LAFAYETTE, NJ — Coatings and coatings-related material are all regulated as hazardous materials (hazmat) when shipped by ground, air, ocean or rail. Businesses that ship hazmat by air must comply with international rules set by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), an agency of the United Nations. Each year, IATA publishes a revised edition of its regulation manual, known as the Dangerous Good Regulations, or DGR. Noncompliance with the air shipping regulations can lead to rejected shipments, incidents in transit and U.S. DOT fines as high as $75,000 per day per violation.

This fall, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) will publish the 56th edition of its Dangerous Goods Regulations. The latest edition of IATA’s rules will include a new special provision for businesses that ship protective coatings, paints or printer ink. The new special provision (A192) will provide relief to these shippers by simplifying the documentation requirements for certain shipments. Compliance with the 56th edition DGR is mandatory starting January 1, 2015.

Until now, businesses that ship paint, varnish, lacquer, enamel, stain, shellac, polish, or printing ink packaged with these products’ “related materials” — such as paint thinners or reducing compounds — have been required to designate both the product and the related materials on the Shipper’s Declaration. To do this, shippers use two different Proper Shipping Names from the following list:

  • paint;
  • paint, corrosive, flammable;
  • paint, flammable, corrosive;
  • paint related material;
  • paint related material, corrosive, flammable;
  • paint related material, flammable, corrosive;
  • printing ink; and
  • printing ink related materials.

On August 25, the U.S. DOT’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) proposed its own new Special Provision (367) to harmonize its naming requirements for paint, printer ink and “related materials” with the international rules. If and when the rule change is finalized, the new DOT standards will apply to all ground shipments.

To help hazmat shippers comply with the new IATA rules when they go into effect, Lion is offering the 56th edition DGR for pre-order. Shippers who pre-order the new regulation manual before October 15 benefit from free shipping within the United States. Shippers can pre-order the new DGR by calling 888/546.6511 or order online at http://www.lion.com/Services/Bookstore/IATA-Dangerous-Goods-Regulations-Pre-Sale.