Hazmat basics you need to know!Having trouble figuring out how the regulations are set up? How do I know what I'm hauling is hazardous material anyway? What are the hazard classes of hazmat? How do I know if the package I'm hauling is a bulk package or a non-bulk package? On this page we'll help you answer those questions! There are few basic definitions and terms you will need to learn in your effort to try and speak Federal-ease! Reading and understanding these important basics will help you understand how other regulations such placarding are applied. Learning to Read DOT regulationsUnderstanding how the hazmat laws are set up
Whenever you are referred to a regulation on this website, it's recommended that you click on the Hazmat Regulations in the left navigation bar and read it for yourself. Here's a quick guide on how the regulations are set up. They follow the same general outline like most written material, and are relatively easy to find once you get used to the layout. Regulations can also cure insomnia! Title: Title 49 - Transportation Try it out! Look up this law in the hazmat CFR's or go to the e-CFR website and look up 172.504(f)(2)(i) This reference takes you into the placarding section. The first few words are "A cargo tank or portable tank". Here's a few more for practice: What certain words mean Rules of construction 171.9 Unless the regs say otherwise:
How do I know it's hazmat or not?
The million dollar question! It's generally the shipper or offeror's responsibility to make that determination using the hazmat regulations (HMR's) as their guide to prepare the shipment. Here is the paraphrased definition of hazmat, the full definition can be found 171.8: "Substance or material determined by the Secretary of Transportation to pose an ureasonable risk to health, safety and proper when transported in commerce. The term also includes hazardous substances (RQ or reportable quantity), hazardous wastes, marine pollutants and elevated tempeature materials and materials desginated as hazardous in the the hazardous materials table (172.101 table or the hazmat table)".
DOT hazard classes and packing groupsThere are 9 basic hazard classes and divisions (10 if you count ORM-D's, a debate that still rages amonst the guru's of hazmat). It's important to understand how these classes and divisions fit into the big picture. Hazard classes and divisions are found on shipping papers, placards and labels. These classes can be found in 173.2 in the HMR's. A divsion is a subdivision of a particular hazard class. Hazard classes / Divisions Class 1 - Explosives: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6 Packing Groups Packing groups represent the degree of danger the material presents. Not all classes of materials have packing groups assigned to them. It's the shippers responsibilty to assign a packing group. Packing groups must be shown on shipping papers in Roman numerals to help prevent confusion with other numerals on the shipping papers. Packing group (PG) I - Great danger Classes of material that do not have packing groups assigned to them: Class 2, Class 7, Division 6.2 other than regulated medical wastes and ORM-D materials do not have packing groups.
Bulk and Non-bulk hazardous material
This is one of the most basic definitions you should be familiar with, as many of the hazmat regulations depend on not only on what you are hauling, but also how much you are hauling.This is where the terms bulk, and non-bulk come in. A quick example is diesel; If it is being transported in a bulk package (like a tanker or portable tank) many of the regulations will apply to it. If its being transported in non-bulk packages no regulations will apply to it! The definitions for bulk and non-bulk are found in 171.8 (where all definitons are found!) Bulk packaging Means a packaging, other than a vessel or a barge, including a transport vehicle or freight container, in which hazardous materials are loaded with no intermediate form of containment and which has:
If you were to do the math for the 1000 pound water capacity, you would find that it is somewhere right around 120 gallons.
Non-bulk packaging Means a packaging which has:
So now we have a few of the basics out the way! Learning how the regulations are setup will go a long way for you to educate yourself on what's required. Knowing the definition of hazmat will help you double check your work in determining whether or not the load is subject to the hazardous materials regulations in the first place!
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Hazmat Basics Learning DOT hazmat basics
Hazmat Basics Learning DOT hazmat basics
06 | 09 | 2010
