{"operation":"document","citation":"16-0045","title":"Label master Services, Inc. — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"2016-07-26","effective_on":null,"summary":"16-0045 response to Label master Services, Inc. concerning 173.185.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-16-0045.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-16-0045.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-16-0045","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/2016/160045.pdf","body":"<<<PAGE 1>>>\n\nU.S. Department\nof Transportation\n1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE\nWashington, D.C. 20590\nPipeline and Hazardous\nAdministration\nMaterials Safety\nJUL 2 6 2016\nMr. Robert Richard\nVice President Regulatory Compliance\nLabelmaster Services, Inc.\n5724 N. Pulaski Rd.\nChicago, IL 60646\nRef. No.: 16-0045\nDear Mr. Richard:\nThis responds to your letter regarding provisions for lithium batteries transported by modes\nother than air when marked and labeled in accordance with Section IB of Packing Instruction\n(PI) 965 or 968 of the International Civil Aviation Organization Technical Instructions for the\nSafe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air (ICAO TI).\nYou ask whether a package that meets the provisions for the small cells and batteries in\n§ 173.185 (c) and displays the Class 9 label and the lithium battery handling marking in\naccordance with Packing Instruction 965, Section IB for air transport, remain eligible to\nutilize marking and labeling exceptions applicable to modes other than air transport without\nremoving the affixed Class 9 label and lithium battery handling marking. In addition, you\nsuggest we include clarifying language in the HMR.\nThe answer is yes. The hazard communication requirements for lithium batteries prepared in\naccordance with Section IB (§ 173.185 (c)(4)(vi) of the HMR) were added to ICAO TI in the\n2013-2014 edition and are not new. The labels and markings required to be affixed to\npackages for transport by air in accordance with the ICAO TI (Class 9 and lithium battery\nhandling markings) need not be removed or covered for subsequent transportation by other\nmodes. Shipments prepared in accordance with Section IB remain eligible for the exceptions\nprovided in § 173.185 (c).\nI hope this information is helpful. If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to\ncontact this office.\nSincerely,\nDuans AT-l\nDuane A. Pfund\nInternational Standards Coordinator\nStandards and Rulemaking Division\n\n<<<PAGE 2>>>\n\n•\nWiener\n§173.1856)\nDodd, Alice (PHMSA)\nBattere\n10=0045\nFrom:\nSent:\nGoodall, Shante CTR (PHMSA)\nWednesday, March 16, 2016 3:27 PM\nTo:\nDodd, Alice (PHMSA)\nSubject:\nAttachments:\nIB packaes by ground (2) docx\nFW: Request for Interpretation Lithium ion Battery - PI 965, Section IB packages\nSent: Tuesday, March 15, 2016 3:52 PM\nFrom: Betts, Charles (PHMSA)\nTo: Goodall, Shante CTR (PHMSA)\nSubject: FW: Request for Interpretation Lithium ion Battery - PI 965, Section IB packages\nShante -\nPlease replace the earlier interp. request with this attached letter.\nFrom: Bob Richard [mailto:BRICHARD@labelmaster.com]\nSent: Tuesday, March 15, 2016 3:14 PM\nTo: Betts, Charles (PHMSA)\nCc: Pfund, Duane (PHMSA); Kelley, Shane (PHMSA); Leary, Kevin (PHMSA); Alicia Wieczorek, DGSA\nSubject: RE: Request for Interpretation Lithium ion Battery - PI 965, Section IB packages\nThank you! There was a minor typo so please refer to this version.\nBOB RICHARD\nVice President Regulatory Compliance\nLabelmaster Services Inc.\n5724 N. Pulaski Rd.\nChicago, IL 60646\nDirect: 773-540-0837\nEmail: brichard@labelmaster.com\nWeb: www.labelmaster.com/services\nKeeping companies ahead of the dynamic and frequent changes to hazardous materials regulations.\nLABELMASTER®\nSOFTWARE PRODUCTS SERVICES\nFrom: charles.betts@dot.gov [mailto: charles.betts@dot.gov]\nTo: Bob Richard\nSent: Tuesday, March 15, 2016 12:54 PM\nCc: Duane.Pfund@dot.gov; shane.kelley@dot.gov; Kevin.Leary@dot.gov\nSubject: RE: Request for Interpretation Lithium ion Battery - PI 965, Section IB packages\nThanks Bob. Your request will be logged and assigned to a specialist for response.\n1\n\n<<<PAGE 3>>>\n\nFrom: Bob Richard [mailto:BRICHARD@labelmaster.com]\nTo: Betts, Charles (PHMSA)\nSent: Tuesday, March 15, 2016 12:45 PM\nCc: Pfund, Duane (PHMSA); Kelley, Shane (PHMSA); Leary, Kevin (PHMSA)\nSubject: Request for Interpretation Lithium ion Battery - PI 965, Section IB packages\nPlease accept the attached request for interpretation.\nBOB RICHARD\nVice President Regulatory Compliance\nLabelmaster Services Inc.\n5724 N. Pulaski Rd.\nChicago, IL 60646\nDirect: 773-540-0837\nEmail: brichard@labelmaster.com\nWeb: www.labelmaster.com/services\nKeeping companies ahead of the dynamic and frequent changes to hazardous materials regulations.\nLABELMASTER®\nSOFTWARE PRODUCTS\nSERVICES\n2\n\n<<<PAGE 4>>>\n\nLABELMASTER\nSERVICES\nMarch 15, 2016\nCharles Betts, Director Standards and Rulemaking Division\nPipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration\nAttn: Standards and Rulemaking Division, PHH-10\nU.S. Department of Transportation\n1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.\nEast Building, Floor 2\nWashington, DC 20590-0001\nSubject: Request for Interpretation; Ground Transport of Shipments of Lithium Batteries Prepared in\nAccordance with ICAO Packing Instruction 965 Section IB\nDear Mr. Betts:\nI am writing on behalf of a client that is a manufacturer of consumer electronic devices who ships stand alone\nlithium batteries internationally by air, sea and ground transport. On April 1, 2016 the amendments recently\nadopted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) will come into force. As a result many\ncompanies who previously shipped small lithium batteries under Packing Instruction 965 Section II will no\nlonger be able to do so because of the one Section II package per consignment limit and similar restrictions on\noverpacks. This will require shippers to offer consignments under Section IB of Packing Instruction 965.\nMany Section IB packages will now need to move by ground and sea. Unfortunately, since these have a Class 9\nhazard label on the package, ground and sea carriers will treat them as if they are fully regulated packages\nadding further cost and regulatory burden on lithium battery shippers. In many cases carrier personnel use the\nhazard label on a package as a trigger to indicate that the package is fully regulated and required to be\ndocumented with a shipping paper and dangerous goods declaration.\nWhen packages prepared according to Section IB of Packing Instruction 965 or 968 reach their destination they\nmay need to be reoffered for ground or ocean transport. Shipper's will incur a heavy financial burden if they\nare required to remove or cover labels or offer the freight as a fully regulated shipment with a dangerous goods\ndeclaration. Downstream shippers may not have appropriate training because they only ship excepted lithium\nbatteries and are normally just required to receive adequate instruction relative to offering excepted batteries for\ntransport by sea or road.\nThe question we would like you to respond to is:\nIf a package is marked and labelled according to Packing Instruction 965 Section IB for air transport but the\nbatteries meet the exceptions for ground transport in §173.185 (c) can it be shipped or reoffered according to the\nground exceptions with Section IB markings and labels?\nBased on the confusion experienced to date with Section IB shipments transported by ground it may be\nnecessary to include clarifying language in the Hazardous Materials regulations, international dangerous goods\nregulations and UN Model Regulations to alleviate future confusion. It is noted that the UN Model Regulations\nwere amended not so long ago to revise paragraph 3.4.10 to clarify that limited quantity packages offered for air\ntransport can be shipped under the ground exceptions applicable to limited quantity shipments. Similar\nregulatory amendment may be necessary to clarify shipments conforming with the provisions of ICAO PI 965\nand 970 Section IB may be transported according to exceptions applicable to small lithium batteries offered for\n5724 N. Pulaski Rd.. Chicago, II. 60616\nPhone: 1-800-378-4955\n\n<<<PAGE 5>>>\n\nLABELMASTER\ntransport by ground and sea. Please consider such a clarification when developing the next international\nSERVICES\nharmonization rule or subsequent rule that addresses the recent ICAO amendments. Please also take action at\nthe UN Transport of Dangerous Goods Sub-Committee and ICAO Dangerous Goods Panel as appropriate.\nI look forward to your response and would appreciate if you could respond prior to the April 1, 2016 date.\nRespectfully,\nRabet ARis\nRobert Richard\nVice President Labelmaster Services\nIllustrations of packages prepared according to ICAO PI 965 Section IB\nShipper Name / Address\nConsignee Name / Address\nÀ CAUTION\nDO NOT (GAS CO TARGAORT\n9\nPACKAGE N BALACED\nUN3480\nCARGO AIRCRAFT\nLithium ion batteries\nONLY\nNet qty: 1 kg\n5724 N. Pulaski Rd., Chicago, II. 60640\nPhone: 1-800-578-4955\n\n<<<PAGE 6>>>\n\nLABELMASTER\nSERVICES\nShiper Name / Address\nConsignee Name / Address\nAlh\nACAUTION\nUN3480\nLITHIUM ION BATTERIES\nDO NOT I GAS OR TRANSPON\nPACKAGE S DAMACED\nCARGO AIRCRAFT\nONLY\n5724 N. Pulaski Rd., Chicago, IL. 60646\nPhone: 1-800-578-4955","truncated":false,"body_characters":8703}