{"operation":"document","citation":"18-0144","title":"Abbott Action, Inc. — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"2019-03-04","effective_on":null,"summary":"18-0144 response to Abbott Action, Inc. concerning 178.601, 178.955.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-18-0144.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-18-0144.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-18-0144","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/docs/standards-rulemaking/hazmat/interpretations/70886/180144.pdf","body":"<<>>\n\n0\nU.S. Department\nof Transportation\nPipeline and Hazardous\n· Materials Safety ·\nAdministration\n1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE\nWashington, DC 20590\nMAR O 4 2019\nMr. Brian French\nAbbott Action, Inc.\ndba-French Packaging Services\n249 Oceana Way ·\nNorwood, MA 02062\nReference No. 18-0144\nDear Mr. French:\n1bis letter is in response to your November 20, 2018, email requesting clarification of the\nHazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171 -180) applicable to packaging\nmodifications. You state that your company wishes to make modifications to a tested plywood\nlarge packaging (50DN) and explain that the outer packaging (plywood box) will remain\nunchanged but that the foam blocks used for cushioning will be modified to accommodate a\ndifferent configuration of smaller or identical inner packages within the large packaging.\nSpecifically, you note that while the overall thickness of the foam cushioning blocks will remain\nunchanged, a notch/groove will be moved. Therefore, you ask if§ 178.601 (g)( 4) permits\nmodifications to the cushioning materials used in a plywood large packaging (50D/Y) without\nrequiring that the packaging configuration be retested.\nYour email references§ 178.601 under Subpart M, \"Testing of Non-Bulk Packagings and\nPackages\"; however, based on the information provided, this Office believes that § 178.955\nunder Subpart Q, \"Testing of Large Packagings\"\n. would better address your question. Section\n178.955(g) states that inner packagings of equivalent or smaller size may be used provided .\n· certain conditions are met. In accordance with§ 178.955(g)(l)(iv), sufficient additional\ncushioning material must be used to take up void spaces and to prevent significant movement of\nthe inner packages. Therefore, if you are moving the notch/groove on the foam blocks to\naccommodate the smaller or identical inner packages and to fill any void spaces and prevent any\nsignificant movement within the outer package, then this modification would not violate the\nrequirements of§ 178.955(g) and would be considered an authorized variation.\nI hope this infonnation is helpful. Please contact us ifwe can be of further assistance.\nSincerely,\n~~~~~\nT. Glenn Foster\nChief, Regulatory Review and Reinvention Branch\nStandards and Rulemaking Division\n\n<<>>\n\nJanuary, lkeya CTR (PHMSA)\nFrom:\nSent:\nTo:\nCc:\nSubject:\nSatterthwaite, Cameron (PHMSA)\nFriday, November 23, 2018 10:23 AM\nDodd, Alice (PHMSA); January, Ikeya CTR (PHMSA)\nNickels, Matthew (PHMSA)\nFW: Interpretation 178.601(g)(4)(iv)\nHey Alice and lkeya, .\nHere is a hazmat interp request for your handling. (see below)\nCameron H. Satterthwaite\nSupervisory Transportation\nRegulations Specialist\nStandards and Rulemaking\nEast Building, PHP 30\n1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE\nWashington, DC 20590\n(o) 202-366-1319\nFrom: PHMSA Pipelinesafety\nSent: Friday, November 23, 2018 10:15 AM\nTo: Gale, John (PHMSA) ; Satterthwaite, Cameron (PHMSA) \nCc: Asebe, Tewabe (PHMSA) \nSubject: FW: Interpretation 178.601(g)(4)(iv)\nGood morning,\nWe received the email below in the general OPS in box. I am forwarding it to your office for appropriate\nhandling.\nRegards,\nFrom: Brian French [mailto:brian.french@frenchpackaging.com]\nSent: Tuesday, November 20, 2018 11:37 AM\nTo: PHMSA Pipelinesafety \nSubject: Interpretation 178.601(g)(4)(iv)\nPipellne and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration\nU.S. Department of Transportation\n1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE\nWashington, DC 20590\nUnited States\n1\n\n<<>>\n\nI'm respectfully requesting an interpretation about the need to re-test a packaging that differs only in minor respects\nfrom the tested type, as follows:\nAbbott Action, Inc. currently manufactures a tested 50D/Y/ - Plywood La rge Packaging. The plywood box was originally\ntesting with internal polyethylene foam cushioning blocks that secure the inner container. We wish to make minor\nmodifications to these foam cushioning blocks without the need to retest. The plywood box will remain the same. The\nmodification to the foam cushion blocks will not alter t he thickness between the inner packaging, and the outside\npackaging. The cushioning type will remain the same. The cushioning design will be modified minimally with no\nnegative effect on performance.\nMy question is; Does 178.601(g)(4)(iv)allow for this type of modification to the cushion as the paragraph states \"the\nsame type or design\"?\nThank you for your consideration in this matter.\nBrian French\nAbbott Action, Inc.\ndba-French Packaging Services\n249 Oceana Way\nNorwood, MA 02062\n(o) 781.702.5710\n(f) 781.702.5720\nbrian.french@frenchpackaging.com\nAbbott-Action Inc,\n10 Campanelli Circle\nCanton, MA 02021\n2\n\n<<>>\n\n\n\n<<>>","truncated":false,"body_characters":4779}