Do you return gifts through the mail after the holidays? Do you send birthday or holiday presents? Have you shipped an item you sold on an on-line auction site? If you do any of these things, you should know about safe shipping. It's always safe to ship harmless materials, but what about those that present hazards?

Good news! You can safely ship almost any material, provided you take the right protective measures. There are more than 800,000 shipments of hazardous materials that are safely shipped in the United States everyday. Since our lifestyles depend on these materials, from heating fuel, personal items such as cosmetics, to chemicals crucial to the economy, DOT has identified safe ways of packaging and shipping them.

A system of visual hazard communication, including labels, markings, placards, and shipping papers, lets drivers and rail/ vessel/air crews know exactly which hazardous materials they are handling or transporting. That way, they know to transport your package in a way that protects it and allows them to take appropriate measures to prevent releases that can affect safety. And, if something does go wrong because of breakage or spillage, emergency responders use this visual communication system on the scene, to limit damage and protect lives – including their own.

To put it simply, lives, safety, property, and the environment all depend on the safe transportation of hazardous materials. That’s where you come in. Batteries and battery powered equipment can be shipped to prevent short circuits or damage that can result in a fire. Similar hazards can be prevented in the shipping of aerosols and many household goods. And even when incidents do happen, safe shipping helps responders minimize the damage from those incidents.

We all have access to hazardous materials. It is not just the big industrial shippers. Shipping undeclared hazmat endangers everybody in the transportation chain, and carries legal penalties. So don't be part of the problem when you ship a package – be part of the solution.

Take the time to find out whether it is hazardous, and how to ship it safely! If you have a specific question on DOT's Hazardous Materials Regulations, or you aren't sure you have a hazardous material, contact the Hazardous Materials Info-Center at 1-800-467-4922.

Info-Center specialists are available to answer your calls Monday through Friday, from 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern Standard Time.

The handling and transport of hazardous materials, restricted matter, and perishable matter involves added risk. That risk can become even greater if a nonmailable material is mailed or if the packaging of a mailable material is not adequate to prevent damage or spillage during normal handling.

Never mail any nonmailable hazardous material, restricted matter, or perishable matter. Mailable items must be packaged and labeled as required in The USPS Domestic Mail Manual (DMM), and USPS Publication 52 Hazardous, Restricted, and Perishable Mail.

See http://pe.usps.gov for more information. USPS requires proper packaging, identification, and deposit of mailable hazardous materials, restricted matter, and perishable matter to ensure the safety of employees and the general public. These requirements also help ensure the safety of Postal Service equipment and facilities.

Miscellaneous hazardous materials: Dry ice used in food shipments, gasoline powered tools, wet-cell batteries, camping equipment containing fuel, infectious substances, fireworks

Household items: drain cleaners, solvents

Flammable liquids or solids: fuels, paints, lighter refills

Pressure containers: spray cans, butane fuel, scuba tanks, propane tanks, CO2 cartridges, self-inflating rafts

Weapons: ammunition, gun powder, mace, pepper spray, tear gas

Cosmetics: hair care products, perfumes

Automotive: airbags, touchup paint, flares

Brochure # PHH50-0098-0707

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HAZMAT PUBLICATIONS AND OTHER TRAINING MATERIALS:

Visit our web site: http://hazmat.dot.gov

Write: Office of Hazardous Materials Initiatives and Training
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE PHH-50 Washington, DC 20590-0001

E-mail: training@dot.gov

Phone: (202) 366-2301
Fax: (202) 366-7342

Hazardous Materials Info-Line: 1-800-467-4922

GOING OUT OF TOWN?
Tips for traveling safely with batteries and battery-powered devices may be found at http://SafeTravel.dot.gov.

U.S. Department of Transportation
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
PHH-50
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590