Just in time for the holidays…
The US Postal Service issued a final rule November 28, 2012 on the marking of parcels containing hazardous materials. The rule aims to revise the Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) 601.10, and Publication 52, Hazardous, Restricted, and Perishable Mail, chapters 2, 3, 7 and Appendices A and C. These changes reflect DOT’s changes to the Hazardous Materials Regulations and the revision to the international air transport regulations.
The changes reflect the pending elimination of “Other Regulated Material (ORM-D)” classification and “Other Regulated Material by Air (ORM-D-Air)” as well as the partial elimination of ‘consumer commodity’ shipments.
Because the ORM-D-Air provisions will be eliminated effective Jan. 1, 2013, all references to OMR-D-Air have been eliminated. The USPS decided to indicate the elimination of ORM-D for all modes will be Jan. 1, 2015 even though PHMSA has not finalized the extension to this date in the Hazardous Materials Regulations as of yet. USPS guidance requires that hazardous materials which are not packaged for air transport must have the words “Surface Mail Only” in association with the ORM-D hazard marking and the shipper/consignee address.
Shippers wishing to offer hazardous materials by mail are encouraged to review the changes in depth. The effective date of the Final Rule is Jan. 1, 2013.
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