UPDATE: USPS Publication 52 Finalized

The Final Rule

If you have been following this Final Rule, you may remember back in June 2022, the Interim Final Rule was revised and published to include the following:

• Separate, into identifiable containers, all hazardous materials (HAZMAT) requiring hazardous marks or labels from other mail when tendering to the Postal Service.
• Adopting new standard operating procedures (SOP) for the acceptance, dispatch, and mail processing personnel to maintain the integrity of HAZMAT separation.
• Require pre-owned, damaged, or defective electronic devices containing or packed with lithium batteries to be mailed only via surface transportation and to bear specified markings.

It is the hopes of the Unites States Postal Service (USPS) to improve visibility and separation integrity through these new restrictions. As stated in previous updates, due to the increased use of lithium batteries within all industries, both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) have seen a significant number of incidents involving lithium batteries, making these changes paramount for safe transportation of hazardous materials.

This Final Rule was published in the Federal Register on November 30, 2022 and has been in effect since December 1, 2022. 

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