On June 4, 2012 the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) published a notice of public meeting in preparation for the 41st Session of the Sub-Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (UNSCOE TDG) to be held in Geneva, Switzerland on June 25 through July 4, 2012. The purpose of the PHMSA meeting was to consider a number of proposed amendments to the UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (“UN Model Regulations”) and choose which amendments to support at the 41st Session of the UNSCOE TDG . Any amendments that are subsequently agreed to by UNSCOE TDG will be submitted for final consideration at the UN Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods to be held in December, 2012. The proposals reviewed during the meeting potentially impact three categories of dangerous materials; (1) Class 1 (Explosives); (2) Lithium Batteries; and (3) Other.
Out of the sixteen proposals reviewed in the Class 1 category, eight are supported by PHMSA. For example, PHMSA supports an amendment pertaining to packagings used for UN 3375-Ammonium Nitrate Emulsion. In light of an extensive transportation safety record using a variety of packagings and intermediate bulk containers (IBCs), PHMSA now supports a proposal to eliminate the need for a competent authority approval of packagings for UN 3375.
In the Lithium Batteries category, two out of the six proposals are fully supported by PHMSA. For example, one of the supported proposals asks for clarification of the packaging requirements for lithium batteries. PHMSA now supports a proposal which seeks to clarify that lithium batteries need not be packaged in both “strong outer packagings” and “protective enclosures”, but rather that these are two distinct alternatives packagings.
The final 32 proposals pertained to various other topics. One proposal supported by PHMSA pertains to hazard communication. Among other changes, this proposal attempts to revise the limited quantity marking, excepted quantity mark, environmentally hazardous substance mark, orientation arrows, class/division labels, and class/division placards.