{"operation":"document","citation":"12-0120","title":"Greif, Inc., Rigid Industrial Packaging & Services, North America — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"2012-07-18","effective_on":null,"summary":"12-0120 response to Greif, Inc., Rigid Industrial Packaging & Services, North America concerning 178.601.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-12-0120.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-12-0120.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-12-0120","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretations/2012/120120.pdf","body":"<<<PAGE 1>>>\n\nU.S. Department\nof Transportation\nPipeline and Hazardous\nMaterials Safety\nAdministration\n1200 New Jersey Avenue SE\nWashington. DC 20590\nJUL 1 8 2012\nJordan J. Brodsky\nDirector of Product Technical and Regulatory Support\nGreif, Inc.\nRigid Industrial Packaging & Services, North America\n366 GreifParkway\nDelaware, OH 43015\nRef. No. 12-0120\nDear Mr. Brodsky:\nThis responds to your letter requesting clarification of the Hazardous Materials\nRegulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) applicable to the testing of non-bulk\npackagings. In your letter, you interpret a pass/fail criterion at§ 178.606(d) that would\nallow a drum successfully withstanding the stacking test to then be leakproofness tested in\naccordance with § 178.604. You ask whether the steel drum test samples used for the\nstacking test as prescribed in § 178.606 may also be used for the leakproofness test as\nprescribed in § 178.604.\nThe answer is no. However, in accordance with§ 178.601(k), several tests may be\nperformed on a single sample with the approval of the Associate Administrator and\nprovided the validity of the test results is not affected. You may apply for approval to\nperform several tests on a single sample under the procedures specified in 49 CFR\n§ 107.705.\nI trust this satisfies your inquiry. Please contact us ifwe can be of further assistance.\nSincerely,\nT. Glenn Foster\nChief, Regulatory Review and Reinvention Branch\nStandards and Rulemaking Division\n\n<<<PAGE 2>>>\n\nlF\nMay 10,2012\nCharles Betts\nDirector, Standards and Rulemaking\nU.S. Department ofTransportation\nPipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administratiqn\n1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE\nWashington, DC 20590-0001\nEmail: infocntr@dot.gov\nDear Mr. Betts;\nGreif requests a Letter of Interpretation regarding steel drums used for Stacking tests and\nLeakproofness tests.\nThe regulations in 49CFR§178.60l(k)(l)(i) identify the tests to be performed.\n(i) The packagir.g must be tested in accordance with this subpart by subjecting each of the three\n. containers to the following sequence of tests:\n178.60 I (k)(l )(i)(A)\n(A) Th(: stacking test in § 178.606,\n178.60 • (k)(l)(i)(B)\n(B) Tt.: leakproofness test in § 178.604,\n178.6( l(k)(l)(i)(C)\n(C) Tr c hydrostatic pressure test in § 178.608, and\n178.6C • (k)(1)(i)(D)\n(D) Di~ gonal top chime and flat on the side drop tests in § 178.603. Both drop tests may be\nconduc ed on the same sample.\nIn the specific :,·~ctions on testing requirements for the two tests in question(§ 178.604 Leakproofuess\ntest and § 178.6· · 6 Stacking test), the regulations are silent regarding the use of passed Stacking test\ndrums in the Lt, lkproofness test.\nThe criteria for :1assing the Stacking test clearly outline the physical condition of passed drums.\nThe regulations n 49CFR § 178.606( d) state:\n\n<<<PAGE 3>>>\n\n\\.\n(d) C~ite~a for passi?g the test. No test sample may leak. In composite packagings or\ncombmatiOn ~ackagmgs, ~ere must be no leakage of the filling substance from the inner\n..ceceptacle, or mner packagmg. No test sample may show any deterioration which could\n· adversely affect transportation safety or any distortion likely to reduce its strength,\ncause instability in stacks of packages, or cause damage to inner packagings likely to\nreduce safety in transportation. For the dynamic compression test, a container passes the\ntest if, after application of the required load, there is no buckling of the sidewalls sufficient to\ncaus~ damage to its expected contents; in no case may the maximum deflection exceed one\ninch.\nGreif interprets the regulations that we should be able to use those same Stacking test drums for our\nLeakproofness tests, as long as the drums used in the Stacking test have passed successfully against\nthese criteria.\nGreif requests a formal letter of interpretation of Greif's position on the above regulations.\nThank you for your time and your consideration.\nJordan J. Brodsky\nDirector of Product Technical and Regulatory Support\nGreif, Inc.\njordan.brodsky@greif.com\n• Page2","truncated":false,"body_characters":3997}