Commercial shipments of hazardous materials are highly regulated by the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) due to security issues and the severity of impact from releases of hazardous materials in public highly trafficked environments. Faculty, staff and students transporting or shipping regulated materials for university-related business must contact Environmental Health and Safety for assistance and required Department of Transportation training.
Contacts
- Ben Bythell, Hazardous Materials Manager, Chemical Safety Officer, (P) 541-346-0371
- Laurie Graham, Laboratory Safety Manager, Biosafety Safety Officer (P) 541-346-2864
Trainings
Only persons who have been formally trained in shipping dangerous goods are allowed to ship these materials. EHS provides training on shipping dry ice, biological materials (patient specimens, infectious agents, and recombinant or transgenic organisms), and other dangerous goods. To schedule training, or to determine if it applies to you, please review the EHS training information and registration page.
Faculty, staff and students who receive shipments of regulated materials must also receive training. Contact Environmental Health and Safety prior to performing this task.
Information and Resources
The following guidelines and resource links serve as a supplement to formal training to aid in the safe commercial shipment of hazardous materials within the scope of university operations:
Guide to Shipping with Dry Ice
Guidelines for HazMat Transportation
Transporting Hazardous Materials Quick Facts
Compliance
Regulatory oversight is crucial and penalties for noncompliance can be severe.
Shippers (those consigning dangerous goods for shipment) and Operators (those providing carriage to the dangerous goods) have specific responsibilities that must be attended to.
By air
Transportation of hazardous materials upon a person, or within baggage, on commercial aircraft is forbidden. Carefully review all TSA guidelines before travel by air.
By highway
Transportation of hazardous materials on public highways is also regulated; however, Materials of Trade (MOT) regulations minimize many of the requirements upon transportation of dangerous goods when in support of normal business operations – these apply when shipping is not the business’s core function.
Quantity and training requirements must be satisfied to maintain compliance with the MOT regulation.
On campus
Transportation of hazardous materials upon university property also falls under certain regulatory requirements, in addition to prudent best practices for ensuring the safety of faculty, staff, and students.