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Placards and Labels

Introduction:

• The U.S. Government through the Department of Transportation requires placards and labels on vehicles and containers used to store and transport chemicals.
• A placard is required if there is a net weight of 1000 pounds or greater.
•  However there are certain chemicals that are required to be placard regardless of much is being transported.

Placards are 10 ¾” × 10 ¾” in size, diamond shape.

Placards should be placed on all four sides of vehicles transporting hazardous materials according to regulations.

Labels are 4” × 4” in size, diamond shape, and are used on individual containers of hazardous materials with a net weight less than 1,000 pounds.

Highway tank trucks and railroad tank cars must remain placarded, once the hazardous material has been off loaded, with the same placard as when loaded, until he hazard is no longer present in the container, (vapors and residue).

Placard & Label Recognition Information

 The colored background

The symbol on top

The United Nations class number at the bottom

The hazard class in words or the four digit identification number in the center

Colored Background

 Orange indicates explosives

Red indicates flammable/combustible

Green indicates nonflammable compressed gases

Yellow indicates oxidizing material

White indicates poisonous materials

White with vertical red stripes indicates flammable solids

White over black indicates corrosive material

White with black vertical stripes indicates miscellaneous

Symbols

Bursting ball indicates explosives

Flame indicates flammable material

Slashed W indicates water reactive material

Skull & crossbones indicates poisonous materials

Burning ball indicates oxidizers

Cylinder indicates non-flammable gas

Propeller indicates radioactive material

Test tube/hand/steel bar indicates corrosive material

U.N. Number:

United Nations four digit identification number or worded hazard classification. The center of the placard contains a word or a four digit number to identify the commodity.

 Bulk shipments, as a minimum, must contain the four digit placard on two sides with the worded placard on the two ends.

 Non-bulk shipments must contain the worded placard, as a minimum, on all four sides.

* The new limited quantity marking designates hazardous material packages prepared for air transport (Y) and packages not prepared for air transport (all other modes). The ORM-D classification and the use of packagings marked “Consumer commodity, ORM-D” is authorized until December 31, 2020, for domestic highway, rail, and vessel transportation. Transitional exception—Square-on-point with Identification Number: except for transportation by aircraft and until December 31, 2014, a package containing a limited quantity may be marked with identification number, preceded by the letters “UN” or “NA”.

DOT Nine Hazard Classes:

1. Explosives

2. Compressed Gases

3. Flammable & Combustible Liquids

4. Flammable Solids

5. Oxidizers

6. Poisons

7. Radioactive

8. Corrosives

9. Miscellaneous

Class 1 ( Explosives)

Major hazard: Explosion

Definition- Explosive means any substance or article, including a device, which is designed to function by explosion (i.e. an extremely rapid release of gas and heat) or that, by chemical reaction within itself, is able to function by explosion.

Class 1 has six divisions

 Class 1.1 Mass explosion that affects almost the entire load

Black powder

Dynamite

T-N-T

Blasting caps

Nitroglycerin

Class 1.2 Projection hazard but not a mass explosion hazard

Aerial flares

Detonation cord

Power device cartridges

Class 1.3 Fire hazard and either a minor blast or a minor projection hazard

Liquid-fueled rocket motors

Propellant explosives

Class 1.4 Presents a minor explosion hazard

Practice ammunition

Signal cartridges

Class 1.5 Very insensitive explosives with a mass explosion hazard

Prilled ammonium nitrate fertilizer

Blasting agents

 Class 1.6 Extremely insensitive explosives

Does not have a mass explosion hazard.

Class 2 (Compressed Gases)

Major Hazard: Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion (BLEVE)

Sub Hazards:

Flammable

Oxidizer

Poisonous

Divided into 3 divisions

Class 2.1 A material that is a gas at 68 degrees F or less at 14.7 psi or has a boiling point of 68 degrees or less at 14.7 psi.

Ignitable at 14.7 psi in a mixture of 13% or less by volume

Has a flammable range of at least 12% regardless of the lower limit.                                       

Class 2.2 Any material or mixture that exerts an absolute pressure of 41 psi at 68 degrees F.

Compressed gases, including liquefied gas,  pressurized cryogenic gas, and compressed gas in solution.                

Class 2.3 Vaporize easily and very dangerous to life, even in small amounts.

Known to be so toxic to humans as to pose a hazard to health during transportation.

Presumed to be toxic because of laboratory testing.

Class 3 (Flammable Liquids)

Major Hazard: Burns readily

Flammable and Combustible liquids

All material that is classed as flammable/combustible the material is also toxic.

Any liquid having a flash point of not more than 141 degrees F.

Three divisions:

3.1 - FP < 0 degrees F

3.2 - FP 0 to < 73 degrees F

3.3 - FP 73 to < 141 degrees F

Combustible Liquid

Any liquid that does not meet the definition of any other hazard class and has a flash point above 141 degrees F and below 200 degrees F. 

NOTE:  A flammable liquid with a flash point at or above 100 degrees that does not meet the definition of any other hazard class except 9, may be reclassed as combustible.

Class 4 (Flammable Solids)

 Major Hazard: Rapid combustion with a liberation of mass quantities of smoke (toxic).

Divided into 3 divisions:

 Class 4.1  Three types

Wetted explosives

Self reactive materials

Readily combustible solids

Class 4.2 Self heating materials- a material that, when in contact with air and without an energy supply, is liable to self-heat.

Class 4.3 Material that, by contact with water is liable to become spontaneously flammable or to give off flammable or toxic gas at a rate of greater than 1 l/kg.

                   

Class 5 (Oxidizers)

2 Divisions:

Major Hazard 5.1: Supports combustion, intensifies fire.

Major Hazard 5.2: Unstable/reactive explosives

                                               

The new Organic Peroxide placard became mandatory January 1st 2011 for transportation by rail, vessel, or aircraft and becomes mandatory January 1st 2014 for transportation by highway. The placard will enable responders to readily distinguish peroxides from oxidizers.

Class 6 (Poisons)

Major Hazard: Infectious

2 Divisions:

NOTE: Poisonous gases are class 2; division 3

Class 6.1 A material, other than a gas, that is either known to be so toxic to humans as to afford a hazard to health during transportation, or in the absence of adequate data on human toxicity, is presumed to be toxic to humans, including irritating materials that cause irritation.

Class 6.2 Infectious Substances   A viable microorganism, or its toxin, that causes disease in humans or animals. Infectious substance and etiologic agent are the same.

                                                                        

Class 7 (Radioactive Materials)

Major Hazard: radioactive poisonous burns

Def: Materials having a specific activity greater than 0.002 microcurie per gram.

Fissile Class I - White I - has a radiation level of < 0.5 millirem per hour (mrem/h)

Fissile Class II - Yellow II - 0.5 mrem/h < radiation level < 50  mrem/h

Fissile Class III - Yellow III - radiation level is >  50 mrem/h

     

Class 8 (Corrosives)

Major Hazard: Burns/emulsification skin damage.

Definition - A Liquid or solid that causes visible or irreversible alterations in human skin tissue at the site of contact, or a liquid that has a severe corrosion rate on steel or aluminum. 

                                                                                          

Class 9 (Miscellaneous Hazardous Materials)

A material that presents a hazard during transport, but that is not included in another hazard class

                                                                                

Other Regulated Materials  (ORM-D)

A material that presents a limited hazard during transportation due to its form, quantity, and packaging

Material That Require Placarding at Any Amount:

Hazard Class or Division                                   Placard Type:

1.1                                                                       Explosives 1.1

1.2                                                                       Explosives 1.2

1.3                                                                       Explosives 1.3

2.3                                                                       Poison Gas

4.3                                                                       Dangerous when wet

6.1 (assigned to packing group 1, inhalation hazard only)    Poison

7    ( radioactive label III only)                                              Radioactive

Note: All other materials do not require a placard unless there is more than 1,001 pounds.

Summary:

The key to survival on a hazardous material incident is good information gathering.

All the information that you gather through recognizing and identifying the clues that are on just about  every hazardous material incident, does you no good if you don’t manage the information, and pay attention to it.

Never rush up to the scene, take your time and Recognize and Identify all the clues that are present. Use the clues that you have gathered to keep your self safe.

SKILLS TO BE COMPLETED:

 All three stations on all three shifts will need to go out in your district to locate and take at least three photos of placards or labels. At least two must be in a transportation and at least one at a fixed facility. Once you have taken photos please share them with the whole department via email and include which fixed facility location your photos were taken at.

For each Placard or Label you locate, also determine the appropriate PPE level and which suit material we should wear for that hazard.

Once these skills have been completed the officer can sign off  on the following skill objective in your hazmat task book.

7.3.3.4.6

Criteria		Grading Criteria
			Pass	Fail		Instructor Signature & Date
Given three examples of various hazardous materials, determine the protective clothing construction materials for a given action option using chemical compatibility charts.

Instructor Remarks:                                                                                                                                                                  

Chemical Compatibility Charts:

Kapper Link: http://www.kappler.com/assets/public/pdf/tech_data.pdf

DuPont Link: http://safespec.dupont.com/safespec/chemical/search

If you have any questions feel free to contact me.

Thanks
John Shafer
Division Chief Of Training & Safety