3/29/89
OPR: Admin/OFMS
1. Purpose. This Chapter establishes policy and procedures for the handling and the shipment of hazardous materials in the custody of the USGS. Hazardous materials means a substance or material which has been determined by the Secretary of Transportation to be capable of posing an unreasonable risk to health safety and property when transported in commerce and which has been so designated (49 CFR 171.8 and 172).
2. Policy.
A. The transportation of hazardous materials is regulated by Department of Transportation requirements governing the movement of hazardous materials by rail, aircraft, ocean vessel, and motor vehicle.
B. A Transportation Officer or other responsible USGS employee may not offer a hazardous material for transportation unless that material is properly classed, described, packaged, marked, labeled, and in condition for shipment as required or authorized by 49 CFR 171.11, 171.12 and 176.11. The shipper is responsible for maintaining information and guidelines applicable to shipment of the activity's material. Violations could subject the shipper to fines and prosecution by Federal authority (49 CFR 107.333).
3. Responsibilities
A. General SM 410.1.
B. Specific. The Transportation Officer is responsible for the interpretation and application of Federal, State, or Local Government regulations regarding the shipment of hazardous material under the jurisdiction of the USGS. When required, advice and assistance on these matters shall be obtained from the appropriate GSA office of effect the necessary planning and control and to provide the needed guidance for such shipments.
4. Requirements. In addition to the Federal laws and regulations, each state and some municipalities have laws or ordinances regulating the transportation of hazardous material within their jurisdiction. Manufacturers shipping these materials to Government agencies are aware of and comply with these regulations. When a USGS activity originates such shipments, the transportation officer must be familiar with the laws and regulations governing the shipment of that particular hazardous material.
5. Preparation of Shipment. The packaging requirements for normal freight does not always apply to hazardous material. When packaging such material, the shipper should notify the transportation officer at the National Center or the manufacturer for guidance in preparation of the material for shipment.
A shipment that is not prepared for shipment in accordance with 49 CFR 172.1, may not be offered for transforation by air, highway, rail, or water. It is the duty of each person who offers hazardous materials for shipment to instruct each of his/her employees having any responsibility for preparing hazardous materials as to applicable regulations.
A. Document Preparation. The shipping description of a hazardous material on the shipping papers must include:
(1) The proper shipping name prescribed for the material in the Hazardous Material Table (49 CFR 172.101 or 172.102).
(2) The hazard class prescribed for the material in the same section.
(3) The identification number (preceded by "UN" or "NA" as appropriate) prescribed for the material in the same section.
(4) The total quantity (by weight, volume, or otherwise appropriate) of the hazardous material covered by the description.
B. Document Preparation for Radioactive Material. The description for a shipment of radioactive material must include the following additional entries as appropriate:
(1) Radionuclide. The name of each rationuclide in the radioactive materials.
(2) Form. A description of the physical and chemical form of the material, if the material is not in special form.
(3) Activity. The activity contained in each package of the shipment in terms of curies, millicuries, or microcuries. Abbreviations are authorized.
(4) Category of Labels. The category of label applied to each package in the shipment. For example: "RADIOACTIVE WHITE-I."
(5) Transportation Index. The transportation index assigned to each package in the shipment bearing "RADIOACTIVE YELLOW II OR RADIOACTIVE YELLOW-III" labels.
(6) Transportation By Air. When a package containing a hazardous material is offered for transportation by air and 49 CFR 172.1 prohibits its transportation aboard passenger-carrying aircraft, the words "CARGO AIRCRAFT ONLY" must be entered after the basic description.
7. Reports.
A. Incidents in Shipment. The Hazardous Materials incident Report (Form DOT F 5800.1) must be completed by the carrier and furnished to the Department of Transportation (DOT) in duplicate within 15 days of discovery of any hazardous material which has been unintentionally released from a package (including a tank) or discharged during transportation. Instructions for the preparation and processing of Form DOT F 5800.1 are contained in 40 CFR 171.15-171.17.
B. Discrepancies in Shipment. Any suspected loss, damage, shortage, or other discrepancy during transit, regardless of value, shall be reported by SF 361, Transforation Discrepancy Report, as soon as possible (49 CFR 101-40-702-3 and SM 410.5).
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