Ask X3What does 49 CFR 173.28 (Reuse, reconditioning and remanufacture of packagings) require?
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As a motor-carrier owner, you must follow these practical rules under 49 CFR 173.28 when handling used packagings:
General Reuse Requirements:
* Inspection: Before reusing any packaging, thoroughly inspect it. It must be free from incompatible residues, ruptures, or structural damage (including closures and cushioning) and meet all minimum thickness requirements.
* Integrity and Reconditioning: If a non-bulk packaging shows reduced integrity, you cannot reuse it unless it is properly reconditioned. Packagings made of paper (other than fiberboard), plastic film, or textile are strictly prohibited from reuse.
* Leakproofness Testing: Before reusing packagings subject to air leakproofness tests, you must retest them without failure using an internal air pressure of at least 48 kPa (7.0 psig) for Packing Group I, and 20 kPa (3.0 psig) for Packing Groups II and III. You must also permanently mark these tested containers with the letter “L”, your name, address or registered symbol, and the last two digits of the test year.
* Exemption from Testing: You can skip the air leakproofness test *only if* all of the following conditions are met:
* The new lading is compatible with the previous one.
* You are refilling and offering the packaging as the original filler.
* It is transported under the exclusive use of the refiller in a dedicated vehicle or freight container.
* The packaging is made of stainless steel, monel, or nickel at least 1.5 times the minimum thickness; is a plastic packaging refilled within 5 years of its original manufacture date; or has a specific Associate Administrator approval.
* Thickness Markings: Metal and plastic drums/jerricans must have their nominal or minimum thickness permanently marked (e.g., embossed) and must meet specific minimum thickness tables outlined in the regulation based on their capacity.
Reconditioning Requirements:
* Metal Drums: Reconditioning requires cleaning them down to the base material (removing all old contents, internal/external corrosion, and enough coatings/labels to spot metal defects), restoring them to their original shape (including straightening and sealing chimes), replacing all non-integral gaskets, and inspecting them to reject any with pitting, thin spots, fatigue, or damaged threads.
* Other Non-Bulk Packagings: Reconditioning requires cleaning to original materials, thorough inspection (rejecting containers with tears, cracks, or damaged closures), replacing all non-integral gaskets, closure devices, and cushioning with new or refurbished parts, and ensuring the packaging fully conforms to the regulations.
* Certification Marking: Anyone who reconditions a UN-standard packaging must apply specific reconditioning marks certifying that the packaging meets the required standard.