# Container-Quinn Testing Laboratories, Inc. A Division of Holmes Testing, Inc. — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

- **operation:** document
- **citation:** 12-0034
- **title:** Container-Quinn Testing Laboratories, Inc. A Division of Holmes Testing, Inc. — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation
- **source type:** guidance
- **agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
- **status:** guidance
- **official:** true
- **published on:** 2012-04-03
- **effective on:** Not available
- **summary:** 12-0034 response to Container-Quinn Testing Laboratories, Inc. A Division of Holmes Testing, Inc. concerning 178.503.
- **machine formats:** - **json:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-12-0034.json
- **markdown:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-12-0034.md
- **app url:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-12-0034
- **source url:** https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretations/2012/120034.pdf
**body:**

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U.S. Department
of Transportation
Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety
Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, D.C. 20590
APR o 3 2012
Mr. Steven Powell
Director
Container-Quinn Testing Laboratories, Inc.
A Division of Holmes Testing, Inc.
170 Shepard A venue
Wheeling, IL 60090
Ref. No. 12-0034
Dear Mr. Powell:
This responds to your January 26, 2012 request for written clarification of the Hazardous
Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) applicable to the marking. of non-bulk
performance-oriented packagings. Specifically, you ask whether the HMR may prevent you
from registering your company's symbol (e.g., CQ) as an approved marking in lieu of an
"M" number.
As stated in§ 178.503(a)(8), symbols used in place ofthe manufacture's name and address
must be registered with the Associate Administrator (AA) for Hazardous Materials Safety.
All registered symbols must be approved under§ 107.705. This section provides the AA the
authority to require the use of a certain type of symbol for marking of non-bulk
performance-oriented packagings. Currently, PHMSA's policy is to issue "M" numbers in
order to provide consistency among symbols used and approved by approval agencies.
Sincerely,
T. Glenn Foster
Chief, Regulatory Review and Reinvention Branch
Standards and Rulemaking Division

<<<PAGE 2>>>

Andrews
.tJ n.s. ooB
Drakeford, Carol
From:
Sent:
To:
Cc:
Subject:
Betts, Charles (PHMSA)
Thursday, January 26, 2012 12:56 PM
Drakeford, Carolyn (PHMSA)
Lima, Anthony (PHMSA)
FW: Container Quinn Request for Clarification
Attachments: 20120116125047641.pdf; correspondence.12212008.Container Quinn.pdf
From: Steve Powell
Sent: Tuesday, January 17, 2912 9:99 AM
To: 'ryan.posten@dot.gov'
Cc: Steve Powell
Subject: Symbols in Certs
Good morning Mr. Posten
Regarding the use of CQ in my reports, I will not use the symbol in any further reports until
I either get a resolve to this or receive my ''M" number (which I have applied for). In the
meantime I have been looking at the regs further. All the samples in 178.593 show different
symbols in the 49CFR. See 178.593(d)(2)
(i) For a fiberboard box designed to contain an inner packaging:
4G/V145/S/83
USA/RA
(as in §178.593 (a)(1) through (a)(9) of this subpart).
(ii) For a steel drum designed to contain liquids:
1A1/V1.4/159/83
USA/VL824
1.9
(as in §178.593 (a)(1) through (a)(19) of this subpart).
(iii) For a steel drum to transport solids or inner packagings:
1A2/V159/S/83
USA/VL825
(as in §178.593 (a)(1) through (a)(8) of this subpart).
RA in one and VL825 in the others.
I guess that now my concern is that I can't use a symbol but the regs say I can. Please
provide guidance on this.
Finally, I feel that since I followed the letter of the 49CFR, I shouldn't penalize my
clients for which I have already used the CQ symbol and that symbol should be allowed to
remain for those customers until the certs are retested. At that time, as I should have my
ccM" number by then, I will change to use of the ccM" number on them and all future reports.
Again, thank you for your assistance in this matter.
Have a great day
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Stephen C. Powell
Director
Container-Quinn Testing Laboratories, Inc.
A Division of Holmes Testing, Inc.
170 Shepard Avenue
Wheeling, IL 60090
Phone: 847-537-9470
Fax: 847-537-9098
Cell: 847-812-7617
e-mail: spowell@container-quinn.com
Anthony Lima
Packaging Program Manager
Office Of Hazardous Materials Safety
Field Operations
U.S. DOT/PHMSA
W. Trenton, NJ
(856) 265-3054 (mobile)
(302) 336-9693 (e-fax)
anthony.lima@dot.gov
website: hazmat.dot.gov
-----Original Message-----
From: Posten, Ryan (PHMSA)
Sent: Thursday, January 26, 2012 8:51 AM
To: Lima, Anthony (PHMSA)
Cc: Abbenhaus, Colleen (PHMSA); Schoonover, William (PHMSA)
Subject: FW: Notification Letter
Anthony - is this the letter you referenced this morning?
It may already be in the queue for response - by PHH-30?
I'm not sure - have to check with PHH-30 (which may have already)
Thanks
-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Powell [mailto:spowell@container-quinn.com]
Sent: Monday, January 16, 2012 1:25 PM
To: Posten, Ryan (PHMSA)
Cc: Steve Powell
Subject: Notification Letter
Good morning Mr. Posten
I am sending this e-mail for the purpose of clarification of what I am doing.
Attached is the letter I have sent to Dr. El-Sibaie notifying PHMSA that I will heretofore be
using the symbol CQ on my reports thus registering the CQ symbol. (I had also sent this
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letter the end of 2010 but addressed only to the associate director). This is in accordance
with:
49CFR, 178.3(b)(2), which states "If an indication of the name of the manufacturer or other
identification of the packaging as specified by the competent authority is required, the name
and address or symbol of the manufacturer or the approval agency certifying compliance with
the UN standard must be entered. Symbols, if used, must be registered with the Associate
Administrator."
Per 49CFR, 178.503(a)(8), which states "The name or address or symbol of the manufacturer or
the approval agency certifying compliance with subpart L and subpart M of this part. Symbols,
if used, must be registered with the Associate Administrator;"
In reading these two sections, I believe I have followed the letter of the 49CFR in
registering the CQ symbol and thus should be allowed to begin using this symbol. I have
received a phone call from Anthony Lima on Friday telling me that I am not allowed to use the
CQ as I am misrepresenting Container-Quinn and that the only symbols allowed by DOT are "M"-
numbers. But a~ording to the above sections, any symbol can be used, as long as
notification/registration is made.
Your assistance in this matter would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for your
assistance.
Stephen C. Powell
Director
Container-Quinn Testing Laboratories, Inc.
A Division of Holmes Testing, Inc.
170 Shepard Avenue
Wheeling, IL 60090
Phone: 847-537-9470
Fax: 847-537-9098
Cell: 847-812-7617
e-mail: spowell@container-quinn.com
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