§172.504. General placarding requirements. — Inbound Citations

For the purposes of this part, the following definitions apply:

(2) The identification number is displayed on the placard, orange panel or white square-on-point configuration authorized by § 172.332 or § 172.336(b), as appropriate, and any placard used for display of the identification number corresponds to the hazard class of the material specified in § 172.504;

(a) Each transport vehicle, freight container, portable tank, unit load device, or rail car that contains a poisonous material subject to the “Poison Inhalation Hazard” shipping description of § 172.203(m) must be placarded with a POISON INHALATION HAZARD or POISON GAS placard, as appropriate, on each side and each end, in addition to any other placard required for that material in § 172.504. Duplication of the POISON INHALATION HAZARD or POISON GAS placard is not required.

(a) Each person who offers for transportation, and each person who loads and transports, a hazardous material in a freight container or aircraft unit load device having a capacity of 640 cubic feet or more shall affix to the freight container or aircraft unit load device the placards specified for the material in accordance with § 172.504. However:

(1) The placarding exception provided in § 172.504(c) applies to motor vehicles transporting freight containers and aircraft unit load devices,

(2) The placarding exception provided in § 172.504(c) applies to each freight container and aircraft unit load device being transported for delivery to a consignee immediately following an air or water shipment, and,

(3) Placarding is not required on a freight container or aircraft unit load device if it is only transported by air and is identified as containing a hazardous material in the manner provided in part 7, chapter 2, section 2.8, of the ICAO Technical Instructions (IBR, see § 171.7 of this subchapter).

(a) Except as provided in paragraphs (c) and (d) of this section, each person who offers for transportation a bulk packaging which contains a hazardous material, shall affix the placards specified for the material in §§ 172.504 and 172.505.

(c) A non-bulk packaging containing only the residue of a hazardous material covered by Table 2 of § 172.504 of this subchapter that is not a material poisonous by inhalation or its residue shipped under the subsidiary placarding provisions of § 172.505—

(1) Does not have to be included in determining the applicability of the placarding requirements of subpart F of part 172 of this subchapter; and

(2) Is not subject to the shipping paper requirements of this subchapter when collected and transported by a contract or private carrier for reconditioning, remanufacture or reuse.

(b) For each rail car containing an amount of hazardous material requiring placarding in accordance with § 172.504 of this subchapter, the carrier must visually inspect the rail car at ground level for signs of tampering, including closures and seals, for suspicious items or items that do not belong, and for other signs that the security of the car may have been compromised, including the presence of an improvised explosive device. As used in this section, an improvised explosive device is a device fabricated in an improvised manner incorporating explosives or destructive, lethal, noxious, pyrotechnic, or incendiary chemicals in its design, and generally includes a power supply, a switch or timer, and a detonator or initiator. The carrier should be particularly attentive to signs that security may have been compromised on rail cars transporting materials covered by § 172.820 of this subchapter, rail carload quantities of ammonium nitrate or ammonium nitrate mixtures in solid form, or hazardous materials of interest based on current threat information.

(4) Placarded car shall mean a railroad car required to be placarded by the Department of Transportation hazardous materials regulations (49 CFR 172.504).

(2) Is solely within a place under the jurisdiction of a State or Indian tribe but which affects trade, traffic, or transportation described in paragraph (1) of this definition.

FMCSA. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, an agency within the Department of Transportation.

Hazardous material. A substance or material, including a hazardous substance, which has been determined by the Secretary of Transportation to be capable of posing an unreasonable risk to health, safety, or property when transported in commerce, and which has been so designated.

Indian tribe. Has the same meaning as contained in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Act, 25 U.S.C. 450b.

Motor carrier. A for-hire motor carrier or a private motor carrier of property. The term includes a motor carrier's agents, officers and representatives as well as employees responsible for hiring, supervising, training, assigning, or dispatching of drivers.

Motor vehicle. Any vehicle, machine, tractor, trailer, or semitrailer propelled or drawn by mechanical power and used upon the highways in the transportation of passengers or property, or any combination thereof.

NRHM. A non-radioactive hazardous material transported by motor vehicle in types and quantities which require placarding, pursuant to Table 1 or 2 of 49 CFR 172.504.

Political subdivision. A municipality, public agency or other instrumentality of one or more States, or a public corporation, board, or commission established under the laws of one or more States.

Radioactive material. As defined in 49 CFR 173.403, radioactive material means any material containing radionuclides where both the activity concentration and the total activity in the consignment exceed the values of the table in 49 CFR 173.436 or values derived according to the instructions in 49 CFR 173.433.

Routing agency. The State highway agency or other State agency designated by the Governor of that State, or an agency designated by an Indian tribe, to supervise, coordinate, and approve the NRHM routing designations for that State or Indian tribe.

Routing designations. Any regulation, limitation, restriction, curfew, time of travel restriction, lane restriction, routing ban, port-of-entry designation, or route weight restriction, applicable to the highway transportation of NRHM over a specific highway route or portion of a route.

Secretary. The Secretary of Transportation.

State. A State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa or Guam.

(1) The placarding exception provided in § 172.504(c) applies to motor vehicles transporting freight containers and aircraft unit load devices,

(5) A label or placard that conforms to the UN Recommendations (IBR, see § 171.7) specifications for a “Division 2.3” or “Division 6.1” label or placard may be substituted for the POISON GAS or POISON INHALATION HAZARD label or placard required by §§ 172.400(a) and 172.504(e) of this subchapter on a package transported in a closed transport vehicle or freight container. The transport vehicle or freight container must be marked with identification numbers for the material, regardless of the total quantity contained in the transport vehicle or freight container, in the manner specified in § 172.313(c) of this subchapter and placarded as required by subpart F of this subchapter.

(5) The category of the Class 7 label of the overpack, and not that of any of the packages contained therein, must be used in accordance with Table 1 of § 172.504(e) to determine when the transport vehicle must be placarded.

(b) In addition to the RADIOACTIVE placard which may be required by § 172.504(e), each transport vehicle, portable tank or freight container that contains 454 kg (1,001 pounds) or more gross weight of non-fissile, fissile-excepted, or fissile uranium hexafluoride must be placarded with a CORROSIVE placard and a POISON placard on each side and each end.

(g) For shipments of Class 1 (explosive materials) by aircraft or vessel, the applicable compatibility group letter must be displayed on the placards, or labels when applicable, required by this section. When more than one compatibility group placard is required for Class 1 materials, only one placard is required to be displayed, as provided in paragraphs (g)(1) through (g)(4) of this section. For the purposes of paragraphs (g)(1) through (g)(4), there is a distinction between the phrases explosive articles and explosive substances. Explosive article means an article containing an explosive substance; examples include a detonator, flare, primer or fuse. Explosive substance means a substance contained in a packaging that is not contained in an article; examples include black powder and smokeless powder.

(1) Explosive articles of compatibility groups C, D or E may be placarded displaying compatibility group E.

(2) Explosive articles of compatibility groups C, D, or E, when transported with those in compatibility group N, may be placarded displaying compatibility group D.

(3) Explosive substances of compatibility groups C and D may be placarded displaying compatibility group D.

(4) Explosive articles of compatibility groups C, D, E or G, except for fireworks, may be placarded displaying compatibility group E.

(g) For shipments of Class 1 (explosive materials) by aircraft or vessel, the applicable compatibility group letter must be displayed on the placards, or labels when applicable, required by this section. When more than one compatibility group placard is required for Class 1 materials, only one placard is required to be displayed, as provided in paragraphs (g)(1) through (g)(4) of this section. For the purposes of paragraphs (g)(1) through (g)(4), there is a distinction between the phrases explosive articles and explosive substances. Explosive article means an article containing an explosive substance; examples include a detonator, flare, primer or fuse. Explosive substance means a substance contained in a packaging that is not contained in an article; examples include black powder and smokeless powder.

(1) Explosive articles of compatibility groups C, D or E may be placarded displaying compatibility group E.

(2) Explosive articles of compatibility groups C, D, or E, when transported with those in compatibility group N, may be placarded displaying compatibility group D.

(3) Explosive substances of compatibility groups C and D may be placarded displaying compatibility group D.

(4) Explosive articles of compatibility groups C, D, E or G, except for fireworks, may be placarded displaying compatibility group E.

(g) For shipments of Class 1 (explosive materials) by aircraft or vessel, the applicable compatibility group letter must be displayed on the placards, or labels when applicable, required by this section. When more than one compatibility group placard is required for Class 1 materials, only one placard is required to be displayed, as provided in paragraphs (g)(1) through (g)(4) of this section. For the purposes of paragraphs (g)(1) through (g)(4), there is a distinction between the phrases explosive articles and explosive substances. Explosive article means an article containing an explosive substance; examples include a detonator, flare, primer or fuse. Explosive substance means a substance contained in a packaging that is not contained in an article; examples include black powder and smokeless powder.

(1) Explosive articles of compatibility groups C, D or E may be placarded displaying compatibility group E.

(2) Explosive articles of compatibility groups C, D, or E, when transported with those in compatibility group N, may be placarded displaying compatibility group D.

(3) Explosive substances of compatibility groups C and D may be placarded displaying compatibility group D.

(4) Explosive articles of compatibility groups C, D, E or G, except for fireworks, may be placarded displaying compatibility group E.

(g) For shipments of Class 1 (explosive materials) by aircraft or vessel, the applicable compatibility group letter must be displayed on the placards, or labels when applicable, required by this section. When more than one compatibility group placard is required for Class 1 materials, only one placard is required to be displayed, as provided in paragraphs (g)(1) through (g)(4) of this section. For the purposes of paragraphs (g)(1) through (g)(4), there is a distinction between the phrases explosive articles and explosive substances. Explosive article means an article containing an explosive substance; examples include a detonator, flare, primer or fuse. Explosive substance means a substance contained in a packaging that is not contained in an article; examples include black powder and smokeless powder.

(1) Explosive articles of compatibility groups C, D or E may be placarded displaying compatibility group E.

(2) Explosive articles of compatibility groups C, D, or E, when transported with those in compatibility group N, may be placarded displaying compatibility group D.

(3) Explosive substances of compatibility groups C and D may be placarded displaying compatibility group D.

(4) Explosive articles of compatibility groups C, D, E or G, except for fireworks, may be placarded displaying compatibility group E.