How to Determine Your 2007 Hazardous Materials Shipping Compliance

CARGOpak: Your HazMat Compliance Specialists

Recent major changes to the IATA DG Regulations (over 40) which affect most Hazardous Materials shippers have forced these shippers to re-examine their shipping programs to determine whether or not they are compliant. The new 2007 regulations for shipping hazardous materials by air govern International air transport. In order to determine if you are compliant with the new regulations, you must meet the three criteria below, and be able to authoritatively answer each of the questions under each sub-category below. These are the areas the 2007 changes have impacted.

Both Domestic and International regulations state:
1. Each person involved in the shipping and/or handling of hazardous material must be trained.
2. Recurrent training for air shipments must occur every two years.
3. An enforcement agency may review your training records at any time.

General familiarization
- As a shipper, what are your legal responsibilities?
- What are the details of adequate training?
- What are the fines for non-compliance?
- What are the details required for proper recordkeeping?

Classification
- What class are the substances I am shipping?
- What are the new criteria for each classification?
- When can I ship materials from different classes in the same package or shipment?

Identification
- What specific markings are required for the substance I am shipping?
- Where do I apply the labels or placards necessary for shipment?

Packaging
- What is a fully regulated packaging for each hazardous material I ship?
- How do you identify the package?
- What are the requirements for shipping some hazardous materials by the USPS ?

Marking & Labeling
- What is the maximum amount for the substances I ship in the containers I use?
- What is the new format for the Shipper's Declaration?
- What are the new specific packing instruction requirements?

Emergency Response
-What Emergency Information is required?
- Can I use my beeper number?

If you and each employee who handles your hazardous materials shipping know the answers to all of these questions you are most likely in compliance with the new regulations. If you don't, then you need to familiarize yourself with the new regulations, and train each employee involved in handling hazardous materials to the new standards. Only then will you be 100% compliant.

TRAINING + PRODUCTS + CONSULTING = = 100%Compliance