{"operation":"document","citation":"12-0133","title":"Autoliv Ogden Technical Center — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"2012-10-03","effective_on":null,"summary":"12-0133 response to Autoliv Ogden Technical Center concerning 173.166, 173.24a.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-12-0133.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-12-0133.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-12-0133","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretations/2012/120133.pdf","body":"<<<PAGE 1>>>\n\nU.S. Department\nof Transportation\n1200 New Jersey Avenue SE\nWash1ngton. DC 20590\nPipeline and Hazardous\nMaterials Safety\nAdministration\nOCT 0 3 2012\nMr. Dave Madsen\nChair, Supplier Regulatory Workgroup\nNorth American Automotive Hazardous\nMaterials Action Committee\nAutoliv Ogden Technical Center\n3350 Airport Road\nOgden, UT, USA 84405\nReference No. 12-0133\nDear Mr. Madsen:\nThis is in response to your June 14, 2012 letter requesting clarification of the Hazardous\nMaterials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) applicable to inner packagings of air\nbag inflators, air bag modules, seat-belt pretensioners, and other hazardous materials.\nSpecifically, you ask if these inner packagings when placed in outer packagings are\nrequired to be secured so they do not shift or move, or if the HMR permits the inner\npackagings to shift or move in a manner that does not reduce the structural integrity of the\ncompleted package. You state it is your understanding that§§ 173.24a(a)(3) and\n173 .166( e), (e)( 4 ), and (e)( 4 )(iii) permit inner packagings of hazardous materials and other\ndevices or dunnage to move or shift in a limited manner within an outer package of a\ncombination packaging provided no damage occurs that would reduce the package's\noverall structural integrity.\nYour understanding is not correct. Air bag inflators, air bag modules, seat-belt\npretensioners and dunnage, which can include other equipment, must be secured within the\nouter packaging to prevent their movement during transportation. Section 173.166(e)\nrequires airbags to be placed in \"rigid outer packagings that meet the general packaging\nrequirements of 49 CFR Part 173,\" which are prescribed in Subpart Band include\n§ 173.24a(a)(3), \"and the packaging specification and performance requirements of 49\nCFR Part 178 ... at the Packing Group III performance level\" if these packagings meet\nspecific additional requirements prescribed in § 173.166( e). Some of these additional\nrequirements are that packagings for these devices \"must be designed and constructed to\nprevent movement of the articles and [their] inadvertent operation\" (see § 173 .166( e)), and\nthat internal dunnage placed in these packagings \"must be sufficient to prevent shifting of\nthe devices within the container\" (see§ 173.166(e)(4)(iii)).\nThe general packaging provisions in §173.24a(a)(3) require that inner packagings of\ncombination packagings must be packed, secured, and cushioned within an outer\npackaging in a manner that prevents their breakage or leakage under conditions normally\n\n<<<PAGE 2>>>\n\nincident to transportation. Although the HMR does not define the phrase \"conditions\nnormally incident in transportation,\" PHMSA has interpreted it, through various\nrulemakings and letters of clarification, to mean a package used for the shipment of\nhazardous materials that is made, filled, and closed so that under normal transportation\nconditions there will be no identifiable release of a hazardous material from the package\nand its effectiveness will not be substantially reduced. While this can be interpreted as\npossibly permitting some movement of inner packagings within an outer packaging of a\ncombination package provided no identifiable release of hazardous material or reduction in\npackage effectiveness, § 173 .166( e)( 4) does not permit this movement when transporting\nair bag inflators, air bag modules, seat-belt pretensioners to prevent their possible\nactuation. Furthermores, any additional hazardous materials or non-hazardous materials\nplaced within the packagings you described must not be capable of reacting dangerously\nwith the air bag devices or each other, and the inner and outer packagings used must\nconform to the relevant packaging and hazard communication requirements of the HMR\nfor each hazardous material they contain (see§§ 171.2(e), 173.24(e)(4) and 173.24a(c)).\nI hope this satisfies your request.\nSincerely,\n~-7r//~~-····\nT. Glenn Foster\nChief, Regulatory Review and Reinvention Branch\nStandards and Rulemaking Division\n2\n\n<<<PAGE 3>>>\n\n2012\nChar!es Betts\nDirector., Standards &\nUS DOT •\" PHh;JSi\\\nEast - 2 Floor\n200 New .Jersev Ave. SE\nDC 20590\nRe:\nan actir:trl·orientecl\nblorth .American Autornottve\nhazardous materials and\nof\nwithin\nTakata and Tf~\\N -all manufacturers of air\ncla rifi cat ion\nor rnovement of hazan::ious\nThere are several different references to eithPr\nTwo of these references are listed celot.v.\nor movement within the 49\nAnd ..\n§ 1\nprevent movemsnt of\n\n<<<PAGE 4>>>\n\na or devices\nwhen \\Ve beiieve the DOrs intent iS to ens~m; that the\nto the that\nno\nvvou!d be reduced,\nvVe thank you in advance for vour assistance in this matter. If you need amlit[onal information\nyou can contact rne at ) 612-5665 or e-mail at\nto your vHitten response,\n2\n\n<<<PAGE 5>>>\n\nNAAHAC Member Companies\nAmerican Honda Motor Co., Inc.\nAutoliv ASP, Inc.\nBMW of North America\nChrysler Corp. LLC I Mopar\nDelphi Automotive systems, LLC\nFord Motor Company\nGeneral Motors Company\nGeneral Motors Parts & Service\nHonda of America Manufacturing\nKey Safety Systems\nMercedes Benz USA\nMobis Parts America, LLC\nNissan North America, Inc.\nTK Holdings I Takata\nToyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing\nToyota Motor Sales U.S.A., Inc.\nTRW Automotive, Occupant Safety Systems\nVolkswagen Group of America\n3","truncated":false,"body_characters":5296}