Packaging Corner: Meeting the bulk transport challenge

To ensure that bulk shipped hazardous materials are completely secure during transport, users should look for containers that have been certified as meeting the compliance requirements associated with the contents, explains Jack Smylie, national sales manager for Meese Orbitron Dunne Co.

The U.S. Hazardous Materials Transportation Act (HMTA) regulates the domestic and international transportation of dangerous goods that might harm people, living organisms, property or the environment. Materials include allergens, asphyxiants, biohazards, corrosives, flammables, toxic, pathogens, radioactive and more.

These regulations are enforced through key provisions in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). Title 49, part 173, outlines the requirements for shipments and their packages, and places the onus of mitigating hazardous material transport risks on the shipper. Enforcement of the code is partially up to the Department of Transportation (DOT), which has generally followed the United Nation’s (UN) marking system of classifying hazardous materials.

“Regulated, hazardous and materials for export require UN/DOT compliant packaging,” Smylie says. “For most companies handling hazardous materials within a closed loop, their choices are steel or plastic containers. Because their lighter weight reduces transportation costs—when compared to steel—we’ve seen a big trend in the implementation of reusable plastic bulk containers for this type of transport.”

To help shippers of hazardous materials secure the contents of their loads, the company engineered a latch-based fastening system that’s integrated into its P-291 bulk forklift container. The rotationally molded polyethylene unit includes four military-grade side release buckles, attached by nylon straps, which lock the lid onto the container. Shippers can specify more buckles if they wish.

“The buckles keep the cover securely in place, even if the container is turned upside down, to ensure that the contents don’t escape,” says Smylie. “Because the fines associated with a spill and its cleanup can be extremely costly, there’s been a lot of interest from shippers in a variety of categories.”

Among them are handlers of healthcare items and laundry, manufacturers who deal with flammable solids, and food and pharmaceutical processors handling ingredients that cannot be compromised. The containers have been third-party certified as meeting the UN/DOT standards, Smylie added, noting that information is permanently molded on the side of each unit to help users maintain compliance with the regulations.

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