If your business is considering getting into the hazardous material product line, you probably have many questions. From where you can obtain chemicals from suppliers to what shipping companies are willing to ship hazardous materials, you’ll need to do a lot of research on the topic. Today, we’re going to go over the things you should know about shipping hazardous materials.
Hazmat Classes
Hazmat materials are classified into one of nine classes. The U.S. Department Of Transportation and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration are responsible for these classifications. These nine classes include the following:
- Class 1 – Explosives
- Class 2 – Gases
- Class 3 – Flammable Liquid And Combustible Liquid
- Class 4 – Flammable Solid, Spontaneously Combustible, and Dangerous When Wet
- Class 5 – Oxidizer And Organic Peroxide
- Class 6 – Poison (Toxic) and Poison Inhalation Hazard
- Class 7 – Radioactive
- Class 8 – Corrosive
- Class 9 – Miscellaneous
You Must Classify the Material
The law requires that you include a product safety data sheet, known as an SDS for short, with every package of dangerous material. This sheet allows for shipping workers to understand how to handle the hazmat products that you’re shipping. You can get example SDS sheets with your hazmat package testing experience with your chosen carrier.
Decide on a Carrier
You must choose a shipping carrier that specializes in hazardous materials. The top carriers in the United States for hazardous materials are DHL, UPS, USPS, and FedEx. Not all of these carriers have the same rules regarding shipping hazmat-related materials. It’s best to narrow down your list of carriers and then review the rules to see which carrier best fits your needs.
Labels Must Be Done Right
If you’ve ever received a potentially hazardous material in the mail, you’ve likely seen some unique markings on the package. These labels help carriers and receivers to identify any potential risks that the hazmat material possesses. When constructing your shipping label, you’ll need to include hazardous material markings alongside the weight, ID number, and hazmat class.
Shipping hazardous materials require a lot more unique knowledge than just shipping non-hazardous materials. As a business owner, it’s vital that you learn about specific requirements like labels and hazmat classes so you can safely ship hazardous materials. Remember that the requirements you must meet will rely heavily on the carrier that you choose to utilize.
