Industrial Goodies

It is recommended that manufacturers and distributers who engage in businesses involving the transport of hazardous materials to purchase high-quality taping machines to ensure that the hazardous materials are packaged in a container that is strong enough that the contents will not spill or leak under normal conditions of transport.

The Hazardous Material Regulations (HMR) specify that shipping containers must be UN performance packaging meaning that hazardous materials cannot be packed into any old box, jug or drum and that an appropriate taping machine was used to securely seal the package.

Whether the package is a carton, bottle, tote or carboy, and whether it is made of glass, plastic, metal or cardboard, its design must have been tested and found compliant with the applicable standard for that type of package. Some of the tests include dropping and stacking, as well as subjecting the packaging to moisture and vibration.

The UN mark on the outside of the package indicates that the package conforms to the standard. The numbers and letters after the UN mark are a code that identifies the type of packaging, its construction materials, and the manufacturer. The shipper is responsible for checking the mark and ensuring that appropriate packaging has been used for a shipment.

There are many ways to categorize a package. First, there are bulk and non-bulk packaging. Imaging labs receive and ship hazardous materials in non-bulk packaging. Fuel trucks, rail cars and intermediate bulk containers are all considered to be bulk packaging. Bulk packaging is not subject to UN performance packaging requirements.

Non-bulk packaging has three basic types:

• Single packaging - is a stand-alone packaging with no other components

• Combination packaging - has at least two components including an outer and an inner package

• Composite packaging - has an inner and outer packaging, which are not separate, and have a single enclosure