Shipping Dangerous Goods
Old Dominion University is legally required to to comply with the Department of Transportation (DOT) and/or the International Air Transport Association (IATA) regulations as they apply to shipping dangerous goods/hazardous materials.
Dangerous goods/hazardous materials are articles or substances which are capable of posing a risk to health, safety, property or the environment.
Examples of these Dangerous Goods/Hazardous Materials include, but are not limited to:
- Laboratory chemicals, cryogenic materials, and samples containing flammable, toxic, explosive, radioactive, oxidizer, and/or corrosive materials.
- Paints, stains, refrigerants, aerosols, medicines, pesticides, disinfectants, fuels (diesel, gasoline, ethanol, etc.).
- Equipment containing hazardous materials, such as mercury, compressed gases, batteries (wet, lithium, and dry batteries containing sodium, potassium hydroxide).
- Dry Ice.
- Infectious Material.
Penalties for non-compliance with these rules are significant and could result in fines up to $500,000.00 and jail sentences up to 5 years.
Old Dominion University's Mail Service Department cannot handle/transport hazardous materials.
Shipping Procedures
To arrange shipment of hazardous materials/items, follow the instructions below. EH&S personnel have the appropriate training to insure proper shipment.
- Individuals must submit a Dangerous Good Shipping Request Form at least 3 days in advance to allow ample time to obtain the supplies that may be needed for packaging and shipping of your material. FEDEX will be used for all DG shipments.
Note: If you will be using hazardous materials at an off-campus location, it is usually easier and less expensive to have the vendor ship the needed materials directly to the site.
- Once the proper packing has been obtained, the EH&S staff will pick-up your material for shipping, and will package, label and document the shipment in accordance with all applicable regulatory agencies. Any cost related to the packaging and shipping of the hazardous material will be the responsibility of the shipper.
