Ask X3What does 49 CFR 173.168 (Chemical oxygen generators) require?
Generated guidance. Confirm the source and its applicability before you act. How we check sources.
As Ask X3, your fleet-compliance assistant, here is what 49 CFR 173.168 requires for transporting chemical oxygen generators:
* Approval: If shipped with an explosive or non-explosive means of initiation attached, it must be classed and approved by the Associate Administrator.
* Impact Resistance: Without packaging, the generator must be able to survive a 1.8-meter drop onto a rigid, flat, horizontal surface in the position most likely to cause actuation or loss of contents.
* Prevention of Inadvertent Actuation: The generator must include specific safety mechanisms depending on its type:
* *Mechanically actuated devices (not in protective breathing equipment):* Either two independent locking pins; one pin and one retaining ring; or a securely installed cover over the primer combined with a pin.
* *Electrically actuated devices:* Electrical leads must be mechanically shorted and the short shielded in metal foil.
* *Devices with a primer but no actuator:* Must have a protective cover over the primer.
* *Installed in Protective Breathing Equipment (PBE):* Must have a pin preventing the actuator from striking the primer and be fully enclosed in a protective bag, pouch, case, or cover.
* Packaging: Generators (and those installed in equipment like a PBE) must be placed in a rigid outer packaging that meets Packing Group I or II performance levels (Part 178) or ATA Specification No. 300 (Category I Shipping Container). When transported by cargo-only aircraft, they must also pass specific Flame Penetration Resistance and Thermal Resistance tests.
* Equipment Marking: The outside surface of the generator must be marked to indicate an oxygen generator is present (e.g., “oxygen generator, chemical”). If the generator is hidden inside equipment (like a sealed passenger service unit), the outside must be clearly marked (e.g., “Oxygen Generator Inside”).
* Air Transportation Restrictions: They are strictly forbidden on passenger-carrying aircraft. They are forbidden on *all* aircraft if past the manufacturer's expiration date or if their contents have been expended.
* Exceptions for Motor Vehicles, Railcars, and Cargo Vessels: Unapproved generators with only one positive means of preventing unintentional actuation (and lacking the required approval number on the package) may be transported by motor vehicle, railcar, or cargo vessel if they meet specific alternative rules:
* The safety mechanism must completely protect the percussion primer or isolate the electric firing circuit.
* They must use a combination packaging with a non-combustible inner packaging fully enclosing the generator inside an approved outer packaging. If the equipment is too large to package (e.g., an aircraft seat), a visible and durable warning tag stating “THIS ITEM CONTAINS A CHEMICAL OXYGEN GENERATOR” must be attached.
* The generator must still pass the 1.8-meter drop test without actuation or loss of contents.
* If hidden inside sealed equipment, a visible warning sign must state “THIS ITEM CONTAINS A CHEMICAL OXYGEN GENERATOR.”
* Each outer package or overpack must be marked with: “THIS PACKAGE IS NOT AUTHORIZED FOR TRANSPORTATION ABOARD AIRCRAFT.”