IMDG Code (Sea) Archives » ICC Regulatory Blog

Regulatory Helpdesk: October 9, 2017

Posted on Oct 18, 2017 by Karrie Monette-Ishmael

Table B.6.1: Criteria for flammable liquids
1	Flash point < 23°C (73.4°F) and initial boiling point ≤ 35°C (95°F)
2	Flash point < 23°C (73.4°F) and initial boiling point > 35°C (95°F)
3	Flash point ≥ 23°C (73.4°F) and ≤ 60°C (140°F)
4	Flash point > 60°C (140°F) and ≤ 93°C (199.4°F)

C.4.19 Flammable Liquids (Continued) (Classified in Accordance with Appendix B.6)
4	Warning	Combustible Liquid

Answers from the Helpdesk

ICC supports our valued customers with access to our complimentary Regulatory Helpdesk. To further assist clients, we will be sharing some of the highlights of those calls each week. If you have a question, contact one of our regulatory specialists today.

#2. Certifier’s Signature (Canada)

Q: Can the 49 CFR certification statement be used on Canadian TDG shipping documents for shipments between two points in Canada, having only a signature for the certifier’s name?

A: TDGR 3.6.1(1)(a) does not restrict the use of the 49 CFR statement to US bound/origin shipments. TDGR 3.6.1(2), in conjunction with Transport Canada (TC) Safety Awareness Guidance Bulletin RDIMS#11829346 (August 2017), does not require that the individual’s name be a signature; but if a signature is used it must be clearly legible, identifying the individual, to be compliant.

#1. Refrigeration Regulation (USA)

Q: We need to ship a refrigeration unit (UN2857) that contains a small amount of non-flammable, non-toxic gas. How is this regulated?

A: In general, REFRIGERATING MACHINES, UN2857 are regulated as Division 2.2 dangerous goods, with no packing group. However, small units can usually be shipped as exempted dangerous goods, with no significant requirements, if they contain no more than 12 kg of non-flammable, non-toxic gas as a coolant, Continue Reading…

Lithium Battery Labels as of August 1, 2017

Posted on Aug 11, 2017 by Paula Reavis

The A-Team and Lithium Battery Marks / Labels

An iconic show from the 1980’s was “The A-Team”. It was about a group of former military men who worked to help those in need by using their former skill set. A famous line from it was often said by John “Hannibal” Smith, played by George Peppard. At the end of many episodes he would say, “I love it when a plan comes together”. With the publication of Transport Canada’s Amendment TDGR SOR2017 – 137, we finally have a plan coming together for the transportation of Lithium Batteries.

Finally, all transport regulations – 49 CFR, TDG, IATA .and IMDG – are on the same page regarding the necessary marks and labels needed for transporting Lithium Batteries. All of the regulations even have the same transition times for when the new Class 9 Lithium Battery Hazard Class Label and new Lithium Battery Mark will be mandatory.

Download Our Lithium Battery Labels Guide

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Let ICC Compliance Center be your “A-Team” for shipping Lithium Batteries. Call us today for packaging, training, labels and marks. We have it all.

Compliance Language

Posted on May 4, 2017 by Paula Reavis

Terminology in Regulatory Manuals

Language, as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is the formal system of words or signs that people use to express thoughts and feelings. Learning a new language is often a complex undertaking. It is also a time that lends itself to funny stories. While living in Austria for a few years taking German lessons was part of our visa process. We were encouraged to practice often. On one of my first attempts was to buy a certain pretzel. Somehow my request came out as asking for the “slow one” rather than the “long one”. My husband told a co-worker he “believed” he was a pencil. While neither request caused harm, it was confusing to the German speakers who heard us. I mention this because the language of transport regulations can be confusing as well until you have a good handle on the language used in them.

Let’s take a look at two simple words. We will compare their “everyday” usage with how they are used for transporting hazardous materials or dangerous goods. The two words will be “should” and “may”.

Word #1: Should

In normal usage, this word indicates certain obligations or expectations. Take for example the statement, “John should be ready Continue Reading…

A Small Victory for Harmonization … For Now (HM-215N)

Posted on Mar 7, 2017 by Karrie Monette-Ishmael

PHMSA Withdraws Final Rule

—PHMSA Update HM-215N

The Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) of the Department of Transportation (DOT) has withdrawn a Final Rule that was intended to be published in the Federal Register on January 26.

The Final Rule, HM-215N, would have updated the U.S. “Hazardous Materials Regulations” to reflect international standards. This was due to the new administration’s Regulatory Freeze executive memorandum, issued January 20, 2017.

Harmonization

HM-215N would have harmonized the 49 CFR regulations to the latest version of the UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods, the ICAO Technical Instruction’s on the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods, the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code.

New marks and labels introduced in the upcoming international regulations.

This delay has made it particularly confusing for shippers of lithium batteries, who have transitioned to the new handling mark, and hazard class 9 label, shown in these international regulations.

Usage

Last week, PHMSA issued a Notice that allows offerors and carriers to use the 2017-2018 versions of the international regulations without fear of enforcement. In addition, it is allowing users to mark and label packages in accordance with either the 2015-2016 or 2017-2018 IATA/ICAO and IMDG regulations.

This notice is limited to 49 CFR Parts 171.4(t) and (v). This Continue Reading…

Lithium Battery Labels as of Feb 1, 2017

Posted on Feb 13, 2017 by The Compliance Center

UPDATE: The download link has been updated to current regulatory standards for August 1, 2017.

Please see: Lithium Battery Marks and Labels August 2017

Both 49 CFR and TDG are expecting to harmonize lithium battery labels into the regulations; however, both regulations are pending. HM-215N (49 CFR) was recalled, and will not be reissued for at least 60 days.

Transport Canada has not provided an ETA on the harmonization.

Find out the correct labels to use below:

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Lithium Battery Labels as of August 1, 2017

Changes for IMDG Code 38th Edition

Posted on Dec 21, 2016 by Barbara Foster

Next year signals the start of a new biennium for transportation of dangerous goods. Ocean shippers should take a look at what’s in store in the new International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code (IMDG) which has been updated to reflect the most recent revisions of the UN Recommendation for the Transport of Dangerous Goods.

Compared to other regulations, the IMDG Code has a rather complex method of implementing changes. The IMDG Code 38th Edition was published in November of this year, so it will be referred to as the 2016 edition. However, the changes will not go into effect for 2016. Instead, shippers and carriers may start to use the new edition as of January 1, 2017. But a transition period of one year is given, so the changes are not mandatory until January 1, 2018. A new edition of the Code will be published near the end of 2018, but there will be another transition period of a year during which the 38th edition can still be used.

Think of it this way – during odd-numbered years you can use the current edition of the code, or the previous one. During even-numbered years, you must use the Continue Reading…

Another Acronym for our Alphabet Soup (SOLAS)

Posted on Jun 29, 2016 by Karrie Monette-Ishmael

IMO Amends SOLAS

Shippers who load containers in Canadian waters must comply with the Canada Shipping Act, 2001 and section 104.(1) of the Cargo, Fumigation and Tackle Regulations (CFTR) which incorporates SOLAS (International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea) Chapter VI, regulation 2.

There is a new amendment adopted by the IMO (International Maritime Organization) to SOLAS that is intended to:

improve container safety;
enhance maritime safety; and
reduce the dangers to container ships, their crews and all involved in moving containers through the supply chain.

This amendment will become effective July 1, 2016. They require that the shipper of a packed container to provide a signed shipping document that verifies the gross mass (VGM).

The shipper can determine the gross weight in one of two ways:

When a container is packed and sealed, the shipper may weigh, or have arranged that a third party weigh it.
The shipper or, a third party arranged by the shipper; may weigh:
- each item of cargo (including package, non-packaged, unitized cargoes),
- dunnage (loose material under and between items to prevent damage to cargo)
- securing material that will be loaded into a container.

Then add the tare mass of the container to the sum of the single masses of the container’s contents.

The container cannot be loaded Continue Reading…

The Zika Virus — Public Health Crisis and Regulatory Puzzle

Posted on Feb 23, 2016 by Barbara Foster

Zika virus – the name itself sounds exotic and dangerous. It is believed to be a serious risk for pregnant women. And it’s due to arrive in North America. Just how great a danger is this virus, and how should research and medical facilities prepare for the regulatory burden?

First of all, Zika is not a new virus. It has been known since the 1950s in equatorial Africa and Asia, but only recently has it appeared to migrate to new territories, including South and Central America, the Caribbean and Mexico. It is primarily a mosquito-borne illness, transmitted by the Aedes genus of mosquitos. Possibly climate change has increased the populations of these mosquitos in the areas where Zika is spreading. Aedes mosquitos are found in some parts of the U.S., and although they are not currently believed to be in Canada, they may spread as the climate warms. Person-to-person transmission by body fluids is possible, but this would be relatively rare compared to the mosquito vector.

Zika is classed in the Flaviviridae family of viruses, along with dengue fever, West Nile virus and the notoriously dangerous yellow fever. However, compared to these, Zika is usually a mild affliction. According to the Centers for Continue Reading…

“Sea Change” Amendment to TDG Proposed- Criteria Requiring IMDG Code Clarified

Posted on Feb 17, 2016 by Clifton J. Brown

Hot on the heels of the Feb. 2 Transport Canada proposed amendment (“Harmonization Updates”) posting, there was another (Feb. 9) proposal for consultation to clarify the intent of Part 11 regarding marine/ferry shipments.

A major result, if the proposal is adopted, will remove the confusion around when the IMDG Code is mandatory for vessel (updated terminology to replace the noun “ship”) shipments of dangerous goods. This issue has been subject to conflicting interpretations from time-to-time; not just among consignors, but also within the transport and enforcement communities.

This difficulty in making a clear interpretation stemmed from the difference in the intent of the term “Home Trade Voyage” in an obsolete version of the Canada Shipping Act which was quoted (perhaps out of context) in Part 11 of the TDGR.
A literal reading implied that essentially all “salt water” voyages could be considered Class I home trade voyages; requiring use of the IMDG Code.

As proposed, shipments by ferry to, for example Newfoundland or Vancouver Island, will likely clearly be under the provisions of the TDGR, not the IMDG Code. This will be of benefit, particularly to shippers of limited quantity/consumer commodity items which should no longer require a formal dangerous goods document or other considerations Continue Reading…

Category: IMDG Code (Sea)

Top 4 Questions From the Regulatory Helpdesk

#4. Why is My Product X when it should be Y? (USA)

#3. Does my Class 6 placard need to show Class 6.1? (International)