[NHCOLL-L:2305] RE: juice box

[Simmons, John E]

Greg,

This was a hot topic of conversation at the ASIH meeting in Norman, OK,
and was discussed at some length during the ASIH Collections Committee
session.  The short version is, the efforts at compliance range from the
low end (people who are doing nothing at all to comply) to those who are
following all the steps in training and packing.  No two institutions
seem to be doing things exactly the same, although most have made some
attempt to comply with the rules.  The bottom line is that there are
regulations on the books for packing and shipping alcohol preserved
specimens.  If you do not follow the regulations, you will at risk for
heavy fines if you are caught.  For example, we were told that failing
to properly label a package results in an automatic five violations with
a minimum fine of $18,000 (all this before the fines are levied for what
was in the package you failed to properly label).

 

Here at KU, one of the people from our university office of
Environmental Health and Safety is qualified as a trainer.  He held a
training session last fall for the collection managers and curatorial
assistants.  Each person who completed the three-hour session received a
letter stating that she or he is certified for DOT Hazardous Materials
Regulations Training.  Working with the EHS office, we have developed a
list of written instructions for packing specimens.  Each package must
be approved and signed off on by someone who is certified.  Our shipping
costs have increased considerably at every stage-packing, labeling,
shipping, and documentation, but at least we are now in compliance.
>From what I learned at ASIH, several institutions are doing the same
thing we are doing at KU.

 

There is still a lot of disagreement about how the rules are
interpreted, and which rules apply when.  I think what is more important
than quibbling over how the rules should be interpreted is that each
institution should make a good-faith effort to comply with the
regulations.

 

--John

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Gregory Watkins-Colwell [mailto:gregory.watkins-colwell at yale.edu] 
Sent: Thursday, June 10, 2004 5:52 AM
To: nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu
Subject: [NHCOLL-L:2303] juice box

 

I was wondering how folks are dealing with the issue of shipping
hazardous goods, such as ethanol, these days.  I haven't heard much from
this list about it lately and now that I have loans due, I'm thinking
about it again.

Who of us has done the special training so far?

Thanks,
greg




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*       Gregory J. Watkins-Colwell                      *
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