Interpretation Response #10-0140 ([Horizon Lines, LLC] [Mr. Cliff Bartley])
Below is the interpretation response detail and a list of regulations sections applicable to this response.
Interpretation Response Details
Response Publish Date:
Company Name: Horizon Lines, LLC
Individual Name: Mr. Cliff Bartley
Location State: FL Country: US
View the Interpretation Document
Response text:
August 11, 2010
Mr. Cliff Bartley
Horizon Lines, LLC
Blount Island
5800-1 William Mills Street
Jacksonville, FL 32226
Ref. No.: 10-0140
Dear Mr. Bartley:
This responds to your June 30, 2010 letter requesting clarification of the requirements in the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) applicable to shipping papers. Specifically, you ask if the shipping description for a hazardous material on a shipping paper may be hand-written in cursive writing. You provided an example of a basic description hand-written in cursive.
The HMR require the shipping description on a shipping paper to be legible and printed (manually or mechanically) in English (see § 172.201). There is no restriction on the use of cursive handwriting when creating a shipping paper, as long as the text is legible and meets the requirements of § 172.201. Please note that the legibility of handwritten basic descriptions can vary significantly due to human factors. As a result, some written descriptions may not satisfy the legibility requirements of the HMR. Therefore, we recommend that shipping descriptions are printed mechanically, whenever possible, to avoid unnecessary delays or compliance issues.
I hope this answers your inquiry. If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact this office.
Sincerely,
Ben Supko
Acting Chief, Standards Development
Office of Hazardous Materials Standards
172.201
Regulation Sections
| Section | Subject |
|---|---|
| 172.201 | Preparation and retention of shipping papers |