[Nhcoll-l] "Zip-lock" food storage bags

Mon Feb 26 14:10:40 EST 2018

In my experience, it appears that not all (including some "major") museums are adequately informed of  protocol for shipping specimens in ethanol or do not train staff who are responsible for packing and shipping loans.  How to deal with museums that do not follow protocol?...not sure.  I tried, with this recent transaction (including info on shipping endangered species since that was also an issue), but to no avail.  They also used brown paper wrapping on one box---not taped down very well so it was torn off but luckily the address label remained attached.

The other trend I have been observing in the last 15 years is to make the loan recipient at the museum (research affiliate,  grad student, etc.) responsible for unpacking and packing the specimens they borrow, which often leaves many things lacking, like proper packaging, labeling, invoicing, care of the collections, etc.

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Alexandra M Snyder, Collections Manager-Fishes
Museum of Southwestern Biology MSC03-2020
University of New Mexico Albuquerque NM 87131
PH./FAX 505.277.6005     amsnyder at unm.edu

PHYSICAL ADDRESS FOR FEDEX/UPS
Bldg.83  Room 204
302 Yale Blvd NE

________________________________
From: nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu <nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu> on behalf of Dirk Neumann <dirk.neumann at zsm.mwn.de>
Sent: Monday, February 26, 2018 9:56:15 AM
To: nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
Subject: Re: [Nhcoll-l] "Zip-lock" food storage bags

Dear all,

packing alcohol specimens in zip-lock or otherwise "knotted" or whirled bags qualifies your shipment as hazardous material and as air dangerous regulated goods. You need to proof that your packing is leak-proof and may offer such bagged materials for transportation, if your are either 1) IATA certified shipper or 2) ship such bagged materials through certified handling agents.

If not, this is simply forbidden (and will be heavily fined - IATA fines usually start in the low 1,000 U$ - and these are personal fines, which cannot be covered from insurances etc.).

If you ship alcohol material under IATA special provision A180, HEAT SEALING is a must.

All those knotting bagging or otherwise whirling up bags put the exception with ICOA / IATA at risk, that was reached after long negotiation; A180 can simply be revoked if non-compliance is observed.

All the best
Dirk

Am 26.02.2018 um 17:30 schrieb Alexandra Snyder:

This morning, once again, I am unpacking a leaking box of specimens, a loan return.   I would like to make a special appeal that fluid preserved specimens NOT be shipped in zip-lock food storage bags---at all---but if they are used, zip-lock bags should NOT be used as an "outside bag"---i.e., the bag that must hold fluid if the first bags leak.  Not sure if they still do this, but carriers like USPS, UPS or FedEx used claim that they would discard packages if the package was leaking fluid.

A zip-lock can be used as a first bag, to hold specimens wrapped in cheesecloth or toweling,  but the outer bag that holds the individual collections should be a 4-mil plastic bag with a sealed top.  A sealed top can be accomplished using a heat sealer to seal top (no folds or wrinkles) and testing that seal by pressing on the bag and checking for air escape.  If a heat sealer is not available, the top can be tightly twisted, folded over and tied off with string (not rubber bands.)  I  have successfully used this twist top seal on bags of specimens fixing in formalin and transported out of the field.  Attached is a pdf demonstrating the seal.

*************************************
Alexandra M Snyder, Collections Manager-Fishes
Museum of Southwestern Biology MSC03-2020
University of New Mexico Albuquerque NM 87131
PH./FAX 505.277.6005     amsnyder at unm.edu<mailto:amsnyder at unm.edu>

PHYSICAL ADDRESS FOR FEDEX/UPS
Bldg.83  Room 204
302 Yale Blvd NE

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