Ask X3What does 49 CFR 178.609 (Test requirements for packagings for infectious substances) require?
Generated guidance. Confirm the source and its applicability before you act. How we check sources.
According to 49 CFR 178.609, samples of each infectious substance packaging must first be properly prepared (such as replacing liquid or solid infectious substances with water, filling primary receptacles to 98 percent capacity, and using appropriate dummies for live animals). Once prepared, the packaging samples must be subjected to a series of specific performance tests depending on their material characteristics.
As a motor-carrier owner, you should ensure these packagings undergo the following practical test requirements outlined in the regulation:
* Free-Fall Drop Tests: Samples are dropped from a height of 9 meters (30 feet) onto a rigid, nonresilient, flat, horizontal surface in various required orientations (such as flat on the base, top, or sides, and on a corner, or diagonally on edges depending on whether the packaging is a box, drum, or jerrican). Following the drops, there must be no leakage from the primary receptacle(s), which must remain protected by absorbent material in the secondary packaging.
* Water Spray Test (when applicable): Samples are subjected to a water spray simulating rainfall of approximately 50 mm (2 inches) per hour for at least one hour, immediately followed by the 9-meter drop test.
* Low-Temperature Conditioning Test (when applicable): Samples are conditioned in an atmosphere of −18 °C (0 °F) or less for at least 24 hours (or 4 hours if the sample contains dry ice) and subjected to the 9-meter drop test within 15 minutes of removal.
* Additional Dry Ice Drop Test: If the packaging contains dry ice, an extra drop test must be performed on one sample in the orientation most likely to cause failure, after allowing all the dry ice to dissipate.
* Impact/Puncture Tests: Depending on the gross mass of the packaging, it must undergo a 1-meter (3-foot) drop test involving a cylindrical steel rod (weighing at least 7 kg for packagings 15 lbs or less, or dropped onto a vertical steel rod fixed in a hard surface for heavier packagings) aimed to impact the primary receptacle(s). For a successful test, there must be no leakage from the primary receptacle(s) after each impact.