Shipping and Transport - Review of OSHA, EPA, and DOT Guidelines

Shipment of materials to offsite treatment, storage, or disposal facilities involves the entry of waste hauling vehicles into the site. Employers and employees must comply with U.S. DOT regulations (49 CFR Parts 171- 178) and EPA regulations (40 CFR Part 263) for shipment of hazardous wastes.

The rules for packaging can be found in 49 CFR §178. These rules are specific to different modes of transportation (rail, air, water, or highway), materials, and means of packaging. As such, the details are outside the scope of this training. In general, though, packaging must meet the following requirements:

• Be leak-proof
• Resist hydrostatic pressure and vibration
• Not break or tear easily
• Have some means of relieving pressure
• Pass inspection, including tests for all of the requirements just listed

The generator must label and mark each container of hazardous waste, as outlined in 49 CFR §172.44. The labeling requirements for hazardous waste packages are complex. In general, all packages must display a diamond-shaped hazardous materials label that identifies the hazard class of the hazardous waste material as well as its identification number.

To learn more about HAZWOPER visit our HAZWOPER 40 Hour Online Training web page.