Hazardous materials placarding

Addresses HM-181 requirements, hazard class recognition, DOT table of hazardous materials, placards, marking and labeling, and packaging. 

Miscellaneous hazardous materials in DOT/UN Class 9 are defined as a material which presents a hazard during transportation, but which does not meet the definition of any other hazard class. Other hazards might include anesthetic, noxious (harmful to health), elevated temperature, hazardous substance, hazardous waste, or marine pollutant. They may be encountered as solids of varying configurations, gases, and liquids. Examples include asbestos, dry ice, molten sulfur, and lithium batteries. These materials would be labeled and placarded with the Class 9 Miscellaneous Hazardous Materials placard, which is white with seven vertical black stripes on the top half. 

Vehicles with hazardous materials placards at a densely occupied location. 

Rental vehicles with hazardous materials placards. 

A simple identification system used to communicate to workers the hazards of materials. HMIS is somewhat similar to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 704 Hazardous Material placard, which is used for emergency response incidents. Instead of the NFPA diamond shape, which many feared would be confused with the placarding system, the HMIS uses a four-color bar system. The top bar indicates the level of health hazard. The second bar from the top is red for Flammability the third bar from the top is yellow for Reactivity, which is used in the second edition, while Physical Hazard is used in the third edition of the guidance and white at the... 

Shipment of hydrazine solutions is regulated in the United States by the Department of Transportation (DOT) which classifies all aqueous solutions between 64.4 and 37% N2H4 as "Corrosive" materials with a subsidiary risk of "Poison". Hydrazine has been identified by both the Environmental Protection Agency and the DOT as a hazardous material and has been assigned a reportable quantity (RQ) of 0.450 kg (1 lb) if spilled. Dmms for the shipment of these solutions must bear both the DOT specification "Corrosive" and "Poison" labels in association with the markings "RQ Hydrazine Aqueous Solution UN 2030." Aqueous solutions of 37% concentration or less are a hazard Class 6.1, UN 3293, Packing Group III and require "Keep Away From Food" placards and labels. 

Acetone is sold commercially in three grades, USP (99%), CP (99.5%), and technical (99.5%). The terms USP and CP are acronyms used in the trade ar>d stand for U.S. pure and chemical pure. Acetone is shipped in run-of-the-mill tank trucks, in tank cars, and in drums. The hazardous material shipping placard must be displayed for this highly flammable liquid. 

Hazardous Materials Classes The hazard class of a hazardous material is indicated by its class (or division) number, or its class name. For a placard corresponding to the primary hazard class of a material, the hazard class or division number must be displayed in the lower comer of the placard. However, no hazard class or division may be displayed on a placard representing the subsidiary hazard of the material. The class or division number must appear on the shipping paper after each shipping name. The reader should refer to Chapter 1 for detailed information on hazardous materials classes. 

The Dept of Transportation has combined the shipping regulations which used to be separately administered by the US Coast Guard (Title 46, CFR Part 146) and the Federal Aviation Regulations (Title 14, CFR Part 103) (Ref 46). The new regulation provides for a uniform vehicle placarding and documentation system. They replace rail express criteria with a hazard assessment for aircraft operation, and uniform criteria for all shipping modes have been established. The list of hazardous materials has been completely revised and improved directions for their use have been included. The use of prescribed colors for labels is now mandatory (Ref 46)... 

The entrance to the plant must be distinctly placarded with a permanent sign indicating the nature of the dangerous and hazardous materials in the factory, with the basic emergency response to each. The "UN number" for each should be indicated on the sign as well as the appropriate emergency and contact numbers for example, the UN number for TDI is UN 2078. Hazard information cards also should be available and sent with each load of isocyanate. 

Information in the form of labels, placards, posters, or markings provided on or with the container of the hazardous material is common to all the systems currently in existence. This information generally includes some indication of the hazard(s), in text form and/or symbols. In addition to the hazard information, the container information may also include statements regarding safe use or handling, or other types of precautionary measures. 

Warning labels aid in the identification of chemical hazards during shipment. Under regulations of the DOT, chemicals that are transported in the United States must carry labels based on the UN classification. DOT placards or labels are diamond shaped with a digit imprinted on the bottom corner that identifies the UN hazard class (1 to 9). The hazard is identified more specifically in printed words placed along the horizontal axis of the diamond. Color coding and a pictorial art description of the hazard supplement the identification of hazardous material on the label the artwork appears in the top corner of the diamond (Figure 1-6, A). 

Initial detection and identification of the nature of materials used in a deliberate release situation are much more difficult than at the scene of a "normal" hazardous materials incident. Responders to a "normal" incident can usually uncover some form of posted warning (e.g., 704M diamond, transportation placards) or documentation (e.g., manifests, MSDSs) on the material. At a deliberate release, however, it is highly unlikely that there will be any precautionary information upon which responders can base their actions. 

Don t Panic Responding to a Hazardous Materials Incident HAZWOPER training for first responders. Evaluation, source identification, labels, placards, MSDSs, containment, securing the area, flammable materials, treating spilled liquids, and minimization hazardous waste. 

HAZWOPER training for any worker who may discover a chemical emergency. Risks of hazardous materials, likely occurrence of releases, recognizing hazardous materials, emergency situations, specialists, types of hazardous materials, labels, placards, and spill reporting. 

The following are Munsell notations and Commission Internationale de L Eclariage (CIE) coordinates which describe the Office of Hazardous Materials Regulation Label and Placard Color Tolerance Charts in Tables 1 and 2, and the CIE coordinates for... 

A color on a placard, upon visual examination, must fall within the color tolerances displayed on the appropriate Office of Hazardous Materials Label and Placard Color Tolerance Chart (see 1 172.407(d)). 

Pesticides in transit in bulk are subject to the labeling, marking, and placarding provisions of 49 CFR 170-189, concerning transportation of hazardous materials. A copy of the accepted EPA label must be attached to the papers that accompany the shipment and must be left with the consignee at the time of delivery. Similarly, pesticides stored in bulk, in the custody of the user, must have a copy of the EPA s approved label attached securely to the container in the immediate vicinity of the discharge valve. 

Unless the cargo tank is already properly marked, a person offering a motor carrier a hazardous material for transportation in a cargo tank shall, prior to or at the time the material is offered for transportation, provide the motor carrier with the required identification numbers on placards or shall eiffix orange panels containing the required identification numbers, and a person offering a... 

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