# Akrochem Corporation — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

- **operation:** document
- **citation:** 12-0110
- **title:** Akrochem Corporation — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation
- **source type:** guidance
- **agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
- **status:** guidance
- **official:** true
- **published on:** 2012-11-15
- **effective on:** Not available
- **summary:** 12-0110 response to Akrochem Corporation concerning 171.8, 172.300, 172.303, 172.400, 173.211, 173.212, 173.213.
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- **app url:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-12-0110
- **source url:** https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretations/2012/120110.pdf
**body:**

<<<PAGE 1>>>

U.S. Department
of Transportation
Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety
Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE
Washington. DC 20590
NOV 1 5 2012
Scott Fleming
Akrochem Corporation
255 Fountain Street
Akron, Ohio 44304
Reference No.: 12-0110
Dear Mr. Fleming:
This responds to your May 9, 2012letter requesting clarification of the Hazardous
Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) applicable to the labeling and
marking requirements for a Division 6.1, Packing Group (PG) I material that your
company imports. You state your supplier intends to place this material in a plastic bag,
mark the bag with the required HMR labels and markings, and then place the bag into a
United Nations (UN) 5H4 clear, non-bulk plastic bag that meets the UN specification
requirements for a Division 6.1, PG I package. You ask if the HMR permit a shipper to
place the UN identification number, proper shipping name, label, and marine pollutant
marking on the non-specification interior bag provided this information is clearly visible
through the outer UN 5H4 bag.
The answer is no. The HMR require hazard communications markings and labels to be
placed on each non-bulk package before it is offered for transportation in commerce (see
§§ 172.300(a) and (b), and 172.400(a)). Section 171.8 defines a package as a packaging
plus its contents. It is the opinion of this Office that a complete hazardous materials
package is one that complies with the HMR in such a manner that does not permit the
release of any hazardous material it contains and meets all other criteria necessary to be
acceptable in transportation under the HMR. However, permissive labeling and marking
prescribed in 49 CFR Part 172 are allowed on hazardous materials packagings, such as
inner packagings, provided the labels and markings used represent the hazards presented
by the material (see §§ 172.303, 172.40l(a)(1) and (a)(2)). This Office does not
recommended this practice as it may result in confusion that could frustrate the movement
of this packaging as carriers attempt to determine whether the packaging is authorized in

<<<PAGE 2>>>

transportation. Also, please note that the HMR permit solid PG II and III, Division 6.1
materials to be shipped in UN 5H4 plastic film bags, but do not permit PG I, Division 6.1
materials to be placed in these packagings (see §§ 173.212 and 173.213). Non-bulk
packagings of solid Division 6.1, PG I materials must conform to the requirements
prescribed in § 173.211.
I hope this satisfies your inquiry. Please contact us if we can be of further assistance.
Sincerely,
T. Glenn Foster
Chief, Regulatory Review and Reinvention Branch
Standards and Rulemaking Division

<<<PAGE 3>>>

/ j
Drakeford, Carolyn (PHMSA)
From:
Sent:
To:
Cc:
Subject:
Kelley, Shane (PHMSA)
Wednesday, May 09, 2012 11:23 AM
Drakeford, Carolyn (PHMSA)
Billings, Delmer (PHMSA); Betts, Charles (PHMSA)
FW: Packaging, Label & Marking
Carolyn,
Please log this in as an interp request. Thanks!
Shane C. Kelley
Senior International Transportation Specialist
Office of Hazardous Materials Safety
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
U.S. Department of Transportation
Voice: 202-366-4359
FAX: 202-366-5713
From: Scott Fleming [mailto:scottfleming@akrochem.com]
Sent: Wednesday, May 09, 2012 9:48AM
To: Kelley, Shane (PHMSA)
Subject: Packaging, Label & Marking
Shane,
We are looking to import a product that is a 6.1, PGI. The supplier is planning on marking the bag with all of the proper
labels and markings, but place this bag into a clear plastic bag that meets the UN specification for a 6.1, PGI [single]
package.
Is it OK to have the UN number, PSN, Label and MP marking on the interior bag(that is not a UN spec package) but
shows through the plastic UN spec clear plastic bag(plastic bag has UN marking). Thank you
Scott A. Fleming
Safety Information Specialist
Akrochem Corporation
Voice 330-535-2100
FAX 330-535-8947
Akrochem Corporation
255 Fountain Street
Akron, OH 44304
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