Shipment and Transport of Hazardous or Dangerous Goods (S-22)

Standard: S-22
Responsible Executive: Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
Responsible Office: Environmental Health and Public Safety
Date Issued: May 1, 2021
Date Last Revised: N/A

Table of Contents

Contacts
Individuals and Entities Affected
Statement of Standard
Responsibilities
Definitions (defined terms are capitalized throughout the document)
Related Documents, Forms and Tools
History and Updates
Appendix

Contacts

Clarification of Standard

Senior Director of Environmental Health and Safety
765-494-9227 | EHS Staff Listing

Campus Specific Contacts

Fort Wayne: Environmental Health and Safety Manager
260-481-4193 | About EHS

Northwest: REM Occupational Health and Safety Specialist
219-989-2724

West Lafayette: REM Hazardous Materials Manager
765-496-9359 | EHS Staff Listing 

Individuals and Entities Affected

1. All faculty and staff who authorize or initiate the shipment or transport of Hazardous or Dangerous Goods.
2. All faculty and staff who otherwise have a role in the shipment, transport or receipt of Hazardous or Dangerous Goods.

Statement of Standard

The use of Hazardous or Dangerous Goods is an integral part of teaching, research and other operations at Purdue University. At times, it is necessary to ship these materials to a colleague, another facility, back to the manufacturer, to a field site or to another similar location. The shipment and transport of Hazardous or Dangerous Goods may post potential environmental, public health, national security and/or property damage risks, and as such, must be done safely and in accordance with the rules and regulations issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration and other applicable regulatory bodies.

All Hazardous or Dangerous Goods must be correctly classified, described, packaged and labeled before being shipped or transported. Failure to meet these requirements may result in delays, loss of packages and potential regulatory fines, some of which may be apportioned to the offending department. Therefore, only properly trained university staff may oversee these shipments and transports. Third-party shipping companies may not be used.

All packages that contain items designated as hazardous or dangerous must be shipped or transported using the Campus Shipping and Distribution Department. The Campus Shipping and Distribution Department will work with the Office of Radiological and Environmental Management (REM) on each campus to screen all packages of Hazardous or Dangerous Goods, and REM will either provide shipping/transport instructions or prepare the shipment itself.

Packages that will be shipped internationally are subject to U.S. laws regarding export controls. As such, individuals who initiate or process the shipment of Hazardous or Dangerous Goods to an international address must follow the instructions on export controls as stipulated by Purdue’s Export Control Officer.

Violations of this policy may result in discipline, up to and including termination of employment, in addition to the penalties imposed by the regulatory agency.

Responsibilities

Faculty and Staff

• Be aware of what materials are considered hazardous or dangerous, and complete required or recommended training as applicable to job responsibilities.
• Utilize the Campus Shipping and Distribution Department for all Hazardous or Dangerous Goods being shipped or transported.
• Follow instructions on export controls when materials will be shipped to an international address.  

Campus Shipping and Distribution Departments

• Ensure all department staff complete required training on Hazardous or Dangerous Goods.
• In consultation with REM, screen all packages with Hazardous or Dangerous Goods and ensure they are properly prepared for shipment or transport.
• If materials will be shipped to an international address, confirm with the sender that they have completed all steps associated with export controls and follow any additional shipping instructions provided by the Export Control Officer, or designee.
• Transport Hazardous or Dangerous Goods in accordance with applicable rules and regulations.

REM

• Stay current on rules and regulations for shipment and transport of Hazardous or Dangerous Goods.
• Provide required training to staff in Campus Shipping and Distribution Departments and make awareness training available to all faculty and staff.
• In coordination with the Campus Shipping and Distribution Department, screen all packages with Hazardous or Dangerous Goods and either prepare the package or provide instruction for proper shipping/transport.

Deans, Directors and Other Unit Heads

• Assist REM in communicating to faculty and staff the safe and proper handling requirements for Hazardous or Dangerous Goods.
• Assist the Export Control Officer in promoting awareness with faculty and staff of the instructions on export controls for shipments to international addresses.

Definitions

All defined terms are capitalized throughout the document. Refer to the central Policy Glossary for additional defined terms.

Campus Shipping and Distribution Department
The department on each campus listed below:

1. Fort Wayne: Shipping and Receiving
2. Northwest: Print and Mail Services
3. West Lafayette: Materials Management and Distribution Center (MMDC)

Hazardous or Dangerous Goods
A substance or material that the U.S. Department of Transportation has determined to be capable of posing an unreasonable risk to health, safety and property when transported in commerce.  Examples of these materials used at the University include, but are not limited to:

• Laboratory, custodial and agricultural chemicals
• Biological agents
• Radioactive materials
• Compressed gases
• Dry ice
• Refrigerants and related equipment
• Lithium batteries
• Magnetized materials
• Paint
• Pool chemicals
• Samples taken directly from an animal or human
• Samples to be tested for a pathogen, virus or bacteria
• Explosives

Related Documents, Forms and Tools

This standard is issued in support of the policy on Environmental Health and Safety Compliance (IV.A.4), as amended or superseded.

Federal Agency Resources

• Federal Aviation Administration’s document on Commonly Shipped Undeclared Hazardous Materials (PDF)
• S. Department of Transportation Check the Box FAQs

Export Controls

• Information on International Shipping (from Purdue’s Export Control and Research Information Assurance team)
• Purdue policy on Export Controls and OFAC Regulations (I.A.2)

History and Updates

May 1, 2021: This is the first standard to address this issue.

Appendix

There are no appendices to this standard.