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DOT - U.S. Department of Transportation

Definition

The U.S. Department of Transportation, DOT, began in April 1967. Their mission is to "serve the United States by ensuring a fast, safe, efficient, accessible and convenient transportation system that meets our vital national interests and enhances the quality of life of the American people, today and into the future."

DOT's web site is https://www.transportation.gov.

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Additional Information

DOT has eleven operating divisions, many of which deal with labeling, classification and handling of hazardous materials. These agencies include:

Books Available

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SDS Relevance

Many of DOT's regulations parallel or further define OSHA regulations regarding health and safety in the workplace. A terrific summary of these is available from DOT on their web page titled How to Comply With Federal Hazardous Materials Regulations. This document is a must-read for anyone who is shipping or transporting hazardous materials.

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DOT's Hazardous Materials Regulations apply to the following (see: 49 CFR 171.1(a)):

The 2012 revision of 29 CFR 1910.1200, the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) was designed to align US SDS regulations with the Globally Harmonized Standard (GHS) system. As a result, Safety Data Sheets must follow a standard 16-section format, of which section 14 covers transport information. However, because OSHA does not have jurisdiction over US transport regulations, this section is non-mandatory in the US (but may apply in other countries). If present, Section 14 will contain the following information:

  1. UN number
  2. UN proper shipping name
  3. Transport hazard class(es)
  4. Packing group, if applicable;
  5. Environmental hazards (e.g., Marine pollutant (Yes/No))
  6. Transport in bulk (according to Annex II of MARPOL 73/78 and the IBC Code)
  7. Special precautions which a user needs to be aware of, or needs to comply with, in connection with transport or conveyance either within or outside their premises.

Further Reading

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See also: OSHA, UN and NA numbers.

Additional definitions from Google and OneLook.