What is a hazardous material

What is a Dangerous Good or Hazardous Material

The DOT's definition of a hazardous material can be found in 49 CFR 171.8. The term includes all substances or materials designated by the DOT and determined to be capable of posing an unreasonable risk to health, safety and property when transported in commerce. The term also includes EPA hazardous wastes and substances, marine pollutants, and elevated-temperature materials.The DOT definition requires these materials to be "designated" as well as capable of posing an "unreasonable risk." Let's first look at what constitutes an unreasonable risk.

Dangerous Goods are articles or substances which are capable of posing a significant risk to hearth, safety or to property when transported by air and which are classified according to Section 3.” (IATA Dangerous Goods Regulation 42nd Edition Section 1, 1.0 pg. 1)

DOT Communication Requirements

Once a hazardous material is ready for transport, anyone coming in contact with the container must be able to identify its contents if a spill or unexpected release occurs during transport. Therefore, the DOT requires the labeling of packages, the marking of containers, and the placarding of transport vehicles. Think about the ways communication takes place in your life every day. You immediately recognize the red octagonal STOP sign as you drive, you understand the familiar RAILROAD crossing sign, and you know that the yellow light means CAUTION whenever it appears. You see warnings in the form of signs and labels everywhere from manufacturing plants to grocery stores. These visible signs are designed to protect you from harm as you go about your daily routine. The same holds true for handling hazardous materials. You need to understand the nature of the material you handle because carelessness could cause you harm. For emergency responders, this is especially critical. Similarly, users of these materials must also know what the physical and health hazards are while they use them in their jobs.

Reading and Understanding an MSDS

MSDS were initially written for health and safety professionals and trained workers in the chemical industry. The information was usually very technical, and the type of information and formats varied from supplier to supplier. As Federal and state right-to-know regulations expanded, a wider audience with diverse backgrounds needed MSDS. Reading and understanding the various MSDSs became a difficult task for many. A few years ago, the Chemical Manufacturers Association (CMA) began working on a standard to develop consistent and understandable MSDS that would be easily recognized in the US, Canada, and Europe. This standard, also accepted by ANSI (American National Standards Institute), does not fulfill every country's legal requirements, but it does provide consistent and useful information to a variety of audiences, including people involved with the transportation of hazardous materials. As defined by the ANSI standard, an MSDS must be composed of the following 16 sections: Sec. 1. Chemical Product & Company Information Sec. 2. Composition/Information on Ingredients Sec. 3. Hazards Identification Sec. 4. First Aid Measures Sec. 5. Fire Fighting Measures Sec. 6. Accidental Release Measures Sec. 7. Handling and Storage Sec. 8. Exposure Controls/Personal Protection Sec. 9. Physical and Chemical Properties