# North America Regional Trainer — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

- **operation:** document
- **citation:** 12-0255
- **title:** North America Regional Trainer — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation
- **source type:** guidance
- **agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
- **status:** guidance
- **official:** true
- **published on:** 2012-12-20
- **effective on:** Not available
- **summary:** 12-0255 response to North America Regional Trainer concerning 172.202.
- **machine formats:** - **json:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-12-0255.json
- **markdown:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-12-0255.md
- **app url:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-12-0255
- **source url:** https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretations/2012/120255.pdf
**body:**

<<<PAGE 1>>>

U.S. Department
of Transportation
Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety
Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, D.C. 20590
Ms. Susan Numbers
North America Regional Trainer
Expeditors-Cleveland
6950 Engle Road
Suite XX
Middleburg Heights, OH 44130
Ref. No. 12-0255
Dear Ms. Number:
This responds to your November 5, 2012 request for clarification of the Hazardous
Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) applicable to the basic shipping
description of a hazardous material on a shipping paper. Specifically, in your incoming
letter you provide examples of shipping papers and request clarification if these are
acceptable formats. Your questions are paraphrased and answered below.
Ql. If a shipping paper uses column headings to describe the format and order of
the required basic shipping description as specified in§§ 172.202(a)(l)-(4) and the
heading for the first column is titled "UN No", do the letters "UN" still need to be
included in the line item entry in front of the 4 digits?
Al. Yes, in accordance with§ 172.202(a)(1) the identification number prescribed
for the material as shown in column ( 4) if the § 172.101 table must be displayed.
This would include the letters "UN" as part of the UN Identification Number
assigned to that hazardous material.
Q2. You provide an example of a shipping paper and ask if the horizontal row
format and row headings used in the example would be acceptable under
§§ 172.202(a)(1)-(4)?
A2. No, in accordance with § 172.202(b) the basic shipping description specified
in§§ 172.202(a)(l)-(4) must be shown in sequence with no additional information
interspersed. While a horizontal format is not prohibited, the inclusion of row
headings intersperses additional information in the basic shipping sequence and
therefore is prohibited.

<<<PAGE 2>>>

Q3. Would the addition of a colon ":" or"#" between the letters "UN" and the 4
digits of the UN number be considered interspersed information (i.e. UN:1564 or
UN#1564) and therefore prohibited.
A3. Yes, the addition of a colon":" or"#" between the letters "UN" and the 4
digits of the UN number is prohibited. In accordance with § 172.202(b) the basic
shipping description specified in§§ 172.202(a)(l)-(4) must be shown in sequence
with no additional information (i.e. ":"or"#") interspersed.
Q4. When using a shipping paper with a horizontal row format, is the shipping
paper required to include "UN" in conjunction with the four digit number (i.e.
"3077") in the basic shipping description if the row header makes a reference to the
"UN" (i.e. UN #, UN No., or UN)?
A4: See A2. Furthermore, the shipping paper is required to include "UN" in
conjunction with the four digit number (i.e. "3077").
I hope this answers your inquiry. If you need further assistance, please contact this office
at (202) 366-8553.
Sincerely,
~O,Jbt--
Robert Benedict
Chief, Standards Development Branch
Standards and Rulemaking Division
--
------------------------~----------------

<<<PAGE 3>>>

Drakeford, Carolyn (PHMSA)
From:
Sent:
To:
Cc:
Subject: Edmonson, Eileen (PHMSA)
Tuesday, November 13, 2012 11:57 AM
3h ipp~r:3 Aye-rs
Drakeford, Carolyn (PHMSA)
Betts, Charles (PHMSA)
( z -()265"
FW: PHMSA Letters of Clarification Concerning the Basic Description Sequence on Shipping
Papers
Hi Carolyn,
Please process this e-mail letter for response. The section numbers are: §§ 172.201 & 172.202(b).
I don't care who you assign it to.
Thanks,
Eileen Edmonson
USDOT/PHMSA
(202) 366-4481 (w)
(202) 366-7041 (f)
eileen.edmonson@dot.gov (e-mail)
http://www. phmsa.dot.gov/hazmat (website)
infocntr@dot.gov (Hazmat Info Center E-mail)
From: Susan Numbers [mailto:Susan.Numbers@expeditors.com]
Sent: Monday, November 05, 2012 9:24AM
To: Edmonson, Eileen (PHMSA)
Cc: Betts, Charles (PHMSA)
Subject: RE: PHMSA Letters of Clarification Concerning the Basic Description Sequence on Shipping Papers
Hello Ms. Edmonson,
Thank you for the below letters of clarification. They were very helpful, but I would like some further clarification on the
basic description with regards to some further format issues that were not specifically addressed in the letters below. I
would like to request PHMSA's interpretation of the below scenarios.
Scenario #1: When the column heading is titled "UN or ID No", the letters UN must be used for the UN Number (letters
UN then 4 digits). What if the column heading is just titled "UN No" .... do the letters "UN" still need to be in front of the 4
digits?
My understanding of the regulations has always been ... no matter what the title of the column heading on the form (either
-~~~-f\1-~E__tg __ f\l~( __ or "UN N':(,_~he letters "UN"_must always be used as part of the UN number. Please clarify.
Jh'
t 'H2113 :>HHOR SPIRIT
Scenario #2: Is the below format for the basic description considered acceptable?
My understanding has been that the below row heading titles should be treated the same as column heading titles and
this would not be considered interspersed information. Please clarify.
1
-----~~----·

<<<PAGE 4>>>

m.· NU:MBER ~-If> : tm r lt:i3
.PROPERSHiPPiNo}:rM!l:(.~i""P*A**l NtTr-----
CIASS !?7:.:<.) ; cn:sr-r--·-·
SURSDTARYHA7ARb CIA "iS . i
oo.~ru :
P};CKJN'cGROU'P <~~~---~~a -111f;._ ___ _
,_.,.,.,...,._,....,..,...,.,._,.,.,_..,
·~, ~,.,._..,....,....,.
Scenario #3: Would the addition of a colon":" between the letters "UN" and the 4 digits of the UN number be
considered interspersed information? Would the same also apply to the number sign"#" between the letters UN and the
4 digits? (i.e. UN#1564)
My _~:~nderstanding has been, yes ... the":" or"#" would not be acceptable. Please clarify.
UN: 1564
·PSN: BARIUM COMPOUND,N.O.S
:-rerhnical Name: NA
CJass: 6.1
Sub Risk (if any) - N A
PC: III
:Marine Pollutant - N
Scenario #4: Further to two of my scenarios above, on this format, (using the row heading of just "UN" NO ... excluding
the choice of "UN or ID" number) .... The shipper has not indicated a "UN" in conjunction with "3077".
My understanding is this would not be acceptable. Please clarify.
·!i.LUN NO:
3077
1§.:L~er Shipping Na~
. 11.Tuchni£al Name:
Environmentally hazanj::m.s substance.solid.n.o.s .
N-CYCLOHEXYL THlOPHTHAUMIOE
9
1JU!!1QJi~rz~!l£~s~:
I~J.lacking Group:
Please contact me should you need any clarification on the above.
Thank You
Susan
Susan Numbers
North America Regional Trainer
Expeditors- Cleveland
Office 440-243-9900
Direct 440-398-6604
Mobile 216-577-3495
susan.numbers@expeditors.com
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