{"operation":"document","citation":"12-0198","title":"Pacific Scientific Energetic Materials Company — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"2012-12-13","effective_on":null,"summary":"12-0198 response to Pacific Scientific Energetic Materials Company concerning 173.56.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-12-0198.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-12-0198.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-12-0198","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretations/2012/120198.pdf","body":"<<<PAGE 1>>>\n\nU.S. Department\nof Transportation\nPipeline and Hazardous\nMaterials Safety\nAdministration\n1200 New Jersey Avenue SE\nWashmgton. DC 20590\nDEC 1 3 2012\nMr. Timothy S. Dillon\nEnvironmental Health and Safety Manager\nValencia Advanced Technology Center\nPacific Scientific Energetic Materials Company\n24908 A venue Kearny\nValencia, CA 91355\nReference No. 12-0198\nDear Mr. Dillon:\nThis is in response to your September 5, 2012letter requesting clarification of the\nrequirements for explosive testing \"by analogy\" under the Hazardous Materials\nRegulations (HMR; 49 CPR Parts 171-180). In your letter, you state the explosive articles\nfor which you request this relief are in three categories: 1) they have the same part but\ndifferent part numbers on two or more articles in the device due to customer requirements,\nsuch as a dash number or letter designation; 2) they have similar parts with the same\nenergetic material and article function, including a mechanical change from the first article,\nsuch as a change in thread size or a different connector; or 3) they have similar parts with\nsimilar functions but the upper level assemblies of the devices are different, e.g., airplane\nversus helicopter/missile versus rocket, with the same or less net explosive weight and\ndifferent part number.\nYou ask if your clients may use test laboratories other than the original laboratory that\nperformed the test when: 1) the original laboratory is unable to meet the delivery schedule\nestablished by your company and your customer, or 2) the original laboratory is unable to\nmeet the quality and supply chain requirements as a vendor approved by your company's\nDepartment of Defense customers.\nThe answer is no. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA)\npermits an explosive to be classified \"by analogy\" only by the laboratory that performed\nthe original classification tests on the material. PHMSA does not permit another\nlaboratory to review test work it did not perform on an explosive material and draw\nclassification analogies for this material after the explosive or the device in which it is\nplaced have been altered.\nI hope this satisfies your request.\nSincerely,\nT. Glenn Foster\nChief, Regulatory Review and Reinvention Branch\nStandards and Rulemaking Division\n\n<<<PAGE 2>>>\n\n!i!acrFsc:\nSCIEnTIFIC\nENERGETIC MATERIALS CO.\n5 September 2012\nPipeline Hazardous Materials Safety Administration\nEast Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, Southeast\nWashington D.C. 20590\nATTN: Charles Betts, Director\nRulemaking and Standards, PHH-10\nSUBJECT: Request alternative test laboratory concerning \"by analogy'' classification on articles or substances.\nReference: 49CFR§ 173.56 New Explosives-definition and procedures for classification and approval.\nMr. Betts,\nPacific Scientific EMC requests the opportunity to utilize alternative PHMSA approved test laboratories for by\nanalogy classification.\nPacific Scientific's by analogy articles fall into three categories:\na) Same part but different part numbers on two or more articles due to customer requirements (i.e. dash number\nor letter designation). ·\nb) Similar parts, with the same energetic material and article function. A mechanical change from the first\narticle (i.e. change in thread size or different connector).\nc) Similar parts with similar function but upper level assemblies are different (airplane vs. helicopter/missile vs.\nrocket) with the same or less net explosive weight (N.E.W.) and a different part number.\nPHMSA policy requires when a by analogy article or substance is classified, the original test laboratory will examine\nthe by analogy article. Pacific Scientific requests the opportunity to choose any PHMSA approved laboratory for the\nfollowing reasons:\n1. The original laboratory is unable to meet the delivery schedule contractually established by Pacific Scientific and\nour Customer.\n2. The original laboratory is unable to meet the quality requirements and supply chain management requirements as an\napproved vendor established by Pacific Scientific Department of Defense customers. (Defense Federal Acquisition\nRegulation (DF AR).\nPacific Scientific would also request that section a. be considered a marketing requirement. If prior test results and EX\n(letter of approval is provided to DOT/PHMSA, an evaluation by a laboratory is not required.\n\\\n-~~~~\nTimothy S. Dillon,\nEnvironmental Health and Safety Manager\nValencia Advanced Technology Center\nPacific Scientific\nCc: Eileen Edmonson\n24908 Avenue Kearny • Valencia, CA 91355\nTelephone (661) 600-1100 • Fax (661) 600-1101","truncated":false,"body_characters":4570}