[NHCOLL-L:3298] Re: Shipping dangerous goods

[Randy Mercurio]

Hi Paul,
      Indeed, FedEx is expensive for shipping dangerous goods and I 
suggest avoiding them unless it is imperative to overnight the 
package. If you are shipping within the US use ground services 
through UPS, DHL or FedEx with a label on the outside of the box 
stating "This package conforms to the conditions and limitations 
specified in 49 CFR 173.4".

If you are shipping internationally, some people get around the 
overnight issue by transferring their specimens to propylene glycol 
which is NOT regulated by IATA (you will not find this compound in 
the IATA manual) so you can ship this stuff without any labels etc. 
People are also using this medium to ship DNA vouchers as the DNA can 
still be extracted from what I understand. The AMNH has not 
implemented this method yet but it may happen in the near future. 
Other institutions (I think from Australia because DG shipments are 
very expensive) simply state with a note in their packages that the 
specimens are in propylene glycol and to please replace the 
preservative with ethanol upon receipt.

Regards,
Randy

At 11:59 AM 1/23/2007, you wrote:
>Dear listers,
>
>I am seeking information concerning the most economical methods for
>shipping dangerous goods, and specifically alcohol solutions. I recently
>underwent training as a hazmat shipper, and am familiar with 49CFR, IATA
>and IMDG regulations, so that part is fine. However, I would like to
>hear from collections managers who regularly ship alcohol-preserved
>specimens both domestically and internationally, and specifically to
>find out:
>- what the most economical carriers are. FedEx, for example, is
>hideously expensive if even excepted quantities of alcohol are in a
>package;
>- what (if any) work-arounds people are employing to avoid massive
>surcharges for DG shipments;
>- which countries are known not to accept any dangerous goods
>shipments. I have heard that this is true of at least New Zealand.
>- what resources are available on the web to folks like me who want to
>keep up with developments in this field.
>
>Regards,
>
>
>
>Paul Callomon
>Collections Manager
>Malacology, Invertebrate Paleontology and General Invertebrates
>Department of Malacology
>Academy of Natural Sciences
>1900 Parkway, Philadelphia PA 19103-1195, USA
>Tel 215-405-5096
>Fax 215-299-1170
>Secretary, American Malacological Society
>On the web at www.malacological.org

Randy J. Mercurio
Scientific Assistant II
Arachnologist / Myriapodologist
Division of Invertebrate Zoology
American Museum of Natural History
Central Park West @ 79th Street
New York, N.Y. 10024-5192

Tel: (212) 769 - 5709
Fax: (212) 769 - 5277
email: mercurio at amnh.org

Scorpion Systematics Research Group: 
<http://scorpion.amnh.org>http://scorpion.amnh.org
Revisionary Systematics of the North American Scorpion Family 
Vaejovidae: <http://www.vaejovidae.com/>http://www.vaejovidae.com/
Assembling the Tree of Life: Phylogeny of Spiders: 
<http://research.amnh.org/atol/files/>http://research.amnh.org/atol/files/
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