DOT Hazmat Shipping Papers

Four items, in this order

Each person who offers a hazardous material for transportation must describe it on the shipping paper the way Subpart C requires. The core is the basic description, taken from the Hazardous Materials Table (§ 172.101):

These four must appear in sequence with no additional information interspersed. The regulation's example:

Some materials are excepted from the packing group requirement: Class 1 (explosives) materials, self-reactive substances, Division 5.2 materials, and entries not assigned a packing group (for example Class 7), see § 172.202(a)(4).

Reference: 49 CFR 172.200(a) · 49 CFR 172.202(a)(1) · 49 CFR 172.202(a)(2) · 49 CFR 172.202(a)(3) · 49 CFR 172.202(a)(4) · 49 CFR 172.202(b)

Quantity and packages

Total quantity

Except for air shipments, show the total quantity covered by the description, by mass or volume, with the unit, for example "200 kg" or "50 L". It goes before or after the description, or both.

Exceptions to stating a total quantity: bulk packages and cylinders, as long as some indication is shown (for example "1 cargo tank" or "10 cylinders"), and packages containing only residue.

Number and type of packages

Show the number and type of packages, for example "12 drums". You may add the packaging specification, such as "12 1H1 drums".

Example for training only. Take the entries from the current § 172.101 Table for your material.

Reference: 49 CFR 172.202(a)(5) · 49 CFR 172.202(a)(5)(iii)(A) · 49 CFR 172.202(a)(5)(iii)(B) · 49 CFR 172.202(a)(5)(iii)(C) · 49 CFR 172.202(a)(7) · 49 CFR 172.202(c)(1) · 49 CFR 172.202(d)

Entries you add when they apply

Section 172.203 lists entries that are added for certain materials. The ones a shipping clerk sees most often:

• Limited quantity: when a shipping paper is required, add "Limited Quantity" or "Ltd Qty" after the basic description.
• Hazardous substance: enter "RQ" before or after the basic description. If the proper shipping name does not name the hazardous substance, put its name in parentheses with the description. If the material contains two or more hazardous substances, identify at least two, including the two with the lowest reportable quantities (RQs).
• "G" entries (generic or n.o.s. names): unless excepted, add the technical name in parentheses. For a mixture of two or more hazardous materials, give the technical names of at least two components most predominantly contributing to the hazards.
• Poisonous by inhalation: add "Poison-Inhalation Hazard" or "Toxic-Inhalation Hazard" and the hazard zone, immediately after the shipping description.
• Special permit: add "DOT-SP" followed by the special permit number, located so it is clearly associated with the description it applies to.
• Empty, uncleaned packaging: you may add "RESIDUE: Last Contained ..." before or after the basic description.

This list is not complete. Radioactive, marine pollutant, elevated temperature, organic peroxide and mode-specific entries are in § 172.203.

Reference: 49 CFR 172.203(b) · 49 CFR 172.203(c)(1) · 49 CFR 172.203(c)(2) · 49 CFR 172.203(k) · 49 CFR 172.203(k)(1) · 49 CFR 172.203(m) · 49 CFR 172.203(e)(1) · 49 CFR 172.203(a)

Make the hazmat stand out and be readable

Hazmat and non-hazmat on one paper

When both are on the same shipping paper, the hazmat entries must be one of these:

• Entered first
• Entered in a contrasting color
• Marked with an "X" (or "RQ" if appropriate) in a column captioned "HM"

Readable and plain

• Legible and printed (by hand or machine) in English, on the paper and all copies used for transportation
• No codes or abbreviations in the required description unless the regulations authorize them
• Extra information is allowed if it is not inconsistent with the description, and generally goes after the basic description
• More than one page? Number each page consecutively and show the total on page one, for example "Page 1 of 4 pages"

Emergency response telephone number

Except as provided in § 172.604(d), the shipping paper must include an emergency response telephone number. If you use an emergency response information service provider, also identify the person (by name or contract number) who has the contract with that provider.

Reference: 49 CFR 172.201(a)(1)(i) · 49 CFR 172.201(a)(1)(ii) · 49 CFR 172.201(a)(1)(iii) · 49 CFR 172.201(a)(2) · 49 CFR 172.201(a)(3) · 49 CFR 172.201(a)(4) · 49 CFR 172.201(c) · 49 CFR 172.201(d)

The shipper's certification

The person who offers the hazmat must certify it by printing a certification statement on the shipping paper. The standard U.S. wording is:

An international-style declaration in § 172.204(a)(2) may be used instead, and air shipments have their own wording and requirements in § 172.204(c).

Signing

• Signed legibly by a principal, officer, partner, or employee of the shipper, or the shipper's agent
• May be signed by hand, by typewriter, or by other mechanical means

Narrow exceptions: except for hazardous waste, no certification is required for highway shipments in a cargo tank supplied by the carrier, or carried by the shipper as a private carrier (unless reshipped or transferred to another carrier). See § 172.204(b) for all exceptions.

Reference: 49 CFR 172.204(a) · 49 CFR 172.204(a)(1) · 49 CFR 172.204(b)(1) · 49 CFR 172.204(b)(1)(i) · 49 CFR 172.204(b)(1)(ii) · 49 CFR 172.204(d)(1) · 49 CFR 172.204(d)(2)

Keep a copy

• Keep a copy or an electronic image, accessible at or through your principal place of business.
• Each copy must include the date of acceptance by the initial carrier (for rail, vessel or air, the waybill, airbill or bill of lading date may be used).
• Make it available on request to an authorized federal, state or local official.

Hazardous waste

Hazardous waste also needs an EPA hazardous waste manifest. A manifest that contains all the information Subpart C requires may be used as the shipping paper.

Reference: 49 CFR 172.201(e) · 49 CFR 172.205(a) · 49 CFR 172.205(h)