Shipping hazardous materials is regulated by various entities including the Department of Transportation (DOT), the International Air Transport Association (IATA), and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Among these regulated hazardous materials includes various biological hazards and many chemicals used to refrigerate and preserve biological specimens (ex: dry ice). The penalties for failing to ship properly include fines for Tech and yourself, as well as possible criminal charges. To ensure that those regulations are adhered to, EHS Biosafety ships these items for you! If you need to ship a non-biologically related chemical, please see the Laboratory & Chemical Safety Office's shipping page.
There are 4 steps in the shipping process:
- Take the online Shipment of Dangerous Goods Training every 2 years.
- Go to https://training.osp.gatech.edu/ and log in.
- Select "Classes By Title" on the left.
- Scroll down and select "Shipment of Dangerous Goods" (it will open in a new tab).
- In the new tab, click "Shipment of Dangerous Goods".
- Click "Enroll Me".
- Take the course.
- Take the final test.
- Prepare your documents (detailed below).
- Indicate how you plan to drop off your material for shipment with EHS by submitting this webform. In order for us to make appropriate arrangements, we request 24 hours notice for domestic shipments and 48 hours notice for international shipments.
- On the day of the shipment, bring your material in secondary containment, with a sealed and secure inner container.
- Bring dry ice, if applicable, in addition to all of your completed paperwork and relevant safety information.