{"operation":"document","citation":"24-0056","title":"J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc. — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"2024-08-29","effective_on":null,"summary":"24-0056 response to J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc. concerning 172.516.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-24-0056.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-24-0056.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-24-0056","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/2024-08/240056.pdf","body":"<<>>\n\nU.S. Department\nof Transportation\nPipeline and Hazardous\nMaterials Safety\nAdministration\n1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE\nWashington, DC 20590\nAugust 29, 2024\nMr. Michael Atkinson\nEditor-Hazardous Materials Trans\nJ. J. Keller & Associates, Inc.\nP.O. Box 368\nNeenah, WI 54957-0368\nReference No. 24-0056\nDear Mr. Atkinson:\nThis letter is in response to your June 19, 2024, email requesting clarification of the Hazardous\nMaterials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) applicable to the visibility and display of\nplacards. Specifically, you ask whether a placard holder that your company produces would be\nconsidered similar to the recommended placard holder displayed in Appendix C to Part 172\nbased on drawings you have provided of the holder. You state that you have received feedback\nfrom customers who used a previously produced placard holder that the placards would get stuck\nand would be ripped, torn, or bent—rendering them unusable; therefore, your company modified\nthe placard holder to include finger indentations to allow the user to push and pull the placard\nwith their fingers to reduce damage. You also included a picture of your proposed placard holder\nin use.\nAs stated in § 172.516(d), the means used to attach a placard may not obscure any part of its\nsurface other than the borders except for a placard holder similar to that in Appendix C to Part\n172. It is the opinion of this Office that based on the picture of the placard holder you have\nprovided (along with the drawings), the placard holder would be acceptable because it is similar\nto the placard holder provided in Appendix C to Part 172.\nI hope this information is helpful. Please contact us if we can be of further assistance.\nSincerely,\nEamonn Patrick\nActing Chief, Regulatory Review and Reinvention Branch\nStandards and Rulemaking Division\n\n<<>>\n\nLarson\n24-0056\nFrom: INFOCNTR (PHMSA)\nTo: Dodd, Alice (PHMSA)\nCc: Hazmat Interps\nSubject: FW: Request for Interpretation - Visibility and display of placards\nDate: Wednesday, June 26, 2024 1:29:35 PM\nAttachments: image002.png\nimage003.png\nPlacard Holder LOI.pdf\nPlacard Holder Specifications.pdf\nHi Alice,\nPlease see the attached interpretation request.\nLet us know if you need anything,\nJanaye\nFrom: Atkinson, Michael L \nSent: Wednesday, June 19, 2024 3:16 PM\nTo: INFOCNTR (PHMSA) \nSubject: Request for Interpretation - Visibility and display of placards\nCAUTION: This email originated from outside of the Department of Transportation (DOT). Do\nnot click on links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content\nis safe.\nTo whom it may concern,\nAttached is our request for a formal letter of interpretation regarding the visibility and display\nof placards.\nMichael L Atkinson\nEditor - Hazardous Materials Trans\nP.O. Box 368, Neenah, WI 54957-0368\nmatkinson@jjkeller.com | 920-722-2848 Ext. 2830\nJ. J. Keller & Associates, Inc. | JJKeller.com\nConfidentiality Warning: This email and any files transmitted with it may be confidential and are\nintended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have\nreceived this email in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete this original message\nand any copy of it from your computer system. If you are not the intended recipient you are notified\nthat disclosing, copying, distributing or taking any action in reliance on the contents of this email is\nstrictly prohibited. Disclaimer: This email may contain information that is intended to lend technical\nknowledge and support to the recipient. Laws, regulations, and best practices change, and the\n\n<<>>\n\nobservations and comments drawn today may not apply to laws, regulations, or best practices as\nthey may be in the future. Any recommendations made by J. J. Keller staff are offered in strictly an\nadvisory capacity and are not to be construed as legal advice. Recipients seeking legal advice should\nconsult with legal counsel. J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc. P. O. Box 368, Neenah, WI 54957-0368\n\n<<>>\n\nJune 19, 2024\nStandards and Rulemaking Division\nPipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Attn: PHH-10\nU.S. Department of Transportation\nEast Building\n1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE\nWashington, DC 20590-0001\ninfocntr@dot.gov\nRequest for Interpretation\nTo whom it may concern,\nPursuant to 49 CFR §105.20, this letter is being submitted by e-mail to request an interpretation of\nthe Hazardous Materials Regulations regarding the visibility and display of placards in 49 CFR\n§172.516(d). Specifically, would the attached placard holder be considered “similar” to the\nrecommended placard holder contained in Appendix C to Part 172, and therefore meet regulatory\nrequirements?\nBackground\nThrough comments and feedback, a top issue our customers face is placards getting stuck in the\nplacard holders. Oftentimes, the placards end up ripped, torn, or bent, rendering them unusable.\nOur solution was to slightly modify the recommended placard holder to include two half-circle\nfinger indentations that allow the user to both push and pull the placard at the same time to reduce\ndamage.\nPlease see the placard holder image below and the attached placard holder specifications:\n\n<<>>\n\n•\nMichael Atkinson\nDOT Hazardous Materials Editor\nmatkinson@jjkeller.com\n2\n\n<<>>\n\nD\nC\nB\nA\n.25\n.25\nR.25\n4\n10.8\n10.8\n4\nR.75\n3.9\n5.0\n3.9\n3\nA\nA\n3\n.50\n13.9\n2\n1\nREVISIONS\nREV DESCRIPTION BY DATE ECN\nA INITIAL RELEASE - - -\nD\n.15\nOPENING\nSECTION A-A\nSCALE 1 : 1\nC\nB\nDIMENSIONS ARE AFTER PLATING\nBREAK ALL SHARP EDGES\nCHAMFER TAPPED HOLES 90° X THD DIA.\nMACHINED SURFACES ARE 125 RMS\nTHREAD LENGTH = MIN FULL THREADS\nMATERIAL / FINISH SEE NOTES\nTOLERANCES UNLESS\nOTHERWISE SPECIFIED:\nUNITS:\nIMPERIAL\nINT.\nDATE\nJ. J. KELLER & ASSOCIATES, INC.\nDRAWN\nCBC\n06/17/2024\n.X\nN/A\nANG.\n.5\n°\nCHECKED\n.XX\nN/A\nFRAC.\n1/16\nENG APPR.\nTITLE:\nSLIDE-IN PLACARD\nHOLDER -\nINTERPRETATION\nPROPRIETARY AND CONFIDENTIAL\nTHE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN\nTHIS DRAWING IS TO BE TREATED\nAS TRADE SECRET AND\nCONFIDENTIAL TO J. J. KELLER &\nASSOCIATES. ANY REPRODUCTION\nIN PART OR AS A WHOLE WITHOUT\nTHE WRITTEN PERMISSION OF J. J.\nKELLER & ASSOCIATES IS\nPROHIBITED.\n.XXX\nN/A\nPROFILE\n.01\n.XXXX\nN/A\nINTERPRET GEOMETRIC\nTOLERANCING PER:\nANSI Y14.5-1994\nTHIRD ANGLE PROJECTION\n3D CAD MODEL INFORMATION\nINFORMATION FOR FORM, FIT AND\nFUNCTION ARE SPECIFIED.\n- REFER TO 3D CAD MODEL WHICH\nIS CONSIDERED BASIC\n- UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED:\nTHE PART SUPPLIED TO J. J. KELLER\n& ASSOCIATES IS SUBJECT TO\nVALIDATION AGAINST THE 3D CAD\nMODEL. A\nDWG. NO.\n2302101-001-001-INT\nREV\nA\nSCALE: 1:3\nDO NOT SCALE\n( )\nDRAWING\nSHEET 1 OF 1\n2\n1","truncated":false,"body_characters":6664}