Shipping Hazardous Materials

Shipped and transported hazardous materials such as biological specimens, infectious agents, and other dangerous goods including dry ice are regulated by governmental and non-governmental, consensus development organizations. Penalties for non-compliance with the rules are significant and could results in the following fines:

  • Up to $250,000 and up to a year jail sentence for individuals.
  • Up to $500,000 per incident for organizations.

Several agencies regulate the shipment and transport of hazardous materials including

Hazardous goods must always be transported according to the appropriate regulations. IATA regulations are commonly encountered since they regulate materials transported by air and are generally the most restrictive. For these reasons, this form pays special attention to IATA protocols; however, the DOT standards often reflect those of IATA and also pertain to ground transportation of your materials.

Training Requirements

Federal rules require that anyone wishing to ship biological materials or dry ice must first have shipping training. If you intend to package biological material or dry ice for shipment, you must complete a special training module, and provide documentation of training to the UR Biosafety Committee. Alternatively, there are trained members of our community (Gottwald Stockroom Manager and Biosafety Officer) that can perform the shipping for you (preferred method). Training of the Gottwald Stockroom Manager and Biosafety Officer includes:

  1. IATA Training course, renewed every 2 years.
  2. DOT Training course, renewed every 3 years.
  3. Stericycle Training module, renewed every year.

If you are not trained as described above, you must contact the Gottwald Stockroom Manager or Biosafety Officer to perform the shipping procedures for you. Please fill out the Shipping Hazardous Materials form in order to best facilitate the shipping process.