[NHCOLL-L:3589] IATA Training Course for posting alcohol preserved specimens

[Lisa Conyers]

Dear all,

As we all are aware there are currently significant issues with sending 
alcohol preserved material to other museums and scientists for study.  
To adhere to the Health & Safety rules you need to have a IATA 
certificate and use courier services, like Fedex, DHL and UPS.  The 
larger museums in the UK have of course addressed this already and have 
had their staff trained.   However, for many of the smaller museums in 
the UK, who only occasionally loan specimens, the cost of training may 
be prohibitive, as indeed is the case in the Oxford University Museum of 
Natural History.

I am therefore polling interest in hosting a course here in Oxford, but 
with open attendance to all in the UK for whom such a course could be 
beneficial.  The one-day course will be given by a consultancy, who has 
previously trained NHM staff and will be run on a cost basis.  The 
actual cost will depend on the number of participants, but assuming a 
minimum of ten people sign up is less than £100.

The course will cover the legislative framework, hazard classes and 
classification of museum products, types of packaging, labelling 
requirements,  and documentation needs.  Besides general induction 
training, training will be provided in Excepted Quantity Shipping 
leading to IATA approved certification for those who pass the test!  The 
certificate is valid for two years, after which we may have to run the 
course again.  Both international and within-UK shipping (ie road, sea, 
air) will be covered.

Overnight accommodation can be arranged for those who need it.  The 
course is specifically for UK participants, as within country rules may 
vary from country to country, but non-UK participants can be 
accommodated if they require the IATA certificate.

Please do get in touch with me if you think this would be beneficial to 
you, and you would like to solve the shipping of specimens issue for 
your museum. Please send replies to _sammy.degrave at oum.ox.ac.uk_

Best wishes

Sammy
Sammy De Grave
Oxford University Museum of Natural History
Parks Road
Oxford OX1 3PW
U.K.
Tel no. (+) 1865 272962; Fax no. (+) 1865 272970.
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