{"operation":"document","citation":"21-0026","title":"Airgas USA, LLC — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"2021-09-13","effective_on":null,"summary":"21-0026 response to Airgas USA, LLC concerning 177.817.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-21-0026.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-21-0026.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-21-0026","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/docs/standards-rulemaking/hazmat/interpretations/75866/210026.pdf","body":"<<<PAGE 1>>>\n\nU.S. Department\nof Transportation\nPipeline and Hazardous\nMaterials Safety\nAdministration\n1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE\nWashington, DC 20590\nSeptember 13, 2021\nMr. John Anderson\nAirgas USA, LLC\n31 North Peoria Avenue\nTulsa, OK 74120\nReference No. 21-0026\nDear Mr. Anderson:\nThis letter is in response to your September 20, 2020, email requesting clarification on how a\nspecial permit must be presented while in transportation. Specifically, you ask whether a special\npermit—one that by requirements set out in the special permit is required to be carried aboard\neach motor vehicle used to transport packages covered by the specific special permit—may be\nprovided as a PDF on an electronic device (e.g., a tablet) in lieu of a paper copy of the special\npermit.\nThe Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) do not prescribe the\nmanner that a special permit must be carried when transported aboard a motor vehicle.\nTherefore, if a special permit does not specify that it needs to be carried aboard the transport\nvehicle in a manner prescribed for shipping papers in § 177.817, then it is an acceptable practice\nto carry a PDF of the special permit on an electronic device (e.g., a tablet) aboard a motor\nvehicle.\nFinally, to achieve a baseline accessibility for accident or inspection scenarios, we recommend\nthat the driver and/or carrier should ensure:\n\n<<<PAGE 2>>>\n\n1. The PDF is accessible by the driver of the motor vehicle at all times while operating\nunder the special permit; and\n2. The PDF is made available upon request to any person who is either responding to an\nincident or conducting an investigation involving a hazardous material covered by the\nspecial permit.\nI hope this answers your inquiry. If you need additional assistance, please contact this Office at\n202-366-4535.\nSincerely,\nDonald Burger\nChief, General Approval and Permits\nStandards and Rulemaking Division\n\n<<<PAGE 3>>>\n\nNicks\n21-0026\nFrom: Special Permits (PHMSA)\nTo: Ford, Michelle (PHMSA)\nCc: Special Permits (PHMSA)\nSubject: [GC] FW: Airgas John Anderson Question\nDate: Monday, September 14, 2020 10:21:34 AM\nAttachments: image002.png\nMichelle,\nPlease log this in as GC (for an interpretation).\nThank you,\nMichael Nicks\nTransportation Specialist, Office of Hazardous Materials Safety\nUS Department of Transportation\nPipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration\n1200 New Jersey Ave., Washington D.C. 20590\nOffice: 202-366-5610\nPHMSA Home | LinkedIn | Twitter | HAZMAT | OPS\nFrom: Cassidy, Duane (PHMSA) <Duane.Cassidy@dot.gov>\nSent: Monday, September 14, 2020 10:05 AM\nTo: Special Permits (PHMSA) <specialpermits@dot.gov>\nSubject: Fwd: Airgas John Anderson Question\nGet Outlook for iOS\nFrom: ANDERSON, John <john.anderson@airgas.com>\nSent: Monday, September 14, 2020 9:40:53 AM\nTo: Cassidy, Duane (PHMSA) <Duane.Cassidy@dot.gov>\nSubject: Airgas John Anderson Question\nCAUTION: This email originated from outside of the Department of Transportation (DOT). Do not click on links or\nopen attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.\nGood morning Duane,\nWhen a Special Permit is required to be carried on the vehicle for highway transportation is an\nelectronic (pdf file) acceptable to the DOT? Airgas now has an electronic tablet in some of\nour vehicles and we are trying to eliminate all the paper Special Permits we currently carry\nand would like to go to an electronic version loaded on the tablet.\n\n<<<PAGE 4>>>\n\nHope you are doing well and staying safe.\nJohn Anderson - SAFECOR\nCheyenne, WY\nOffice 1-307-778-8809\nCell 1-307-287-5624","truncated":false,"body_characters":3582}