Update (01/25/23)
US DOT PHMSA corrected a lot of errors with an editorial Final Rule late last year, but also created new ones.
It turns out that recent amendments to the Hazmat Table in 49 CFR 172.101 "introduced new unintended errors" in the Table, PHMSA says. The agency cleaned up these new errors up with an official Correction rulemaking in the January 25, 2023 Federal Register.
Original Post (Published 12/29/22)
Now we know that 2022 is over: DOT PHMSA released its yearly “Editorial Corrections” Final Rule to clarify and fix errors in the 49 CFR Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) on December 27.
Changes and corrections in this Rule do not impose any new requirements and do not alter shippers’ responsibilities under the HMR. PHMSA publishes this recurring "editorial" rulemaking near the end of each calendar year, with the goal of making the regulations clearer and easier to use.
The latest “corrections” Rule:
- Removes outdated references to “ORM-D”
- Fixes typos and incorrect regulatory citations,
- Removes other outdated or obsolete provisions and dates, and
- Re-states certain requirements to improve accuracy.
See more details about the edits and clarifications in the
text of the Final Rule.
Removing References to ORM-D
ORM-D was a designation used to ship “hazmat consumer commodities”—hazardous materials products transported in a quantity and packaging that’s appropriate for retail sale.
Products like hairspray (a flammable compressed gas), drain cleaner (a corrosive liquid), charcoal (a flammable solid) and thousands of others were shipped as ORM-D in the United States until recently.
ORM-D was one of many “ORM” designations for hazardous materials shipments, and the last to be phased out in the United States—first for air and vessel shipments in 2013 and 2014, then for domestic ground shipments as of January 1, 2021.
Today, hazmat consumer commodities must be offered for transportation according to the regulations that apply to limited quantities.
Read More: After ORM-D: Shipping Consumer Commodities.
With references to ORM-D removed from the HMR, future hazardous materials professionals won't get confused when they see an acronym that they don't recognize.
Starts Next Week!
Atlanta and Nashville Hazmat Training
Keep your hazmat employee training certification up to date when Lion's Hazmat Ground Shipper Certification (DOT) Workshop comes to Atlanta and Nashville this month.
Develop the expertise needed to classify and name hazardous materials, package hazmat, mark and label packages, fill out shipping papers, and comply with DOT reporting and recordkeeping mandates.
Hazmat Ground Shipper Certification (DOT) Workshop
Atlanta |
January 12—13 |
Nashville |
January 25—26 |
The 2023 Training Schedule of hazmat shipper workshops and webinars is available, and enrollment is open now.