Office Of Environmental Health & Safety
Northeastern University
360 Huntington Avenue
229 Forsyth Building
Boston, MA 02115-5000
phone: 617.373.2769
fax: 617.373.7622
Developed byGeneral Information
Hazardous Materials Background Information:
DOT issued a final rule on security requirements for transporters of hazardous materials on March 25, 2003. The rule amends 49 CFR 172.704 and 49 CFR 172.800. The hazardous materials shipper must meet the DOT's hazardous materials regulations (HMR), 49 CFR Parts 171-180, and receive training.
- Check if the chemicals are being shipped or offered for shipment listed in the Hazmat table (49 CFR Subpart B, 172.101)
- Are you going to ship Hazmat in small quantity or materials of trade?
- Packaging (49 CFR 173)
- Markings (49 CFR 172.300) and Labels (49 CFR 172.400)
- Shipping Papers (49 CFR 172.200)
- Shipping Requirements for Dry Ice
- Shipping Requirements for Liquid Nitrogen
Hazardous Materials Regulations Apply To:
The Hazardous Materials Regulations apply to each person, whose job activities at Northeastern University involve at any time the transportation of hazardous materials. Those who are offering, arranging for transport and/or may engage in any of the following activities involving hazardous materials:
- Filling packages
- Marking and labeling packages
- Preparing shipping papers, handling, loading, securing and segregating packages within a transport vehicle, freight container or cargo hold, and transporting.
You Need To Use the Hazmat Shipping Procedures:
You need to use the shipping procedures if you determine the material you are going to ship are hazardous materials. This is done by looking up the hazardous materials table and considering the characteristics in the definition section of this site. If you determine the shipment to contain a hazardous material you must follow the Hazmat shipping procedures.
Shipping Hazmat Training:
As a person offering and/or involved in the shipment and/or transportation of hazardous materials, DOT defines you as a 'Hazmat employee'. Stated briefly, a Hazmat employee is anyone who directly affects hazardous materials transportation safety. Before any hazmat employee performs a function subject to the hazardous material regulation, that person must be provided initial training in the performance of that function. Each Hazmat employee must be initially trained, and periodically retrained at least every three years to meet the DOT training requirements.
All Northeastern University personnel involved in hazardous material shipping will be trained according to the requirements of 49 CFR 172, and are expected to be familiar with the Northeastern University written security plan. Please refer to this Environmental Health and Safety website for scheduled classroom DOT training sessions.