What does 49 CFR 177.848 (Segregation of hazardous materials) require?

Short answer

49 CFR 177.848 requires segregation of hazardous materials to prevent dangerous reactions, fires, explosions, toxic gas releases, and other catastrophic events during loading, transport, and storage. The regulation applies to materials that meet one or more of the hazard classes defined in the subchapter and are in packages that must be labeled or placarded. Four things are key: the type of hazardous material, the packaging, the mode of transportation, and the segregation table.

The rule says

"Hazardous materials must be stored, loaded or transported in accordance with the following table and other provisions of this section" (49 CFR 177.848(d))

"Cyanides, cyanide mixtures or solutions may not be stored, loaded and transported with acids if a mixture of the materials would generate hydrogen cyanide" (49 CFR 177.848(c))

"Division 4.2 materials may not be stored, loaded and transported with Class 8 liquids" (49 CFR 177.848(c))

"Division 6.1 Packing Group I, Hazard Zone A material may not be stored, loaded and transported with Class 3 material, Class 8 liquids, and Division 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 5.1 or 5.2 materials." (49 CFR 177.848(c))

In plain English

The regulation requires segregation of hazardous materials to prevent accidents during transportation. The segregation table in 49 CFR 177.848(d) provides specific guidance on which materials can be stored, loaded, and transported together. For example, cyanides and acids cannot be mixed because they can generate hydrogen cyanide, a toxic gas. Similarly, Division 4.2 materials and Class 8 liquids are incompatible and cannot be transported together. The regulation also requires consideration of the packaging and mode of transportation when determining segregation requirements.

What to do

• Verify the hazard class and packaging of the materials being transported
• Consult the segregation table in 49 CFR 177.848(d) to determine compatibility
• Ensure that incompatible materials are separated during loading, transport, and storage
• Consider the mode of transportation and any specific requirements for segregation