/Enterprise Risk Management
Environmental Health and Safety

SHIPPING OF BIOLOGICAL SUBSTANCES

 

These resources are intended for public health and clinical laboratory staff involved in any step of the packing or transporting process of patient samples or cultures. Hospital employees who transport or ship hazardous materials, infectious, and diagnostic specimens must be trained and certified by their employer prior to shipping and packing dangerous goods.

Warning! You may be in violation of Federal Law and create a public safety hazard if you ship dry ice, hazardous materials, or any other “Dangerous Goods” unless you have received specific training, and the material is properly packaged and labeled. The information below consists of applicable regulations and requirements for the transportation of Division 6.2 infectious substances and dry ice and resources to determine proper course of action for packing and shipping. When shipping a Category A infectious substance, an emergency contact number is required. The contact person must be available by phone during the entire time the package is in transit. The contact must know Emergency Response Procedures in case of an accident or spill. Contact Specimen Receiving at (631) 444-2616 to arrange for 24-hour coverage during transit of the package. These resources are intended to support trained and certified staff in preparing and preparing shipments. Please contact Environmental Health & Safety to schedule initial live training at (631) 444-6783.

The transportation of dangerous goods regulations requires that, with few exceptions, every person engaged in the handling, offering for transport or transporting of dangerous goods be trained in the area of handling such goods.

Department of Transportation (DOT)
https://www.transportation.gov/check-the-box/getting-started-with-hazmat
In the United States, the Department of Transportation is the regulatory authority for hazardous materials sent by all modes of transport, except the U.S. Mail. DOT is the U.S. authority for assuring compliance with the transportation regulations. 

PHMSA
https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/
Read regulations, free publications, and DOT training schedules. The Office of Hazardous Materials Safety website formulates, issues, and revises Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) under the Federal Hazardous Materials Transportation Law. 

Hazardous Materials Information Center - provides live, one-on-one assistance Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
1-800-HMR-4922 (1-800-467-4922)
202-366-4488
infocntr@dot.gov

International Air Transport Association (IATA) / International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
https://www.iata.org/
ICAO governs the international transport of dangerous goods or hazardous materials by air. The professional airline regulatory document, IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations takes the ICAO regulations and adds additional industry requirements. A shipper who follows IATA regulations is also in compliance with ICAO.

Read packing instructions 620, 650, up-to-date checklists for dry-ice and nonradioactive shipments, and addenda to the most current edition of the dangerous goods regulations on the IATA website. 

Dangerous Goods Information Hotline
1-514-390-6770 
dangood@iata.org

United States Postal Service (USPS or U.S. Mail) 
https://www.usps.com/
The USPS is an independent federal agency that provides mail service in the United States. Regulations affecting the transport of hazardous materials in the US mail, including Division 6.2 materials, are codified in the Code of Federal Register, 38 CFR and published in the Domestic Mail Manual.

Information on shipping dangerous goods can be found in the basic standards for all mailing services document on the USPS website. In particular, please note Section 601 Mailability.

Additional resources:

Classification of shipment resources

CDC job aids


Federal Regulations state that anyone wishing to ship dry ice must first have International Air Transport Association (IATA)/Department of Transportation (DOT) training. If you are going to package dry ice for shipment or sign any type of shipping documentation (such as a FedEx Airbill) for a dry ice shipment, you must complete the Shipping of Dangerous Goods Training (contact EH&S at 4-6783 to schedule in-person training). These are the six basic requirements for shipments of dry ice:

  1. Gas venting: Packages must allow for release of carbon dioxide gas. Dry ice must never be sealed in a container with an airtight seal such as a jar with a threaded lid or a plastic cooler.
  2. Package integrity: A package containing dry ice must be of adequate strength for intended use. It must be strong enough to withstand the loading and unloading normally encountered in transport. It must also be constructed and closed in order to prevent any loss of contents that might be caused by vibration or by changes in temperature, humidity, or altitude.
  3. Package materials: Do not use plastics that can be rendered brittle or permeable by the temperature of dry ice. This problem can be avoided by using commercially available packages intended to contain dry ice (carbon dioxide).
  4. Inner packaging materials: Depending on what is being shipped, containers, equipment, glass item(s), material etc... must be properly packed and/or secured in an outer, appropriate, durable material specific packaging in such a way that, under normal conditions of transport, they cannot break, be punctured or leak their contents into the outer packaging and so as to control their movement. Cushioning shall be used for breakable items. Any potential for leakage of contents must not substantially impair the protective properties of the cushioning material, or the outer packaging.
    1. Absorbent material cannot react with the contents of the container.
    2. Dry ice should not be placed in a pressure tight enclosure that would prohibit pressure relief.
    3. Absorbent material is not required if the inner packaging's are so protected that breakage of them and the leakage of their contents from the outer package will not occur during normal conditions of transport.
  5. Airbill: the airbill (also referred to as the air waybill) must include the statement “Dry ice, 9, UN1845, number of packages X net weight in kilograms.” FedEx has a check box on their airbill to satisfy this requirement. Airborne Express requires a slightly different format. Check with your courier to make sure you have made the proper notation on their paperwork.
  6. Labeling: the outermost container must be labeled with a hazard class 9 label, UN 1845, and net weight of Dry Ice in kilograms. The label should be affixed to a vertical side of the box (not the top or bottom) and oriented as in Figure 1. The maximum allowable net quantity of dry ice allowed per package is 200 kg.

Additional requirements for preparing your dry ice shipments:

  • DO fill any empty space in your package with appropriate packing material to prevent product movement in transit.
  • DO wrap temperature sensitive products in two watertight plastic bags or use absorbent material along with a plastic liner.
  • DO avoid shipping temperature sensitive products over the weekend.
  • DO wrap the refrigerant in paper or another carton to slow the melting rate and prevent excess space when using dry ice.
  • DO NOT place the refrigerant at the bottom of the package because cold air will not circulate.

Relevant links:

 

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DIRECTOR OF HEALTHCARE SAFETY AND HOSPITAL SAFETY OFFICER

Barbara Boyle  |  (631) 444-6382  |  Barbara.Boyle@stonybrookmedicine.edu