Hazardous Materials

Hazardous Materials

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) defines a hazardous material dangerous good (also known as hazmat or dangerous good) as any material or substance capable of posing an unreasonable risk to health, safety, and property when transported in commerce.

Many people think of hazardous material (hazmat) or dangerous goods (DG) or as acids, ammunition, chlorine, explosives, industrial cleaners, etc. However, many consumer products are also classified as hazardous goods, such as aerosol products, alcohol, batteries, cosmetics, dry ice, medicines, nail polish, and paint.

Hazardous materials that are packaged or handled incorrectly can result in dangerous and costly consequences. Significant fines can be incurred by any person or organization that fails to comply with government hazmat shipping regulations.

As of May 3, 2021, hazmat fines are assessed as follows: 

• $84,425 per day per violation – The maximum civil penalty for hazmat shipping violations
• $196,992 per day per violation – For violations resulting in serious illness, serious injury, substantial property damage, or death
• $508 per employee per day – The minimum penalty for failure to provide hazmat training for employees

(Source: University of California Institute of Hazardous Materials Management)

Steps to Avoid Hazardous Material Shipping Risks and Fines

Any company that ships products should establish procedures to determine if any new or existing products are classified as hazardous goods. A compliance program is required to ensure that safety regulations are consistently followed for employee safety and safe transport.

The best approach is to provide warehouse and shipping staff with hazmat training and certification classes. Employees may be required to take a general DOT Safety and Security Awareness class or module and supplemental training classes as needed. For example, various transport modes require different training and certification.

• Ground shipments must be certified in DOT 49 CFR (highway) regulations
• Air shipments require IATA certification
• Ocean shipments require IMDG certification

Certified shippers must sign off on every shipment, indicating their pledge that:

• The packages contain the materials described in the package documentation
• The items are packaged according to safety requirements
• Appropriate labels are affixed to the shipment

By signing, shippers take personal responsibility for the shipment and may be personally liable for any fines assessed due to errors.

Carriers such as UPS and FedEx do not handle hazardous shipments with prior authorization. Meet with your carrier representative before you begin

Automate Hazmat Processes with Integrated Hazmat and Shipping Software

Another best practice is to automate hazmat shipping processes to eliminate manual tasks and minimize the risk of error. CLS offers an integrated solution with its InfoShip®/Vx multi-carrier shipping software and Labelmaster Dangerous Goods Information System (DGIS) to ensure proper hazmat labels are produced and applied to every shipment.

Learn more in the CLS Blog: Are You Shipping Dangerous Goods and Don’t Know It? 

Contact Us

If you have questions about dangerous goods requirements and evaluating your shipping processes, please feel free to contact us today.