Transport of Hazardous Samples

In view of current legislation on the transportation of dangerous samples, as covered by Chemicals (Hazard Information and Packing for Supply) Regulations 1994, The Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations 2004 and The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health 1999, if  sending toxic or hazardous materials to RSSL for analysis, please could the following procedures be observed:

1. The outer and inner packaging should clearly state that the contents of the package are hazardous and should also indicate the nature of the hazard (e.g. toxic, corrosive, flammable, etc).  As well as informing the recipient of the package that it requires special treatment, it is also a legal requirement that the carrier of the goods knows the nature of any hazard in the event of an accident or spillage during transportation.
2. The outer packaging should contain the name of the designated person for whom the samples are intended or, if not known, the department (e.g. Pharmaceutical) in order to minimize any unnecessary contact with the samples.
3. The samples should be accompanied by a material safety data sheet (MSDS) or, if no information of this type exists for the material, instructions that as the toxicological properties of the material are unknown, the material should be treated as toxic in the absence of evidence to the contrary.  This information should be accessible within the package before the samples are opened.

The packaging of the samples themselves should be appropriate to the nature of any hazard.  Glass should be avoided if possible, and vials should be packaged within sealed bags to minimise any risk of contamination.