USPS PUBLICATION 52 UPDATE!

HAZMAT POSTAL REGULATIONS

Due to an increased use of hazardous materials, specifically the use of lithium metal and lithium ion batteries, along with other materials, the United States Postal Service (USPS) is revising Publication 52 to include the following updates:

• 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 important to note; the Interim Final Rule takes effect immediately (June 6, 2022) and has an open comment date of July 6, 2022.

USPS hope to accomplish to major goals with these revisions. To improve visibility and improve separation integrity. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Pipeline Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) both note a significant number of incidents involving lithium battery incidents between January 23, 2006 and May 1, 2022.

For a complete look into everything in the Interim Final Rule, you can check it out HERE. In the meantime, if you’re looking for lithium battery training, make sure to check out our complete catalog of lithium battery offerings to keep you compliant.

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