Helping commercial air travelers to be prepared for air travel, the DOT has created a new web site which offers advice about what products can fly – and what cannot. SafeTravel.dot.gov is the best source yet for tips to help travelers get to their destinations quickly and safely. The site offers specific advice about products that are regulated as dangerous goods and therefore, must comply with government regulations in transportation. Batteries, fireworks and aerosols are only a few of the many potentially dangerous products that passengers unknowingly attempt to bring onboard passenger aircraft. If your travel plans are domestic or international, SafeTravel.dot.gov aims to prepare you with safe practices to employ when packing and traveling. Following these tips and preparing ahead means fewer delays for the traveling public, and many more incident-free trips!
Drum It Up
STEEL DRUM INDUSTRY NEWS, TRENDS AND ISSUES
Archive for February, 2009
CFR Cheat Sheet is Handy For Quickly Locating Packaging References
The CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) is the Hazardous Materials shipping bible. In Title 49, there are definitions, classifications, regulations and a host of specific requirements set forth by the US DOT regarding the safe transport of hazardous materials by air, rail, water or road. Subtitle B of Chapter 1 refers to the Research and Special Programs Administration, with Subchapters A – C targeting Hazardous Materials Transportation Pipeline Safety, Oil Transportation, and Hazardous Materials Regulations. These are divided into Parts 171-180 with Subparts, Sections, Paragraphs and Subparagraphs. Part 178 addresses Hazardous Materials Packaging Specifications. As one who frequently references the CFR, I know that finding a particular reference to a regulatory question can be difficult. For several years, I have been keeping a Cheat-Sheet of specific paragraphs that speak to common questions regarding UN (United Nations) packagings. A part of the Skolnik web site, the CFR Cheat-Sheet lists about 50 references and the exact paragraph that explains the regulatory requirement. Though this only focuses on a single Section of the CFR, and requirements mostly applicable to steel and plastic drums, I hope that this CFR Cheat-Sheet will provide you with a quick reference when someone asks you questions such as “citing the reference for why a PG I package can be used for a PG II contents”, or “does the UN marking have to be inside a circle!” Also, if you would like us to add a reference, please email it to me.
Wikipedia Offers An Edited Definition Of A Salvage Drum
Proving to be a definitive source for just about anything, Wikipedia now contains a publicly edited definition of a Salvage Drum. It’s well worded and includes a brief evolution of the UN performance requirements.
A Salvage Drum is an outer container used for shipping a leaking, damaged or non-compliant drum containing hazardous materials. Originally designed to be greater than, or equal to, the construction and performance specifics of an inner container, the Performance Oriented Packaging Standards (POPS) of the US Department of Transportation requirement was that the Salvage Drum be at least a ‘Z’ (Packing Group III) solids container. Convinced that this was not an acceptable test for a Salvage Drum, on January 1, 1998, the ‘T’ Salvage Drum (1A2T) became the UN recommended salvage packaging for international shipments. The US-DOT, per 49 CFR 173.3, also recognizes the ‘T’ Salvage Drum for shipments within the US. Unlike the original 49 CFR Salvage Drum requirement, the ‘T’ Salvage Drum is most commonly an 85 US gallon capacity steel drum that meets UN Model Regulations test requirement 6.1.5.1.11, which specifies that when filled with water, the drum can qualify for Packing Group II and be dropped 1.2 meters (4 feet) on its’ most critical orientation, and not leak. In addition, the drum must successfully pass a 30 kPa Leakproofness Test. Both tests are very severe for an open-head steel container. This testing illustrates the extreme capabilities of the ‘T’ Salvage Drum when used for the safe recovery of hazardous materials in transportation.
Click here to see Skolnik’s Salvage Drum options.
