FAA Issues Hazmat Emergency Restriction on Samsung Galaxy Note 7

In the Federal Register today, US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a Hazardous Materials Emergency Restriction/Prohibition Order for air carriers and Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphone owners.

The FAA order prohibits any person from shipping or transporting by air any Samsung Galaxy Note 7 device. The device may not be shipped as cargo, may not be carried on the plane, and may not be stowed in checked luggage.

The FAA hazmat emergency notice also provides guidance for travelers who inadvertently bring a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 aboard a plane.

According to FAA, here’s what to do (and what not to do) if you accidentally bring your Samsung Note 7 on a plane:

• Immediately power off the device.
• Do not use or charge the device on the aircraft.
• Disable any features that may turn on the device, such as alarm clocks.
• Keep the phone on your person. Do not store it in the overhead compartment, the seat back pocket, or carry-on baggage.

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Guidance for Air Carriers

For air carriers, a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is now a forbidden hazardous material. Per 49 CFR 175, air carriers must not accept these devices for air transport or knowingly permit a passenger to board an aircraft with a Samsung Galaxy Note 7.

Under the US DOT hazmat rules at 49 CFR 173.21, batteries and battery-powered devices are forbidden from transportation by any mode (ground, air, or vessel) if they are “likely to create sparks or generate a dangerous evolution of heat”, unless they are packaged in a way that will prevent these consequences.

Read FAA’s emergency prohibition order here.

How to Ship Damaged/Recalled
Lithium Batteries

To ship damaged, defective, or recalled lithium batteries like those presumed to be in the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 devices, shippers must follow the detailed requirements at 49 CFR 173.185(f).

These special lithium battery requirements include:

• Completely enclosing each cell or battery in an individual, non-metallic inner packaging;
• Surrounding that inner packaging with non-combustible, non-conductive, absorbent cushioning material;
• Using one of the approved outer packagings listed at 49 CFR 173.185(f)(3); and
• Marking the outer package to indicate that it contains a “Damaged/defective lithium ion battery” or “Damaged/defective lithium metal battery,” as appropriate. 

In September, US DOT granted Samsung a hazmat Special Permit (DOT SP 20325) that allows the company to use alternate packaging to ship its damaged or defective lithium batteries when certain conditions are met.

This FAA’s emergency order is the latest development in the ongoing recall of Samsung’s flagship smartphone in response to dozens of reports of lithium battery fires. When damaged or manufactured improperly, lithium batteries can short-circuit, smoke, and ignite, posing hazards to employees, the public, transportation workers, and the environment. Find out more about how lithium batteries become a workplace hazard here.

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Tags: DOT, hazmat shipping, lithium batteries