Introduction
According to the Institute of Hazardous Material Management (IHMM) a hazardous material is “any item or agent, biological, chemical, or physical, which has the potential to cause harm to humans, animals, or the environment, either by itself or through interaction with other factors”. These materials are used as raw materials in manufacturing or are manufactured finished goods. Whatever the physical form, the material has to be transported from one facility to another, either by road, sea or air. The Department of Transport provides and enforces regulations that ensure safe transportation of hazardous materials in the United States.
Materials Regulated by the Department of Transport
Hazardous materials are defined and regulated in the United States by a number of agencies such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The Department of Transport (DoT) regulates the movement of hazardous materials in the United States and defines hazardous materials as “posing an unreasonable threat to the public and the environment”.
The DoT’s definition of hazardous materials includes hazardous substances, hazardous wastes, marine pollutants, and elevated temperature materials. The DoT regulates a number of hazard materials shown below.
Class 1 Explosives- Division 1.1 - Mass Explosive Hazard, i.e. a mass explosion affects the entire load instantaneously
- Division 1.2 - Projection Hazard
- Division 1.3 - Explosives that have a fire hazard and either a minor blast hazard or minor projection hazard or both, but not a mass explosion hazard
- Division 1.4 - Minor Explosion Hazard. The explosive effects are largely confined to the package and no projection or fragments of appreciable size or range are expected. An external fire must not cause virtually instantaneous explosion of almost the entire contents of the package.
- Division 1.5 - Very Insensitive Explosives. These have a mass explosion hazard but are so insensitive that there is little probability of initiation or of transition from burning to detonation under normal conditions of transport.
- Division 1.6 - Extremely Insensitive Explosives. These explosives do not have a mass explosive hazard and that contain only extremely insensitive detonating substances and demonstrate a negligible probability of accidental initiation or propagation.
Class 2 Gases
This class includes Compressed Gases, Dissolved under Pressure, or Pressurized Cryogenic Liquids, and Liquefied Gases.
- Division 2.1 - Flammable Gases. This is a material that is a gas at 20º C.
- Division 2.2 - Non-Flammable Gases. This includes compressed gas, liquefied gas, pressurized cryogenic gas, compressed gas in solution, asphyxiant gas and oxidizing gas.
- Division 2.3 - Poisonous or Toxic Gas by Inhalation. These are gases that are known to be so toxic to humans as to pose a hazard during transportation.
Class 3 Flammable Liquids
These are materials whose flash point (FP) is greater than 141 degrees Fahrenheit but less than 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Some examples of Class 3 flammable liquids include Acetone, Diesel fuel, Gasoline, Shale oil and tars.
Class 4 Flammable Solids- Division 4.1 - Flammable Solid
- Division 4.2 - Spontaneously Combustible Material. These include pyrophoric materials e.g. liquids or solids that can, without an external ignition source and self-heating materials, and substances that, when in contact with air and without an energy supply, are liable to self-heat.
- Division 4.3 - Dangerous When Wet. These are materials that are liable to become spontaneously flammable or to give off flammable or toxic gas.
Class 5 Oxidizing Substances; Organic Peroxides
- Division 5.1 - Oxidizer
- Division 5.2 - Organic Peroxide, such as swimming pool chemicals.
Class 6 Poisonous (Toxic) And Infectious Substances
- Division 6.1 - Poisonous (Toxic) Material. These include cyanides, arsenic, nicotine, and mercury compounds.
- Division 6.2 - Infectious Substance. These materials are capable of causing permanent disability or life-threatening or fatal diseases. Examples include medical waste, patient specimens, and biological products.
Class 7 Radioactive Material
These are materials having a specific activity greater than 0.002 microcuries per gram.
Class 8 Corrosives
These are liquids or solids that cause full thickness destruction of human skin at the site of contact within a specified period of time.
Class 9 Miscellaneous Dangerous Goods
Class 9 materials includes Environmentally Hazardous Substances, Elevated Temperature Material, Hazardous Wastes, and Marine Pollutants.
