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GUIDE TO SHIPPING WITH DRY
ICE
University of California San Francisco
Office of Environmental Health and Safety
This guide has been adapted from University
of New Hampshire - Office of Environmental Health and Safety; our
appreciation to Andy Glode for providing us with this reference
material upon which we created the UCSF Guide to Shipping with
Dry Ice
November 1, 2005
Table of Contents
Top of page I.
Introduction
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the
International Air Transport Association (IATA) regulate shipments
of dry ice because it is a hazardous material. As a result, specific procedures
must be followed when packaging and shipping materials refrigerated
with
dry ice and a record of training must be kept.
Follow procedures outlined in this guide when your shipment
includes no hazardous materials other than dry ice. If you are not sure
if the material you are sending is considered hazardous, contact OEH&S
at 476-1300. When shipping hazardous biological materials, refer to the UCSF
Shipment of Biological Materials Manual. When shipping any other hazardous
materials, refer to the UCSF Shipment of Hazardous Materials Manual.
Packages refrigerated with dry ice are normally shipped
by air in order to reach their destinations rapidly. Therefore, information
in this guide pertains to air shipments of dry ice only. If you intend
to ship your package by other means such as ground, freight, vessel, etc.,
contact OEH&S to discuss applicability of shipping regulations.
Top of page
II. Training Requirements
Federal rules require that anyone wishing to ship dry
ice must first have shipping training. OEH&S offers appropriate training
online which may be accessed through the OEH&S webpage. If you are
going to package dry ice for shipment or sign any type of shipping documentation
(such as a FedEx Airbill) for a dry ice shipment, you must take and pass
this training beforehand.
PLEASE NOTE: Shipping regulations change frequently,
so it is necessary to renew your certification every two years.
Top of page III.
Hazard Identification
Dry ice is classified by DOT and IATA as a “miscellaneous” hazard,
class 9. Dry ice is considered hazardous during transportation for three
reasons:
- Explosion hazard: dry ice
releases a large volume of carbon dioxide gas as it sublimates.
If packaged in a container that does not allow for release of
the gas, it may explode, causing personal injury or property
damage.
- Suffocation hazard: a large
volume of carbon dioxide gas emitted in a confined space may
create an oxygen deficient atmosphere.
- Contact hazard: dry ice
is a cryogenic material that causes severe frostbite upon contact
with skin.
Packaging dry ice properly will minimize the risk to
personnel transporting the material. The explosion hazard will be eliminated
with a package designed to vent gaseous carbon dioxide. Suffocation and
contact hazards will be greatly reduced by labeling the package correctly,
so those who come in contact with it will be aware of the contents.
Top of page
IV. Packaging Dry Ice
A. Requirements
There are five basic requirements for shipments of dry
ice:
- Gas venting: packages must
allow for release of carbon dioxide gas. Dry ice must never
be sealed in a container with an airtight seal such as a jar
with a threaded lid or a plastic cooler.
- Package integrity: a package
containing dry ice must be of adequate strength for intended
use. It must be strong enough to withstand the loading and unloading
normally encountered in transport. It must also be constructed
and closed in order to prevent any loss of contents that might
be caused by vibration or by changes in temperature, humidity,
or altitude.
- Package materials: do not
use plastics that can be rendered brittle or permeable by the
temperature of dry ice. This problem can be avoided by using
commercially available packages intended to contain dry ice,
see Appendix A,
Manufacturers of Dry Ice Shipping Containers.
- Airbill: the airbill (also
referred to as the air waybill) must include the statement “Dry
ice, 9, UN1845, number of packages X net weight
in kilograms”. FedEx has a check box on their airbill
to satisfy this requirement; see Figure
2. Airborne Express requires a slightly different format;
see Figure 3. Check with your
courier to make sure you have made the proper notation on their
paperwork.
- Labeling: the outermost
container must be labeled with a hazard class 9 label, UN 1845,
and net weight of dry ice in kilograms. See Figure
1.
A printable version is included in Appendix
B. The label should be affixed to a vertical side of the box (not the
top or bottom) and oriented as in Figure 1. The maximum allowable net quantity
of dry ice allowed per package is 200kg.
Figure
1: Dry ice label
Click
for printable PDF
Top of page
Figure
2: FedEx Airbill. Highlighted area properly
documents 1 box containing 6 kg of dry ice.
Figure
3: Airborne Express Airbill. Highlighted area shows
format required for 1 box containing 5 kg of dry ice.
Top of page
B. Recommendations
Note the following recommendations
when packaging and labeling dry ice shipments:
- Do not write “specimens” or “diagnostic
specimens” on the box. Diagnostic specimens are subject
to specific packaging requirements and there should not be any
misunderstanding about your shipment. Diagnostic specimens,
in shipping terminology, are materials that may be infectious
to humans or animals. If you think your samples might be infectious,
refer to the UCSF Shipment
of Biological Materials Manual.
- Reusing a dry ice box is a good use of resources.
If you choose to reuse a box, completely obliterate all unnecessary
marking such as hazard labels, addresses, FedEx (or other courier)
labels and barcodes. Use caution if reusing a box that has been
used to ship infectious material or diagnostic specimens. Only
reuse a box if you can personally verify it is not contaminated
and its integrity is intact. A box should not be reused if it
is torn, cut, stained, or if the insulation is cracked or broken.
- Secure your samples in such a way that when
the dry ice sublimates, they will not move freely inside of
the insulated box. This can be accomplished by wedging your
samples in place with cardboard or styrofoam. Fragile containers
such as glass tubes or vials should be wrapped with cushioning
material.
- Minimize the volume of air to which the dry
ice is exposed in order to slow the rate of sublimation. If
there is any air space after you fill your package with dry
ice, fill it with packing peanuts or other material to reduce
the volume of air space.
- Shipments are generally recommended to contain
5-10 pounds (2.27-4.54 kg) of dry ice per 24 hours. Refer to
your package manufacturer’s recommendations. Make arrangements
with your consignee to make sure your package will be received
on its intended delivery date. Take into account local holidays
or closings that might delay package receipt.
- Dry ice shipments can be made with FedEx
and DHL. UPS and the U.S. Postal Service have extremely restrictive
policies concerning shipments of hazardous materials; do not
ship dry ice with UPS or the U.S. Postal Service.
Top of page
Appendix A
Manufacturers of Dry Ice Shipping Containers
Air Sea Atlanta
1234 Logan Circle
Atlanta, GA 30318
(880) 351-8600
http://www.airseaatlanta.com
All-Pak, Inc.
Corporate One West
1195 Washington Pike
Bridgeville, PA 15017
(800) 245-2283
http://www.all-pak.com
CARGOpak Corporation
3215-A Wellington Court
Raleigh, NC 27615
(800) 266-0652
http://www.cargopak.com
DG Supplies, Inc.
5 Boxal Drive
Cranbury, NJ 08512
(800) 347-7879
http://www.dgsupplies.com
HAZMATPAC, Inc.
5301 Polk St., Bldg. 18
Houston, TX 77023
(800) 923-9123
http://www.hazmatpac.com
Inmark, Inc.
220 Fisk Drive S.W.
Atlanta, GA 30336-0309
(800) 646-6275
http://www.inmarkinc.com
Polyfoam Packers Corporation
2320 S. Foster Avenue
Wheeling, IL 60090
(888) 765-9362
http://www.polyfoam.com
SAF-T-PAK, Inc.
10807-182 Street, Edmonton
Alberta, Canada, T5S 1J5
(800) 814-7484
http://www.saftpak.com
Source Packaging of New England, Inc.
405 Kilvert Street
Warwick, RI 02886
(800) 200-0366
http://www.sourcepak.com
Top of page
Appendix B
Dry Ice Shipping Label
The label below should print with the proper dimensions
of a class 9 hazard label (minimum dimensions: 100 mm on a side).
Cut around the outside border of the label and affix
it a vertical side of the box (not the top or bottom), oriented as shown
below.
Many printer inks run when exposed to even small amounts
of water, such as rain or snow. Therefore, when using this label, cover
with clear plastic tape after filling in the weight of dry ice.
Click
for printable PDF
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