Are your hazardous material shipping labels meeting the requirements?
Ensuring your product gets where it needs to be safely is a major component of your business. Extra care and legal requirements have to be taken into consideration when shipping hazardous and dangerous materials.
The Importance of Hazardous Materials Shipping Labels
We’ve all been there. You’re expecting some mail, and the condition the package arrives in makes you wonder if the contents are destroyed. Those risks just can’t be taken with hazardous materials shipping. The cargo is not only delicate, but potentially dangerous, should a spill occur. Proper hazmat labels are the solution.
By using hazardous materials labels, it is easy to identify what is inside the package. With just a quick look, those handling the packages will know how to take care of the product and any rules associated with it. Clear markings from proper hazardous material labels make the storage, handling and transportation of all hazmat materials simple.
In the event of an accident, exposure or chemical spill, the quick identification of hazardous materials is essential to emergency response. Proper handling, cleanup and documentation are easier when there are no guessing games.
Correct hazmat markings may include all of these elements: proper shipping name, identification number, technical name, special permit packaging, environmental handling, consignment information, and marine pollutants. That’s a lot of opportunity for error.
These labels communicate quickly what the contents are for the shipment so that they can comply with all regulations. Getting these labels right is crucial, and there are many rules and regulations to making sure you are in compliance.
Changes to Rules and Regulations
The Department of Transportation is always working to ensure that transporting products is safe and easy. As a result, new rules for keeping transportation safe are adopted frequently. Currently, 49 CFR 172.406 states labels must be printed on or affixed to a surface (other than the bottom) of the package or containment device containing the hazardous material and be located on the same surface of the package and near the proper shipping name marking, if the package dimensions are adequate.
The changes in rules and regulations is just one more thing on your plate when it comes to properly affixing your hazardous materials shipping labels. Why worry about staying up-to-date? CHEMTREC’s exclusive approved label supplier, Labelmaster, takes the guesswork out of hazardous materials shipping labels.