{"operation":"document","citation":"18-0035","title":"COSTHA — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"2019-02-15","effective_on":null,"summary":"18-0035 response to COSTHA concerning 172.101, 173.166.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-18-0035.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-18-0035.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-18-0035","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/docs/standards-rulemaking/hazmat/interpretations/70586/180035.pdf","body":"<<<PAGE 1>>>\n\nU.S. Department\nof Transportation\nPlpellne and Hazardous\nMaterial• Safety\nAdmlnletratlon\n1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE\nWashington, DC 20590\nFEB 1 5 2019\nDonBossow\nSenior Regulatory Consultant\nCOSTHA\n10 Hunter Brook Lane\nQueensbury, NY 12804\nReference No. 18-0035\nDear Mr. Bossow:\nThis letter is in response to your March 12, 2018, letter requesting clarification of the Hazardous\nMaterials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) applicable to \"UN3268, Safety Devices,\nClass 9\" and Special Provision 160, which is assigned to this entry in the Hazardous Materials\nTable (HMT) in § 172.101. Special Provision (SP) 160 states, \"This entry applies to safety\ndevices for vehicles, vessels or aircraft,\" and provides examples of items that are considered\neligible for classification, such as air bag inflators, air bag modules, seat-belt pretensioners, and\ncertain pyromechanical devices. Specifically, you ask whether micro gas generators (MGGs)\nmay be classified under \"UN3268, Safety Devices, Class 9\" although they are not specifically\nlisted in SP 160.\nThe answer is yes provided certain conditions are met. HM-215M, \"The Harmonization With\nInternational Standards (RRR) Final Rule\" (80 FR 1076; January 8, 2015) revised the HMT\nentry for \"UN3268\" and SP 160 to include additional automotive industry life-saving appliances\nthat are actuated by the electric signal of the crash sensor safety devices other than air bag\ninflators/modules. While the list of applicable devices in SP 160 is not exhaustive, the provision\nis limited to items that meet the definition of a safety device. Furthermore, articles classified as\nUN3268 are subject to the requiremen, ts in§ 173.166. Therefore, provided that the MGG's end\nuse is to enhance safety to persons in vehicles, vessels or aircraft and that the MGG meets the\nconditions of SP 160 and § 173 .166, it may be transported as \"UN3268\" once approved by the\nAssociate Administrator in accordance with§ 173.166(b)(l)(iv).\nI hope this information is helpful. Please contact us if we can be of further assistance.\n~~\nChief, Standards Development Branch\nStandards and Rulemaking Division\n\n<<<PAGE 2>>>\n\nDodd, Alice (PH MSA)\nFrom: INFOCNTR (PHMSA)\nSent:\nTo:\nSubject:\nAttachments:\nMonday, March 12, 2018 5:05 PM\nHazmat Interps\nFW: Request for Letter of Interpretation - Classification of Micro Gas Generators (MGGs)\nMGGs as Class 9 Safety Devices.doc\nHi Alice and lkeya,\nAttached is a request for a letter of interpretation. Please let me know if you have any questions.\nThanks,\nJodi\nFrom: Don Bossow [mailto:Don@costha.com]\nSent: Monday, March 12, 2018 1:20 PM\nTo: PHMSA HM lnfoCenter <PHMSAHMlnfoCenter@dot.gov>\nCc: Kelley, Shane {PHMSA) <shane.kelley@dot.gov>\nSubject: Request for Letter of Interpretation - Classification of Micro Gas Generators (MGGs)\nAttached please find a request from COSTHA for a letter of interpretation on classification of Micro Gas Generators\n(MGGs). We look forward to your response.\nRegards,\nDon Bossow\nCOSTHA\n10 Hunter Brook Lane, Queensbury, NY 12804\nPhone: 518/761-0389 * Fax: 518/792-7781\nhttp://www.costha.com\ndon@costha.com\nCOSTHA 2018 Annual Forum & Expo ~ April 22-25 ~ Weston, FL\nThis information is intended to provide interpretative and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered\nas a service to our members and has been answered to the best of our ability based on the information provided to us.\nWe do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any such interpretation or information, however, nor do we warrant\nthat compliance with any advice we provide will guarantee compliance with any legal or regulatory requirements. Our\nstatements or opinions do not convey legal interpretation and government authorities or legal counsel should be contacted\nfor such a response.\n1\n\n<<<PAGE 3>>>\n\nCouncil on Safe Transportation of Hazardous Articles\nMarch 12, 2018\nPresident\nDave Madsen\nReg. Compliance Specialist - Americas\nAutoliv ASP, inc.\nFirst Vice President\nSamuel Moyers\nDirector ofTransponation Safety\nARCADIS\nSecond Vice President/Treasurer\nCarrie Wayne\nGlobal Manager, Trans. Safety\nHoneywell International\nSecretary\nDan Hankinson\nProgram Mgr, Mopar Product Reg. Comp.\nFCA US LLC - Mopar\nExecutive Committee\nJim Wilterink\nManager - Transport Compliance\nAmway Corporation\nBoard of Directors\n8ria11 Barta!\nSr. Manager Dangerous Goods\nAmazon.com\nAmy Fischesser\nCorporate Hazardous Materials Manager\nSun Chemical Corporation\nAndrew Fix\nSr Regulatory Mgr, Global Product Stewardship\nProcter & Gamble\nRobert Heinrich\nSr. Traffic Admin Advisor\nNovartis Pharmaceuticals\nRichard Lattimer\nConsultant-HSE Env. Affairs Global Sup.\nEli Lilly and Company\nDavid Littlejohn\nCorporate Safety Advisor\nFedEx Express\nBoyd Stephenson\nSenior Vice President\nNational Tank Truck Carriers\nCarolyn Weintraub\nSenior Regulatory Associate\nRB LLC (Reckitt Benckiser)\nMike Wentz\nManager, Dangerous Goods Compliance\nAmerican Airlines\nVeronica Wilson\nDirector, HM Transportation\nWal~Mart Stores, Inc.\nGeneral Counsel\nRichard Schweitzer, PLLC\nU.S. Department of Transportation\nPHMSA Office of Hazardous Materials Standards\nAttn: PHH-10\nEast Building\n1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE\nWashington, DC 20590-0001\nPh m sa. hm-i nfocenter@dot.gov\nRe: Micro Gas Generators(MGGs) as Class 9\nCOSTHA is requesting a letter of interpretation regarding the classification of Micro\nGas Generators (MGGs) as UN3268, Safety Devices, Class 9 provided they meet\nthe requirements of Special Provision 160 as provided for this entry in 49 CFR\n172.101.\nSpecial Provision 160 states; \"This entry applies to safety devices for vehicles,\nvessels or aircraft, e.g. air bag inflators, air bag modules, seat-belt pretensioners,\nand pyromechanical devices containing Class 1 (explosive) materials or materials of\nother hazard classes. These articles must be tested in accordance with Test series\n6(c) of Part I of the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria (incorporated by reference; see\n§171.7 of this subchapter), with no explosion of the device, no fragmentation of\ndevice casing or pressure vessel, and no projection hazard or thermal effect that\nwould significantly hinder fire-fighting or other emergency response efforts in the\nimmediate vicinity. If the air bag inflater unit satisfactorily passes the series 6(c) test,\nit is not necessary to repeat the test on the air bag module.\"\nCOSTHA believes that, although not specifically listed in the examples provided in\nthis special provision, MGGs that are tested in accordanQe with the special provision\nand meet the criteria may be properly classified under this entry as Class 9\nmaterials. The use of the term \"e.g.\" in the special provision indicates that the\ndevices listed are examples of the types of devices for which this special provision is\napplicable and not an exhaustive list and COSTHA believes that MGGs should be\neligible for classification using this entry.\nThe 20th edition of the UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods\nalso contains an entry for UN3268, Safety Devices, Class 9 with Special Provision\n280.\nCouncil on Safe Transportation of Hazardous Articles\n10 Hun1Er Brcd<L .. ane, Queensbury, NY 12804 Phone (518)761-0389 Fax (518)792-7781 www.costhaa:m\n\n<<<PAGE 4>>>\n\nSpecial Provision 280 states; \"This entry applies to safety devices for vehicles, vessels or\naircraft, e.g. air bag inflators, air bag modules, seat-belt pretensioners, and pyromechanical\ndevices, which contain dangerous goods of Class 1 or of other classes, when transported as\ncomponent parts and if these articles as presented for transport have been tested in accordance\nwith Test series 6(c) of Part 1 of the Manual of Tests and Criteria, with no explosion of the\ndevice, no fragmentation of device casing or pressure receptacle, and no projection hazard nor\nthermal effect which would significantly hinder fire-fighting or emergency response efforts in the\nimmediate vicinity.\"\nInternationally, France and China have already approved MGGs as Safety Devices under this\nentry. COSTHA is requesting confirmation from PHMSA that MGGs may be properly classified\nunder this entry provided they meet the testing requirements of Special Provision 160.\nSincerely,\nDon Bossow\nSr. Regulatory Consultant\nCC: Shane Kelley, Director, Standards and Rulemaking","truncated":false,"body_characters":8259}