammable liquid, n.o.s. Further, this exception only applies to materials that do not
have a subsidiary risk and are authorized aboard a passenger-carrying aircraft.
Q2. Would we have to cover up or obliterate the "Consumer Commodity, ORM-D" designation
printed on the boxes after December 31, 2013?
A2. See A 1 above.
I trust this satisfies your inquiry. Please contact us if we can be of further assistance.
Sincerely,
AAkb~
tor
Standards and Rulemaking Division

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Drakeford, Carolyn (PHMSA)
From: INFOCNTR (PHMSA) Ma.VK iI)~.s
Sent: Monday, April 18, 2011 1 :27 PM
To: Drakeford, Carolyn (PHMSA)
Subject: FW: request for interpretation
1f-~oCf8
Hi CarolynJ
The caller below requested a formal letter of interpretation.
Thanks J
Victoria
Victoria Lehman
Hazmat Information Center (HMIC)
http://phmsa.dot.gov/hazmat/info-center
(292) 366-1935
From: Sandra L. Chapman [mailto:slchapman@sherwin.com]
Sent: Monday, April 18, 2011 12:41 PM
To: INFOCNTR (PHMSA)
Subject: request for interpretation
To Whom It May Concern;
I am writing to request clarification on a carton marking issue that revolves around the scheduled phase out of the
"Consumer Commodity, ORM-D" classification for commodities shipped by domestic ground within the United States.
understand that this exception is scheduled to end on December 31,2013, at which time the "limited quantity" exception is
to enjoy all the regulatory relaxations currently provided to "Consumer Commodity, ORM-D." I further understand that one
is to use the new limited quantity mark (as illustrated in 49 CFR 172.315(a)) for packages so declared and while this mark
is not mandatory for limited quantity packages until January 1, 2014, it is currently allowable by US ground and required
for IMDG ocean shipping.
My question is related to the logistics of moving from "Consumer Commodity, ORM-D" to the new limited quantity mark.
We are considering "duel marking" cartons with both the "Consumer Commodity, ORM-D" designation and the limited
quantity mark referenced above. This would allow the cartons to be shipped by US ground and by international ocean
with no reworking. The marks would be pre-printed on the cartons by the box manufacturer. My questions are related to
what would happen to these cartons on January 1, 2014, and are listed below.
01) Would the "Consumer Commodity, ORM-D" designation printed on the carton be considered a violation after
January 1, 2014?
02) Would we have to cover up or obliterate the "Consumer Commodity, ORM-D" designation printed on these
cartons after 1/01/2014?
03) Would DOT's position be to ignore the out-of-date mark (after 1/01/2014) since the current and correct mark also
appears?
Thank you for our prompt attention to these questions. Your answers are critical to our product planning and a timely
response is vital.
Regards,
Sandra L. Chapman
1

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SANDRA L. CHAPMAN
DIRECTOR 01= TRANSPORTATION
CORPORATE REGULATORY AI=I=AlRS
Office: 216-566-1664
Fax: 216-566-2730
Blackberry: 216-536-9017
Email: s1chapman@shervil.in.com
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