Classifying hazardousĀ material wrong can be a costly affair. Just a few years ago, three North Dakota crude loaders were fined a total of $93,000 for downgrading the classification of the hazardous material they were shipping. (See this Article) If you want to ship a hazardous material safely and make sure that first responders follow the right protocol when responding to a spill, itā€™s important that you accurately classify the hazardous material.

To classify a hazardous material youā€™ll need to use the DOT table located at 49 CFR Section 172.101. With the exception of Class 7 radioactive materials, Division 6.2 Infectious materials and Class 2 compressed gases, hazardous materials are split into three levels of packing groups on the table. Packing Group I is the highest and indicates greatest danger, Packing Group II indicates a medium danger and Packing Group III indicates a minor danger.

First, find the hazardous material description and proper shipping name, then look to column five for the materials packing group. Youā€™ll need to match the performance standard of the packaging to the packing group that the material is listed under on the table. A packaging with an X rating covers packing group I,II, and III, Y Ā rating covers packing group II-III, and Z rating for packing group III only.

Also make sure the material will not react with the container itself. For example, a corrosive material, like a class 8 solvent, will react with a metal container so youā€™ll need to use a plastic or plastic-lined container with the correct rating.

When in doubt, youā€™ll want to use caution and err on the side of safety. As always, if you have any questions or comments please post them below.