How to Build a Hazmat Basic Description for a Shipping Paper

Often called a bill of lading, declaration, IMO, Shipper’s Declaration, or manifest, the shipping paper is a certified written record of what you are shipping, the hazards that are present, how much there is, and where to go for more information.

Because emergency responders and other environmental, health, and safety professionals use this document to communicate information that has the potential to prevent catastrophes and even save lives in the event of a hazmat incident, it is crucial that you know how to fill it out completely and accurately.

A compliant shipping paper starts with the perfect basic description for the hazardous material or article you need to ship. To build a basic description for the hazmat you are shipping, you need to know:

• The correct sequence of information.
• Required information from the Hazard Table.

The Correct Sequence for the Basic Description

The hazmat basic description is the core element of the shipping paper. For each hazardous material in a shipment, the shipping paper must include a description in the correct sequence. This is the correct sequence for a basic hazmat shipping description:

1. Identification Number (e.g., UN1993, NA3082)
2. Proper Shipping Name (may need to supplement with technical name)
3. Hazard Class or Division number with subsidiary Hazard Class or Division number in parentheses (if applicable)
4. Packing Group (by Roman numeral, if applicable)

Required Information from the Hazmat Table

You can find all the information above in the Hazardous Material Table at 49 CFR 172.101. Often, useful information for basic descriptions can also be found on a Safety Data Sheet (SDS). That said, before using an SDS for basic description information, make sure the information on your SDS is accurate and complete.

Identification (ID) Numbers and Proper Shipping Names

Identification (ID) numbers and Proper Shipping Names are paired in the 172.101 Table. Keep in mind that, while one ID number may be associated with multiple Proper Shipping Names, each Proper Shipping Name will only ever be associated with one number.

Hazard Class/Division and Subsidiary Hazards

A material's hazard class or division can be found in the "Hazard Class or Division" column of the 172.101 Table. If the material has a subsidiary class or division, it can be found under the "Label Codes" column of the Table.

Packing Groups

There are three packing groups (I, II, and III), though articles, gases, and certain other materials are not assigned packing groups. Your material's packing group can be found under the "PG" column of the Table; the entry will be blank or contain "I," "II," or "III."

Example: Basic Description for Propylene Chlorohydrin

After testing, you understand that you are shipping a material with the Proper Shipping Name “Propylene chlorohydrin.” You reference the Hazmat Table and find its ID is UN2611, its Hazard Division is 6.1, its subsidiary Hazard Class is 3, and its Packing Group is II.

Putting it all together, the correct basic description is:

UN2611; Propylene chlorohydrin; Division 6.1 (Class 3); II

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