Shipping Hazardous Materials


In this section we will discuss the following:

  1. THE DEFINITION OF HAZARDOUS
  2. THE "EXCEPTION" TO THE RULE
  3. FILLING OUT BILL OF LADINGS
  4. BLACK SWAN PRODUCTS THAT ARE CONSIDERED HAZARDOUS FOR SHIPPING PURPOSES
  5. BLACK SWAN PRODUCTS THAT ARE LIMITED QUANTITY
  6. ACCESSIBILITY OF SHIPPING PAPERS
  7. IN CASE OF A SPILL
  8. PLACARDING
  9. ACCIDENTS DURING TRANSPORTATION
  10. TIPS ON SHIPPING BLACK SWAN PRODUCTS

1. DEFINITION OF HAZARDOUS

Products that are corrosive, flammable, toxic, radioactive, explosive or reactive.

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2. "EXCEPTION" TO THE RULE

If the package that contains the hazardous material is in a small consumer type size, then the rules that apply to shipping hazardous materials do not apply. This is called an "exception". Black Swan classifies the exception as "LIMITED QUANTITY".

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3. FILLING OUT THE BILL OF LADINGS


There are specific requirements to filling out bill of ladings when shipping hazardous materials.

  1. The proper shipping name must be determined. The D.O.T. has a chart showing the exact shipping name that should be used for different chemicals. There can be no modification or abbreviation of this description. This information can be ascertained by looking at the manufacturer's bill of lading, the shipping cartons or by calling the manufacturers. There is absolutely no need for Black Swan customers to do homework on determining proper shipping names.
  2. Hazardous items must be listed first on the bill of lading, or the entries must be in contrasting colors, or an  "X" must be marked in the hazardous material (HM) column.
  3. The quantity and weight must be figured for each shipping name on the bill of lading. This information is needed to determine the need for placarding and to determine extent of the danger in placarding and to determine extent of the danger in case of an accident.
  4. Different hazardous materials belong to different hazardous classes. This hazard class must be marked on the bill of ladings.
  5. Different hazardous materials have different I.D. numbers. This information must be on the bill of ladings. This information ties into the D.O.T.'s emergency response guidebook which provides assistance to emergency personnel in case of an accident.
  6. The D.O.T. classifies hazardous materials into packing groups. Group I is great danger, Group II is medium danger and Group III is minor danger. These numbers are roman numerals and they must be written in this way.
  7. If placarding is necessary then it must be noted on the bill of lading under the column "labels required".


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4.  BLACK SWAN PRODUCTS THAT ARE HAZARDOUS FOR SHIPPING  PURPOSES AND THE PROPER SHIPPING NAMES

  1. Product- Cements and Primers (Category 7 & 8)
    Size - Gallon, 5 gal. and 55 gal.
    • Hazardous material description
      "ADHESIVES, CONTAINING A FLAMMABLE LIQUID"
    • Hazardous Class -3
    • I.D. Number - UN 1133
    • Packing group - II
    • Label required - flammable liquid
  1. Product - Root Destroyer Size - 5 lb. and 25 lb.
    • Hazardous material description
      "ENVIRONMENTALLY HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCE, SOLID, N.O.S. (CUPRIC SULFATE)"
    • Hazardous Class - 9
    • I.D. Number - UN 3077
    • Packing group - III
    • Label required - none
  1. Product - Dagger and Muriatic Acid Size - gal.
    • Hazardous material description
        "HYDROCHLORIC ACID, SOLUTION"
    • Hazardous Class  - 8
    • I.D. Number  - UN 1789
    • Packing group - II
    • Label required - Corrosive
  1. Product - Zap And Zap+ Size - 1/2 gal. and gal.
    • Hazardous material description
      "SULFURIC ACID"
    • Hazardous Class - 8
    • I.D. Number - UN 1830
    • Packing group - II
    • Label required - Corrosive
  1. Product - Liquid Drain Pipe Opener-Regular & Heavy
    Duty and Drainstar Size - 1/2 gal. and gal.
    • Hazardous material description
      "SODIUM HYDROXIDE, SOLUTION"
    • Hazardous Class - 8
    • I.D. Number - UN 1824
    • Packing group - II
    • Label required - Corrosive
  1. Product - Power Crystals and Power Flakes - Size - 6 lb., 25 lb. and 50 lb.
    • Hazardous material description
      "SODIUM HYDROXIDE, SOLID"
    • Hazardous Class - 8
    • I.D. Number - UN1823
    • Packing group - II
    • Label required - Corrosive
  2. Potassium Permanganate - 3 lb.
    • Hazardous material description
      "Potassium Permanganate"
    • Hazardous Class - 5.1
    • I.D. Number - UN 1490
    • Packing group - II
    • Label required - Oxidizer

REMEMBER TO PUT AN "X" IN THE COLUMN MARKED HM. ALL OF THE ABOVE INFORMATION MUST BE ON THE BILL OF LADING. MAKE SURE THE BILL OF LADING MATCHES THE INFORMATION ON THE SHIPPING CARTON.

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5. BLACK SWAN PRODUCTS THAT ARE CLASSIFIED AS "LIMITED QUANTITY"


STOCK NO. PRODUCT SIZE
03105

BOWL & PORCELAIN CLEANER

qt.
03220

JEFFY'S BOWL CLEANSE

qt.
03240

CHROME & TILE CLEANER

qt.
03250

JETS AHOY!

qt.
03260

GARBAGE DISPOSAL CLEANER

12 oz.
03270

URINAL GUARD

qt.
04030

IRON PASTE

1/2 pt.
04031

IRON PASTE

pt.
04032

IRON PASTE

qt.
* 04052

PIPE-LUBE   *Aerosol Spray

16 oz.
04080

ADHESIVE-LUBE

qt.
04081

ADHESIVE-LUBE

qt.
04085

NO-HUB SEALANT

qt.
04090

PLASTIC GASKET SEALANT

qt.
04220

PIPE WRAP PRIMER

pt.
04230

PIPE WRAP PRIMER

qt.
04240

GASKET AIDE

1/4 pt.
04242

GASKET AIDE

1/4 pt.
CATEGORY 7&8

ALL CEMENTS AND PRIMERS
UNDER THE ONE GALLON SIZE

----
09000

ROOT DESTROYER

2 lb.
09010

DAGGER

qt.
09017

20°  MURIATIC ACID

qt.
09020

ZAP DRAIN PIPE OPENER

qt.
09028

ONE-SHOT

pt.
09030

LIQUID DRAIN PIPE OPENER

qt.
09036

LIQUID DRAIN PIPE OPENER-HEAVY DUTY

qt.
09150

DYNAMIC DUO

qt. & 1 lb.
09160

POWER FLAKES

1 lb.
09170

POWER FLAKES

2 lb.
09175

POWER CRYSTALS

1 lb.
09177

POWER CRYSTALS

2 lb.
09300

DRAINSTAR

qt.
09330

ZAP+ DRAIN PIPE OPENER

pt.
09335

ZAP+ DRAIN PIPE OPENER

qt.
CATEGORY 15

MARKING PAINT - ALL COLORS

17 oz.
15160

PLUMBERS SPRAY PAINT - GRAY

10 oz.
17260

SHOWER PAN SOLVENT CEMENT

pt

ON THE BILL OF LADINGS THESE ITEMS WILL BE MARKED UNDER THE "LIMITED QUANTITY" DESCRIPTION. THERE IS NO HAZARDOUS CLASS, I.D. NUMBER, PACKING GROUP OR LABELS REQUIRED.

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6.  ACCESSIBILITY OF SHIPPING PAPERS

When shipping hazardous materials it is important to have an emergency response guidebook. This provides assistance to emergency personnel in case of an accident. This booklet along with the bill of ladings must be readily available to the driver of the vehicle or anybody else entering the driver's compartment.

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7.  IN CASE OF A SPILL

 A spill or release of hazardous material must be reported to the U.S. National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802 as soon as any person has knowledge of the spill. It must be reported if the spill is equal to or greater that the reportable quantity of the substance. The D.O.T. reportable quantity for Black Swan hazardous products are as follow:

PRODUCT RQ IN POUNDS

CEMENTS & PRIMERS FOR PLASTIC  PIPE

1000

ROOT DESTROYER

10

DAGGER & MURIATIC ACID

5000

ZAP& ZAP+

1000

HEAVY DUTY & REGULAR LIQUID DRAIN PIPE OPENER & DRAINSTAR

1000

POWER CRYSTALS & POWER FLAKES

1000

POTASSIUM PERMANGANATE

100
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8.    PLACARDING

Placarding refers to the placement of diamond shape signs on any vehicle transporting hazardous materials. The need for placarding depends on the weight of all the material that falls in a hazardous class.
THE RULES ARE AS FOLLOWS:

  1. If the weight of one hazard class is below 1000 lbs. no placarding is necessary.
  2. If the weight of one hazard class is above 1000 lbs. then placarding is required.
  3. If there are two hazardous classes on a shipment and one class is above 1000 lbs. and the other class is below 1000 lbs. then the class that is above 1000 lbs. must be placarded.
  4. If there are two hazardous classes on a shipment and they are both above 1000 lbs. and below 2205 lbs., then you can placard the truck for both hazards or you can choose a "dangerous" placard. This covers you for both hazards.
  5. If there are two hazardous materials on a shipment and one of them is over 2205 lbs. you do not have the option of using the "dangerous" placard. The dangerous placard can only be used for mixed classed between 1000 and 2205 lbs.

EXAMPLES OF PROPER PLACARDING

SHIPMENT HAZARD PLACARDS
NECESSARY
ACCEPTABLE
ALTERNATIVE
500 LBS. OF DAGGER
500 LBS. OF CEMENT & PRIMERS
CORROSIVE
FLAMMABLE
NONE
NONE
NO ALTERNATIVE
NO ALTERNATIVE
1500 LBS. OF DAGGER
500 LBS. OF CEMENTS & PRIMERS
CORROSIVE
FLAMMABLE
CORROSIVE
NONE
NO ALTERNATIVE
NO ALTERNATIVE
1200 LBS. OF DAGGER
1200 LBS. OF CEMENTS & PRIMERS
CORROSIVE
FLAMMABLE
CORROSIVE
FLAMMABLE
DANGEROUS
DANGEROUS
1200 LBS. OF DAGGER
2500 LBS. OF CEMENTS & PRIMERS
CORROSIVE
FLAMMABLE
CORROSIVE
FLAMMABLE
DANGEROUS
FLAMMABLE
2500 LBS. OF DAGGER
2500 LBS. OF CEMENTS & PRIMERS
CORROSIVE
FLAMMABLE
CORROSIVE
FLAMMABLE
NO ALTERNATIVE
NO ALTERNATIVE
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9.    ACCIDENTS DURING TRANSPORTATION


Black Swan subscribes to INFOTRAC, a service that offers special assistance to people involved in accidents while transporting Black Swan hazardous materials. Their telephone number is 1-800-535-5053. This service is available 24 hours per day, 7 days a week.
The information on INFOTRAC is noted on all Black Swan bill of ladings and when customers are reshipping Black Swan hazardous materials they can put the INFOTRAC information on their paperwork.
By reading the emergency response guidebook, looking at the material safety data sheets, calling INFOTRAC and using good common sense most accidents should be able to be handled without much difficulty.

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10.    THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND DURING AN ACCIDENT:

  1. Prevent unauthorized people from congregating in the area.
  2. No smoking, open fires, flames or sparks should be allowed in the area.
  3. Stop the spread of any hazardous spills.
  4. Don't touch any spilled material without proper safety equipment.

 

FINAL NOTE ON SHIPPING HAZARDOUS MATERIALS:

  1. Take this matter seriously. The fines can be substantial.
  2. If possible, avoid handling 1000 lbs. of any hazardous class at one time. In this way you can avoid placarding your vehicle.
  3. Set up a system in advance for shipping hazardous materials. Know what materials you ship and have all the proper bill of lading information readily available. By doing this in advance you will have less of a chance to make any errors.

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