Hi Aurora,
Thanks for this info. Just curious, what is the reason for certification? Is their special packaging training needed? Documentation? Or is this another way for the government to make money? Sounds like its a bs cert because ammo can be shipped without this hazmat cert.
Not that I will act upon an answer either way here but, can a receiver of shipped primers be held responsible as well?
Loaded ammunition cartridges can be shipped under the ORM-D exception; it does not require a cert. Lots of stuff falls under ORM-D, like perfume, solder, lighters, etc. It's stuff that's not that dangerous, but need to be cared for appropriately.
The reason for certifications started a very long time ago with, believe it or not, wet cotton. It was the very first regulated material. Since they've added a lot of stuff. I'd say the main reasoning behind regulated materials is safety and segregation of materials. For example, you don't want potassium next to water in a drum. Potassium is flammable when wet, so don't put them next to each other. Dry Ice releases carbon dioxide, so if it's in the cargo hold of a passenger airliner, and there also happens to be a dog in cargo, then the pilots need to know to pump extra oxygen into the hold.
Companies want you to have certs with them because of how their insurance works. That's really the best answer I can give. DOT/FAA say you need some type of training (which is outlined, mostly.) UPS/FedEx say you must take their class before shipping HazMat. Also, UPS/FedEx have variations from the law. Like UPS will not carry oxidizers on aircraft. They are allowed to carry that stuff, but after that fire a while back, they decided not to.
Yes, there is special packaging for just about everything. Mainly fiberboard (cardboard) boxes have to with stand certain amount of stress. Then, the more dangerous the material, the stronger the box has to be. The law spells out exactly what is allowed for each dangerous good. However, or ORM-D shipments, you just need a sturdy box. Example, I got a spam can of 7.62x54R from AIM Surplus and all my box had was the ORM-D sticker.
Shipping papers are required to stay with package, and a manifest of dangerous good is required to go to the pilot/driver. So, if anything happens, the driver knows not to jack with it. Also, there is a description of what's in the box, and a number to call if something happens. The people on that phone number can tell the first responders how to deal with the situation properly and suggest further cleanup measures.
Is it BS? Maybe, but I don't think so. The .gov doesn't make any money off of it as far as I can tell (except for fines.) The HazMat fee is paid to the carrier because of the extra work and handling involved with shipping dangerous goods. The reason this stuff came about was because people died via carelessness in the shipping chain.
Can you receive a bad shipment? I wouldn't try it. There is a clause in the law saying if you knowingly partake in the action, then you can actually serve jail time. It may only apply to the person who offered the commodities for shipping, but I would strongly advise against buying something that you know will break the law.
