Many times when classifying a hazardous material for transportation a shipper may rely upon Section 14 of the Safety Data Sheet (SDS), (formerly the Material Safety Data Sheet  or MSDS), for classification information.  After all, it’s entitled “Transport Information” and frequently contains classification information pertaining to all transportation regulatory agencies:

• The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) within the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT).
• The International Air Transport Association (IATA).
• The International Maritime Organization (IMO).

But is it correct?  Can you rely on the information it contains for your HazMat classification?  The answer:  maybe. (more…)