{"operation":"document","citation":"13-0208","title":"Avantor Performance Material, Inc. — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"2014-03-06","effective_on":null,"summary":"13-0208 response to Avantor Performance Material, Inc. concerning 172.401.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-13-0208.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-13-0208.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-13-0208","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/2013/130208.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\nMAR 0 6 2014\nDr. Donald R. Paulus\nGlobal Dangerous Goods Specialist\nA vantor Performance Materials, Inc.\n3477 Corporate Parkway Suite #200\nCenter Valley, PA 18034\nRef. No.: 13-0208\nDear Mr. Toole:\nThis is in response to your letter dated October 22, 2013, requesting clarification of the\nHazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) applicable to the display of\nGlobally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) markings\nand labeling in co!liunction with hazardous materials labels. You present two specific\nmaterials with differing HMR and GHS labeling and marking requirements and ask for\nPHMSA's recommendation on how to address situations where classification differs\nbetween HMR labels and GHS pictograms. The two commodities and the conflicting\nmarking and labeling requirements are as follows:\nMaterial #1- UN 1230 Methanol, 3, PG II, which when offered domestically in accordance\nwith HMR requirements only requires a Class 3 flammable label. However, you note that\nGHS guidelines specify that both flammable and toxic pictograms are required.\nMaterial# 2- UN 2014, Hydrogen peroxide, aqueous solutions, 5.1, (8), PG II, which in\naccordance with HMR requirements only requires the Division 5.1 oxidizer and Class 8\ncorrosive label. However, you note that the GHS guidelines specify that oxidizer, corrosive,\nand toxic pictograms are all required.\nThe HMR prescribes the labeling requirements for transportation purposes. Only those\nlabels noted above as required for your materials (Class 3 for a domestic shipment of UN\n1230 and Division 5.1 and Class 8 for UN 2014) are necessary to comply with the HMR.\nSection § 172.401 (b) prohibits the transportation of a package bearing any marking or label\nwhich by its color, design, or shape could be confused or conflict with a hazard warning\nlabel prescribed in the HMR. The prohibition is intended to preserve the effectiveness of\nDepartment ofTransportation's (DOT) hazard warning communication system by\npreventing dilution ofthe distinctive DOT labels. However, § 172.401(c)(5) excepts\npackages labeled in conformance with GHS requirements from this prohibition.\n\n<<<PAGE 2>>>\n\nOne potential solution would be to label the shipments with those labels required for\ntransport under the HMR and to include a secondary GHS label including the additional\nrequired GHS pictograrns. You may wish to contact the Occupational Health and Safety\nAdministration (OSHA), Directorate of Standards & Guidance or further guidance on the\nappropriate GHS marking and labeling requirements for these materials at:\nU.S. Department of Labor\nOccupational Safety & Health Administration\nDirectorate of Standards & Guidance\n200 Constitution Ave., NW\nWashington, DC 2021 0\nPlease note that there are cases where the shipping container also houses the chemical in the\nworkplace. It is our understanding of OSHA's requirements that in such cases the container\nmust identify the hazards for the chemical user.\nA relevant letter of interpretation by OSHA may be found at:\nhttp:/ /www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show document?p table= INTERPRETATIONS\n&p id=28646.\nI trust this information is helpful. If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to\ncontact this office.\nSincerely,\n·p [,~,J_ /·:{'\nDuane A. Pfund\nInternational Standards Coordinator\nStandards and Rulemaking Division\n\n<<<PAGE 3>>>\n\nAvantor Performance Materials, Inc\n3477 Corporate Parh'/ay\nSuite 112l'C'\nCenter Valley, PA 1SD3,;\nU.S.A.\nTel: 1-610-573-2600\nFax: 1-610-573-2610\nwww.avantormaterials.com\nOctober 22, 2013\nU.S. DOT\nPHMSA Office of Hazardous Materials Standards\nAttn: PHH-10\nEast Building\n1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE.\nWashington, DC 20590-0001\nDear Sir/,t..1adam:\nThis letter is to seek advice on a recurrent issue we have had with one of the largest\ncourier companies in US when trying to transport certain hazardous materials containing\nboth hazardous materials labeling as specified under the Hazardous Materials Regulations\n(HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) and pictograms as specified under the lJN Globally\nHarmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) recently\nadapted by U.S. OSHA.\nPHMSA previously released two interpretation letters (07-0156 and 13-0038) which state\nthat this is an acceptable practice according to HMR. In particular, the second letter\nreferences 172.401(c)(5) which deals specifically with the HMR compliance of packages\nthat are labeled in conformance with GHS.\nThe specific materials we have had problems trying to ship by DOT ground regulations\nare:\n1. 2. Methanol, being shipped as UN 1230, Methanol, 3, PG II\n30% Hydrogen Peroxide, being shipped as UN 2014, Hydrogen peroxide,\naqueous solutions, 5.1, (8), PG II.\nWe ground ship Methanol in the United States using the D designation listed in the\n172.101 Table which only requires a class 3 flammable label; however, the GHS\nguidelines specify that both flammable and toxic pictograrns are required. The Hydrogen\nperoxide, aqueous solutions only require two labels according to the 172.101 Table -\nhazard class 5.1 (oxidizer) and hazard class 8 (corrosive) labels; while, the GHS\nguidelines specify that oxidizer, corrosive and toxic pictograrns are all required.\nIn both cases, GHS requires a toxic pictogram but HMR does not require a con·esponding\ntoxic label. The packages are compliant with the HMR because the restrictions of\nTrademarks are owned by Avantor Performance Materials, Inc. or its affiliates unless otherwise noted.\n© 2013 Avantor Performance Materials, Inc.\n\n<<<PAGE 4>>>\n\nPI5RFORMANC1;\nhvani<,: PerformancE Materials, Inc.\n34l! Corporate Parkway\nSuite#200\nC€nter Valley, PA 18034\nU.S.A.\nTel: 1-610-573-2600\nfax: 1-610-573-2610\nwww.avantormaterials.com\n172.401(a) and (b) do not apply. The courier company stopped or delayed the shipment\nbecause there were no hazard class 6.1 (toxic) labels on the packages and they deemed\nthe package \"noncompliant\". How does PHMSA recommends to handle situations like\nthese where the classification differs between HMR labels and GHS pictograms?\nRegards,\nDonald R. Paulus, Ph.D.\nGlobal Dangerous Goods Specialist\nGlobal Labeling and Packaging\nA van tor Performance Materials, Inc.\nTel: 610-573-2600, Ext. 32551\nE-mail: Donald.Paulus@avantormaterials.com\n2","truncated":false,"body_characters":6421}