US Hazmat Rule Amendments Become Final - PHMSA
Written By: Atanu Das on Thursday, December 6, 2018
In response to 19 petitions for rulemaking submitted by the regulated community to update, clarify, streamline, or provide relief from miscellaneous regulatory requirements, the US Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has finalized new rules.
Two final rules may be of special significance to hazard communication professionals. The first, addresses inconsistencies between international and domestic label and placarding requirements. Based on the comments received, PHMSA changed 49 CFR 172.519(f) and 172.407(f) of the HMR to allow for the use of labels and placards conforming to the specifications in the United Nations Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (UN Recommendations), the International Civil Aviation Organization Technical Instructions on the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air (ICAO Technical Instructions), the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code, or the Transport Canada Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG) Regulations.
When shipping limited and excepted quantities of hazardous materials, another rule change allows shippers to not list emergency phone numbers on shipping papers. PHMSA stated that "[The new rule will] harmonize the emergency response number requirements with the IMDG Code, which does not require an emergency response telephone number on the dangerous goods documentation (or anywhere else) for any excepted material; however, all hazardous materials, including those in excepted quantities, must comply with Section 5.4.3.2 of the IMDG Code, which requires emergency response information to be communicated in ways other than a phone number, such as a Safety Data Sheet (SDS)." The revised rule reference is 172.604(d)(1).
The final rules become effective December 7, 2018 and PHMSA estimates the regulated community to achieve a savings of over $200 million dollars over the life of the compliance timeline. For more information on these changes, click here