When do the Hazardous Materials Regulations apply?

It is the shipper’s responsibility to determine whether the product being shipped is subject to the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR).  The Hazardous Materials Table contained in the HMR (49 CFR 172.101) is a listing of proper shipping names.  If the product to be shipped is identified in the table, then it is usually regulated by the HMR. 

If the product is not listed in the Hazardous Materials Table, it is incumbent upon the shipper to determine if the product meets one of DOT’s hazard classes (49 CFR §173.2) and is therefore subject to the regulations.