{"operation":"document","citation":"20-0050","title":"Fisher BioServices — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"2020-08-17","effective_on":null,"summary":"20-0050 response to Fisher BioServices concerning 171.8, 173.320.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-20-0050.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-20-0050.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-20-0050","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/docs/standards-rulemaking/hazmat/interpretations/74236/200050.pdf","body":"<<<PAGE 1>>>\n\nU.S. Department\nof Transportation\nPipeline and Hazardous\nMaterials Safety\nAdministration\n1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE\nWashington, DC 20590\nAugust 17, 2020\nAijaz A. Khan\nTransportation Supervisor, Commercial Operations\nFisher BioServices\n14665 Rothgeb Drive\nRockville, MD 20850\nReference No. 20-0050\nDear Mr. Khan:\nThis letter is in response to your June 30, 2020, email and subsequent phone conversation\nrequesting clarification of the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180)\napplicable to cryogenic liquids. Specifically, you ask for clarification regarding the use of the\nexceptions for cryogenic liquids as provided in § 173.320 and provide a description of a liquid\nnitrogen refrigeration system used to maintain the temperature of materials being transported by\nmotor vehicle. You state that the refrigeration system consists of five Dewar flasks filled with\nliquid nitrogen permanently attached to the transport vehicle and the flasks are equipped with\npressure release valves that maintain a pressure of less than 25 psig.\nWe have paraphrased and answered your questions as follows:\nQ1. You ask whether placards are required on a company vehicle that transports the liquid\nnitrogen refrigeration system.\nA1. The answer is no. Cryogenic liquids transported by motor vehicle, as described in your\nscenario, are eligible for relief from the HMR, as provided in § 173.320. The exceptions\ncontained in § 173.320 are applicable to the transportation by motor vehicle of cryogenic\nliquids in Dewar flasks designed and constructed so that the pressure in such packagings\nwill not exceed 25.3 psig under ambient temperature conditions during\ntransportation. Section 173.320(b) further provides that the requirements of the HMR do\nnot apply to atmospheric gases (see § 171.8) and helium when used in operation of a\nprocess system, such as a refrigeration system. Therefore, the display of placards on the\ntransport vehicle is not required.\n\n<<<PAGE 2>>>\n\nQ2. You ask whether a vehicle operator must have a hazardous material (hazmat)\nendorsement on a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) when transporting the liquid\nnitrogen refrigeration system.\nA2. The answer is no. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the Agency\nresponsible for issuing the licensing standards for commercial motor vehicle drivers in 49\nCFR part 383, requires a driver who transports hazardous material shipments to obtain a\nhazmat endorsement on a CDL. However, the requirement for a hazmat endorsement\nonly applies to shipments for which a placard is required under the HMR or any quantity\nof a material listed as a select agent or toxin in 42 CFR Part 73. Because the refrigeration\nsystem is excepted from the placarding requirements prescribed in part 172, subpart F of\nthe HMR, a hazmat endorsement on a CDL is not required.\nI hope this information is helpful. Please contact us if we can be of further assistance.\nSincerely,\nDirk Der Kinderen\nChief, Standards Development Branch\nStandards and Rulemaking Division\n\n<<<PAGE 3>>>\n\nCardez\n20-0050\nThermo Fisher\nSCIENTIFIC\nThe worl d h~,1der 1 11 serving soence\nFisher BloServlces\nDOT# 1490455\n14665 Rothgeb Drive Rockville, MD 20850\nPhone:240-328--3664\nwww.fisherbioservices.com\n®Fisher\nBlolervlc••\nJune 30, 2020\nFisher BioServices\n,,\n14665 Rothgeb Drive\nRockville, MD 20850\nDOT# 1490455\nHello,\nI\nI would like to request a written letter of interpretation ' concerning the applicability of 49 CFR § 173.320\n(Cryogenic liquids; exceptions) to a liquid nitrogen-based refrigeration system designed and permanently\nfixed on 3 axle Freightliner with GVW of 55,000 lbs 26-foot box CDL truck. The liquid nitrogen system is\nused to maintain, and cool temperature of material 6r product being transported by the truck.\nThe refrigerated system consists of 5 LN2 Dewars that contain the ln2 inside of the Dewar. See details on\nDewars below. The Dewars are permanently attached to the truck and can be moved. The combined ln2\ncapacity of all the Dewars is more than 1000 litters. These Deawars have a pressure release valve and\nmaintain a PSI of less than 25PSI.\nAre we required to Placard our vehicle or are exempt from Placarding and Hazmat Regulation?\nAre we exempt from requiring our drivers to maintain a HAZMAT CDL license?\nThree Taylor -Wharthon\n240 liters\nMODEL NO. XL240PB\nPART NO. L240-0C06\nTC4LM\nDOT4L\nTWO Taylor -Wharthon\n160 liters\nMODEL NO. XL-160\nPART NO. Ll60-0C03\nTC4LM\nDOT4L\nRegards,\nAijazKhan\nAijaz A. Khan\nTransportation Supervisor, Commercial Operations\nPharma Services I Fisher Clinical Services, by Thermo Fisher Scientific\n14665 Rothgeb drive I Rockville, MD 20850 I ,\nMqbile: 240,328-3664 , , 1 'I , I I\naijaz.khan@thermofisher.com I fisherclinicalservices.com","truncated":false,"body_characters":4736}