USPS Raises Penalties for Hazmat Violations in Mail System

Posted on 1/13/2021 by Roger Marks

The United States Postal Service (USPS) increased civil penalties for hazardous materials violations in the mail system. These penalties apply to “persons who knowingly mail nonmailable hazardous materials or fail to follow postal laws on mailing hazardous materials.”

The maximum civil penalty increased from $127,525 per violation to $129,032 per violation.
The minimum civil penalty increased from $320 to $324.

The Interim Final Rule is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register tomorrow, January 14, 2021.

If you offer hazardous materials for transportation, even by the Post Office, your shipments are subject to US DOT's Hazardous Materials Regulations (DOT). USPS imposes additional restrictions that must be followed to ship hazardous materials by mail.

Read more: USPS Hazmat Shipping Challenges

DOT Hazmat Penalties Also Going Up

US DOT recently updated its own civil penalties for hazmat violations to keep pace with inflation, as it now does on an annual basis.

The maximum civil penalty that PHMSA, FAA, and other DOT agencies can assess is now up to $83,439 per day, per violation. For violations that result in death, serious illness, severe injury, or substantial property damage, the penalty can be as high as $194,691 per day, per violation.

DOT also increased to minimum penalty for hazmat training violations to $502 per day, per employee. DOT require hazmat training for all “hazmat employees,” and re-training must be provided once every three years (49 CFR 172.704).

Ship Hazmat by Mail?

Learn the unique US Postal Service standards that apply to hazmat shipped by mail with the Hazmat Postal Shipper online course.

Or develop a step-by-step process to prepare and offer hazardous materials for ground, air, or vessel transport when Lion presents live hazmat training webinars in February.

Hazmat Ground Shipper Certification (DOT)
Hazmat Air Shipper Certification (IATA)
Hazmat Vessel Shipper Certification (IMDG)

Tags: hazmat shipping, Publication 52, USPS

Find a Post

Search for:

Compliance Topics

Compliance Archives

Lion was very responsive to my initial questions and the website was user friendly.

Michael Britt

Supply Chain Director

Course instructor was better prepared and presented better than other trainers. Course manual and references were easier to use as well.

Marty Brownfield

Hazardous Waste Professional

One of the best trainings I have ever received!

Brandon Morfin

EH&S Manager

The instructor had knowledge of regulations and understanding of real-world situations. The presentation style was engaging and fostered a positive atmosphere for information sharing.

Linda Arlen

Safety & Environmental Compliance Officer

Very well structured, comprehensive, and comparable to live training seminars I've participated in previously. I will recommend the online course to other colleagues with training requirement needs.

Neil Luciano

EHS Manager

The course is well thought out and organized in a way that leads to a clearer understanding of the total training.

David Baily

Hazmat Shipping Professional

The instructor was very very informative, helpful, understandable and pleasant. This course answered many questions I had, being new to this industry.

Frances Mona

Shipping Manager

The instructor's energy, enthusiasm, and knowledge of the subject make the class a great learning experience!

Brian Martinez

Warehouse Operator

I was able to present my scenario to the instructor and worked thru the regulations together. In the past, I attended another training firm's classes. Now, I have no intention of leaving Lion!

Diana Joyner

Senior Environmental Engineer

I tried other environmental training providers, but they were all sub-standard compared to Lion. I will not stray from Lion again!

Sara Sills

Environmental Specialist

Download Our Latest Whitepaper

Just starting out with shipping lithium batteries? The four fundamental concepts in this guide are the place to start.

Download

By submitting your phone number, you agree to receive recurring marketing and training text messages. Consent to receive text messages is not required for any purchases. Text STOP at any time to cancel. Message and data rates may apply. View our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.