| If your job is selecting 49 CFR Department of Transportation hazardous material non-bulk containers or packaging (not over 119 gallon for liquids and 882 pounds for solids), you will find it’s easier than most people think. Non-bulk containers are selected using a material’s proper shipping name and the instructions listed in Column 8B of the 172.101 Hazardous Materials Table. But what do the marks on these specification containers mean?
UN 4G/Y145/S/83/USA/RA means:
UNITED NATIONS / BOX, FIBERBOARD / MEETING PACKING GROUP II AND III TESTS / 145 KG MAXIMUM GROSS MASS / MEANT TO CONTAIN SOLIDS OR INNER PACKAGINGS / MANUFACTURED IN 1983 / MANUFACTURED & MARKED IN THE USA / SYMBOL OF TESTING COMPANY OR MANUFACTURER
UN 1A1/Y1.4/150/83/USA/VL82 means:
UNITED NATIONS / DRUM, STEEL, NON-REMOVABLE HEAD / MEETING PACKING GROUP II AND III TESTS/ 1.4 SPECIFIC GRAVITY / TEST PRESSURE OF HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE TEST OF 150 kPA / MADE IN USA / MANUFACTURER SYMBOL
BREAKING IT DOWN
49 CFR 178.500 quickly and easily in the same sequence as the marked or embossed on your boxes or drums. Let’s breaks down the non-bulk container manufacturer’s marks using the cardboard UN box and a UN steel drum . First, clearly marked on the container would be the UN Mark which designates that the container was manufactured to meet a United Nations standard.
UN 4G/Y145/S/83/USA/RA
UN1A1/Y1.4/150/83/USA/VL824
Identification codes for designating kinds of packagings consist of the following:
CONTAINER TYPE
(1) A numeral indicating the kind of packaging, as follows:
- (i) “1” means a drum.
- (ii) “2” means a wooden barrel.
- (iii) “3” means a jerrican.
- (iv) “4” means a box.
- (v) “5” means a bag.
- (vi) “6” means a composite packaging.
- (vii) “7” means a pressure receptacle.
CONTAINER MATERIAL
(2) A capital letter indicating the material of construction, as follows:
- (i) “A” means steel (all types and surface treatments).
(ii) “B” means aluminum.
(iii) “C” means natural wood.
(iv) “D” means plywood.
(v) “F” means reconstituted wood.
(vi) “G” means fiberboard.
(vii) “H” means plastic.
(viii) “L” means textile.
(ix) “M” means paper, multi-wall.
(x) “N” means metal (other than steel or aluminum).
(xi) “P” means glass, porcelain or stoneware.
UN 4G/Y145/S/83/USA/RA = CARDBOARD BOX
UN 1A1/Y1.4/150/83/USA/VL824 = STEEL DRUM
A numeral indicating the category of packaging within the kind to which the packaging belongs appears after the identification codes for type of packaging and material of construction. For example, for steel drums (“1A”), “1” indicates a non-removable head drum (i.e., “1A1”) and “2” indicates a removable head drum (i.e., “1A2”).
UN 1A1/Y1.4/150/83/USA/VL824 = STEEL NON-REMOVABLE HEAD DRUM
PACKING GROUPS
Next is the letter identifying the performance standard under which the packaging design type has been successfully tested: X—for packagings meeting Packing Group I, II and III tests; Y—for packagings meeting Packing Group II and III tests; or Z—for packagings only meeting Packing Group III tests.
UN 4G/Y145/S/83/USA/RA
UN1A1/Y1.4/150/83/USA/VL824
CONTAINER CAPACITY
Following the packing group identifier is the designation of the specific gravity or mass for which the packaging design type has been tested. When a packaging without inner packagings is intended to contain liquids, the specific gravity rounded down to the first decimal must be marked and may be omitted when the specific gravity does not exceed 1.2. Packagings intended to contain solids or inner packagings must display the maximum gross mass in kilograms.
UN 4G/Y145/S/83/USA/13/ RA
UN1A1/Y1.4/150/83/USA/VL824
FOR LIQUIDS OR SOLIDS OR BOTH
For single or composite packagings intended to contain liquids, the test pressure in kilopascals rounded down to the nearest 10 kPa of the hydrostatic pressure test that the packaging design type has successfully passed must also be marked on the container.
When a packaging is intended to contain solids or inner packagings, the letter “S” must appear.
UN 4G/Y145/S/83/USA/13/ RA
UN1A1/Y1.4/150/83/USA/VL824
YEAR OF MANUFACTURE
The last two digits of the year of manufacture is next. Packagings of types 1H plastic drums and 3H plastic jerrycan shall also be marked with the month of manufacture in any appropriate manner; this may be marked on the packaging in a different place from the remainder of the markings.
UN 4G/Y145/S/83/USA/13/ RA
UN1A1/Y1.4/150/83/USA/VL824
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN
The state authorizing the allocation of the mark. For example, the letters “USA” indicate that the packaging is manufactured and marked in the United States in compliance with US regulations.
UN 4G/Y145/S/83/USA/RA
UN1A1/Y1.4/150/83/USA/VL824
MANUFACTURER
The Container marks must then include the name and address or symbol of the manufacturer or the approval agency certifying compliance with Subparts L & M of Part 178. Symbols, if used, must be registered with the Associate Administrator.
UN 4G/Y145/S/83/USA/RA
UN1A1/Y1.4/150/83/USA/VL824
ADDITIONAL MANUFACTURER MARKING REQUIREMENTS
COMPOSITE PACKAGING
When a metal or plastic drum or jerrican is intended for reuse or reconditioning as a single packaging or the outer packaging of a composite packaging, the thickness of the packaging material, expressed in mm (rounded to the nearest 0.1 mm), as follows:
METAL DRUMS MARKING
Metal drums or jerricans must be marked with the nominal thickness of the metal used in the body. The marked nominal thickness must not exceed the minimum thickness of the steel used by more than the thickness tolerance stated in ISO 3574 (see §171.7 of Subchapter C and see Appendix C of Part 178) The unit of measure is not required to be marked. When the nominal thickness of either head of a metal drum is thinner than that of the body, the nominal thickness of the top head, body, and bottom head must be marked, as follows “1.0-1.2-1.0” or “0.9-1.0-1.0”.
PLASTIC DRUMS MARKING
Plastic drums or jerricans must be marked with the minimum thickness of plastic. Minimum thicknesses of plastic must be as determined in accordance with §173.28(b)(4). The unit of measure is not required to be marked.
UN1A1/Y1.4/150/83/USA/VL824 1.0 mm
ADDITIONAL METAL DRUM MARKING REQUIREMENTS
In addition to the markings prescribed, every new metal drum having a capacity greater than 100 L must bear the required marks in a permanent form, on the bottom, even though the markings on the top head or side of these packagings need not be permanent, and need not include the thickness mark. If the packaging has a removable head, the markings may not be applied only to the removable head.
MARKING OF RECONDITIONED PACKAGING
If a packaging is reconditioned, it must be marked by the reconditioner, near the other required marks, with the name of the country in which the reconditioning was performed (i.e; “USA”); the name and address or symbol of the reconditioner. (Symbols, when used, must be registered with the Associate Administrator); and the last two digits of the year of reconditioning. Reconditioned Packagings also require the letter “R” and for every packaging successfully passing a leakproofness test, the additional letter “L”.
Selection of hazardous material containers may seem to be complex, but this is not the case. Just remember that all of the manufacturer’s non-bulk container marking information can be found on just 4 pages of 49 CFR 178.500. The best part is that the information appears in the regulation in the order as it appears on the side of the drum.
If you need help with container selection, call or email us and we will help you out. Thank you for your support and readership. |
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