{"operation":"document","citation":"12-0195","title":"Philips Respironics — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"2012-11-13","effective_on":null,"summary":"12-0195 response to Philips Respironics concerning 172.102, 173.185.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-12-0195.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-12-0195.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-12-0195","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretations/2012/120195.pdf","body":"<<<PAGE 1>>>\n\nU.S. Department\nof Transportation\nPipeline and Hazardous\nMaterials Safety\nAdministration\n1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE\nWashington, D.C. 20590\nNOV 1 3 2012\nMr. Joseph E. Olsavsky\nPhilips Respironics\n1740 Golden Mile Highway\nMonroeville, PA 15146\nRef. No.: 12-0195\nDear Mr. Olsavsky:\nThis responds to your September 4, 2012letter requesting clarification of the Hazardous\nMaterials Regulations (HMR; 49 CPR Parts 171-180) applicable to your portable oxygen\nconcentrator (POC) and its lithium ion battery pack. You reference an enclosed letter of\ninterpretation issued by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration\n(PHMSA) on December 22,2011 (Ref. No.: 11-0285) to your company, which states that\nyour SimplyGo POC was not subject to the HMR provided it met the criteria of the\ninterpretation letter. Now, you are investigating an engineering proposal to alter the lithium\nion battery pack of your SimplyGo POC device \"from 7.92 grams total lithium content (93\nwatt-hour pack) to 10.8 grams total lithium content (127 watt-hour pack).\" Your questions\nare paraphrased and answered below.\nQ1: You ask whether the revised 10.8 grams total lithium content (127 watt-hour) pack\nwould require Class 9 markings, labeling, specification packaging, and shipping papers\nunder the HMR?\nA1: The 10.8 grams total lithium content (127 watt-hour) pack would be fully regulated\nunder the HMR as a Class 9 hazardous material when transport is by aircraft or vessel\nbut not when transport is by motor vehicle or rail. A device containing not more than\n25 grams total lithium content per battery may be excepted from Class 9 requirements\nunder§ 172.102(c)(1) Special provision 189 when transport is by motor vehicle or rail.\nHowever, due to the change from 7.92 grams total lithium content to 10.8 grams total\nlithium content, the device no longer qualifies under the§ 172.102(c)(1) Special\nprovision 188 and would be regulated under§ 173.185.\nProvided in§ 173.185(c), lithium cells or batteries contained in equipment may be\ntransported as Class 9 materials if the cells and batteries meet all the requirements of\nparagraph§ 173.185(a), except paragraph (a)( 4), and the equipment is packed in a\nstrong outer packaging. The equipment and cells or batteries must be secured within\nthe outer packaging and be packed so as to prevent movement, short circuits, and\n\n<<<PAGE 2>>>\n\n02: A2: accidental operation during transport. Furthermore, the Class 9 markings, labeling,\nand shipping paper provisions would be required.\nYou ask what ramifications (i.e., the revised 10.8 grams total lithium content (127\nwatt-hour pack)) would this have on airline travel, i.e. SPAR 106?\nAs you may know, Special Federal Aviation Regulation 106 (SFAR 106) \"Rules for\nUse of Portable Oxygen Concentrator Systems on Board Aircraft\" is under the purview\nof the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), not PHMSA. However, in order for the\ndevice to qualify as a POC device under SPAR 106 it must not contain hazardous\nmaterials as determined by PHMSA (See section 2 of 14 CFR Part 121, SFAR 106).\nAs a matter of policy, a lithium battery installed within a POC device must conform to\n§ 172.102( c )(1) Special provision 188 in order to be considered an eligible device\nunder SFAR 106. As indicated in Al above, a lithium ion battery pack with 10.8\ngrams total lithium content does not qualify under SP 188 and would invalidate your\nexisting FAA approval under SF AR 106.\nI hope this satisfies your inquiry. Please contact us if we can be of further assistance.\nSincerely,\nT. Glenn Foster\nChief, Regulatory Review and Reinvention Branch\nStandards and Rulemaking Division\n2\n\n<<<PAGE 3>>>\n\nDrakeford, Carolyn (PHMSA)\nN t'ekel-5\n3172./0~ 5PI88\n~ t/2-~ 1 or\nFrom:\nSent:\nTo:\nSubject:\nAttachments:\nINFOCNTR (PHMSA) ~a.. fferte S\nTuesday, September 04, 2012 1:22 PM\nDrakeford, Carolyn (PHMSA)\nRE: Portable Oxygen Concentrator - battery cell/lithium content ( J..., - D { fj 5·\n11-0285.pdf\nCarolyn,\nWe received the following request for a formal letter of interpretation.\nThanks,\nVictoria\nFrom: Olsavsky, Joseph [mailto:joseph.olsavsky@philips.coml\nSent: Tuesday, September 4, 2012 12:22 PM\nTo: infocntr@dot.gov\nCc: Richardson, Gerry; Whitcher, Douglas\nSubject: Portable Oxygen Concentrator - battery cell/lithium content\nThe purpose of this email is to request a clarification on the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) for the\ntransportation oflithium ion batteries; specifically, we are investigating an engineering proposal to change our\ncurrent battery pack for our SimplyGo Portable Oxygen Concentrator device:\nfrom 7.92 grams total lithium content (93 watt-hour pack) to 10.8 grams total lithium content\n(127 watt-hour pack).\nOur 7.92 gram battery configuration (used in the SimplyGo device) is currently not subject to the HMR (see\nattached determination letter).\nIn reviewing the transportation and labeling requirements specified in Section 173 and the hazardous materials\ntable found in Section 172.101 of the HMR, we would like to determine what shipping regulations and special\npackaging/markings (if any) are in effect based on lithium weight (for primary cells and batteries) and\nequivalent lithium content (for lithium ion cells and batteries).\nIt is my understanding that the following regulations apply:\nPrimary Lithium Ion & Polymer Shipping Special Packaging/Markings\nCell/Battery Cell/Battery Classification/Testing\nMax. Lithium Max. Lithium Content\nContent\ngrams 5.0 grams/25 5.0 grams/25 grams -Excepted/ T1-T6 None (excepted from\nregulations if the battery passes\n- excepted from regulations if the UN Manual of tests and\nthe battery passes the UN Criteria Tl-T6 tests\nManual oftests and\nCriteria Tl-T6 tests.\n1\n\n<<<PAGE 4>>>\n\nBased on the information provided above and our understanding of the regulations we would request\nclarification to the following questions:\n1. 2. Would the 10.8 gram/127 watt-hr battery pack require Class 9 markings, label, specification\npackaging, and shipping papers?\nWhat ramifications does this have on airline travel; i.e. SF AR 1 06 ?\nThank you in advance.\nBest Regards,\nJoe\nJoseph E. Olsavsky, RAC\nSr. Manager - HRC Regulatory Affairs\nPhilips Respironics\n1740 Golden Mile Highway\nMonroeville, P A 15146\nOffice: 724-387-7562\nFax: 724-387-7490\n2","truncated":false,"body_characters":6276}