 We interrupt this program to bring you a special report. An aircraft carrying 216 passengers and crew has made an emergency landing due to smoke in the cockpit and passenger cabin. The aircraft is being evacuated and fire and rescue teams are on the scene. Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available. The National Transportation Safety Board has determined that the probable cause of the incident was a leaking package containing nitric acid in the cargo compartment. Smoke prompted the crew to request permission to make an emergency landing. The smoke was generated by a spell from a package containing hazardous material that was not properly classed, described, packaged, marked, or labeled. The shipping papers did not include the correct shipping name, hazard class, or quantity of hazardous material, and the shipper certification was not signed. The hazardous material in question is prohibited on passenger aircraft and the words cargo, aircraft only, were not entered after the basic description on the shipping paper. The hazardous material was in a packaging unsuitable for air transportation and exceeded the quantity limitation prescribed for the material in the hazardous materials regulations for cargo aircraft. The shipper failed to train its employees in the proper classification, packaging, and hazard communication requirements for hazardous materials. And the carrier failed to train its employees in requirements for accepting, handling, and transporting hazardous materials. Ensuring safety, transporting hazardous materials by air is presented by the Department of Transportation's Research and Special Programs Administration, RSPA, and the Federal Aviation Administration, FAA. Incidents of hazardous materials causing aircraft crashes are rare, but when they occur they are often fatal. The purpose of this video is to make you aware of the potential dangers involved when hazardous materials are transported by air, and to emphasize the importance of compliance with the hazardous materials regulations. We will review procedures for preparing hazardous materials for shipment by air, and if you offer, accept, and or transport hazardous materials by air, this video is for you. Shippers, freight forwarders or indirect carriers, air cargo agents, load planners, ramp service personnel, pilots, and passenger service personnel, including all air carrier and contract personnel who accept baggage. Hazardous materials are regulated because if not properly packaged and handled, they may pose an unreasonable risk to health, safety, and property when transported in commerce. There are nine classes of hazardous materials which are defined in the Hazardous Materials Regulation, and include class one, explosives. Explosives include chemical devices, compounds, and mixtures that function by explosion or in a similar matter, even if not designed to do so. Explosives range from small arms ammunition and fireworks to dynamite. Class two, gases. Class two is broken down into Division 2.1, flammable gases such as butane. Division 2.2, non-flammable compressed gas such as nitrogen. And Division 2.3, poisonous gas such as chlorine. Class three, flammable and combustible liquids. Class three materials and their vapors are highly flammable. Gasoline, lighter fluid, and paint are familiar examples of this hazard class. Class four is divided into Division 4.1, flammable solids such as nitrocellulose and matches. Division 4.2, spontaneously combustible materials such as phosphorus. And Division 4.3, materials that are dangerous when wet, such as sodium. Class five consists of Division 5.1, oxidizers, and Division 5.2, organic peroxides. Oxidizers such as hydrogen peroxide generally yield oxygen readily and cause or contribute to the combustion of other materials. Organic peroxides such as benzoil peroxides are materials that have a double oxygen bond and readily provide oxygen and contribute to combustion. Class six is divided into Division 6.1, poison or toxic materials, and Division 6.2, infectious substances. Poisons such as sodium cyanide and parathion may cause injuries even death if swallowed, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin. Infectious substances include viruses or bacteria that may cause disease in humans or animals. Class seven, radioactive materials. Radioactive materials emit ionizing radiation that may be harmful to humans or animals and can affect photographic and x-ray film. Only radioactive materials intended for use in or incident to research or medical diagnosis or treatment may be carried on a passenger aircraft. Class eight, corrosives. Corrosive materials may cause damage when they come into contact with living tissue, aluminum, or steel. The acid in a battery is an example of a Class 8 material. Class nine, miscellaneous hazardous materials. These are any materials that may pose a risk to health, safety, and property that are not covered in other hazard classes. This includes materials with anesthetic, noxious, or other similar properties which could cause extreme annoyance or discomfort to passengers and the flight crew, thereby limiting them in the performance of their duties. Familiar examples of Class 9 include dry ice and asbestos. Under international regulations, consumer commodities also fall into Class 9. But under U.S. regulations, consumer commodities are classed as other regulated materials, D, or ORMD. Each of these classes can be transported safely if packaged and handled correctly. Each has the potential for disaster if the hazardous materials regulations are ignored or compromised. Let's follow a hazardous material shipment from its point of origin to its being loaded on a passenger aircraft. Observe closely how the shipment is handled at each step. Hazmat safety begins with the shipper. The shipper classifies, describes, packages, marks, and labels the shipment, prepares the shipping papers, and provides emergency response information. The shipper also verifies that the material may be transported by air and that the packaged amount does not exceed the quantity limitation specified in the hazardous materials regulations. The shipper may take the shipment directly to the air carrier or to a freight forwarder. Before accepting the shipment, the freight forwarder must verify that the package complies with the regulations, that the package is in good condition, and that the shipping papers have been correctly prepared. Packages that are damaged or leaking or otherwise improperly prepared must be refused. Only properly prepared shipments can be accepted. The next stop is the air carrier's cargo department. The air freight agent checks the entries on the shipping papers for compliance with the hazardous materials regulations. The basic description of the hazardous material must include the proper shipping name, hazard class or division number, identification number, and the packing group if one is assigned. The packing group indicates the degree of danger, with PG1 indicating great, PG2 medium, and PG3 minor danger. Packing groups are not assigned to class 2, class 7, and ORMD. The shipping paper must include the total quantity of material being shipped and any additional descriptive information required by the hazardous materials regulations. Shipping papers must have a 24-hour emergency response telephone number and assigned shippers certification. The air freight agent also checks the condition of the package. The packaging is determined by the hazard class of the material and the packing group assigned to the material. The hazardous materials regulations offer the shipper a choice of packaging. This shipment, for example, must not be accepted. These boxes are not authorized for the hazardous material being offered and are incorrectly marked and labeled. Packages must be marked with the proper shipping name and ID number of the material. Other additional markings may be required, such as technical names, RQ, and orientation arrows for liquids. Labels are required to communicate the primary and, if applicable, the subsidiary hazard of the material. This shipment has been properly prepared. The packaging is appropriate and displays the correct markings and labels. The shipping papers are correct as well. Once the package and paperwork have been inspected and accepted, the air freight agent prepares the notice to pilot in command. The notice will tell the captain that hazardous materials are on board, what they are, how much was loaded, and their location on the aircraft. The shipping papers, emergency response information, and notice to pilot in command must accompany the shipment. The load planner must be notified that a hazardous material shipment is planned for a flight. The load planner must verify that the hazmat is within the quantity limitations for the aircraft. The load planner prepares the cargo load plan, including the locations for loading the hazardous material. If more than one type of hazardous material is planned for a flight, the compatibility of the materials and the separation distances required must be considered in planning. Ramp Service personnel transport the material to the flight line and load the aircraft according to the load plan. Ramp Service personnel enter the location of the hazmat on the aircraft on the notice to pilot in command and give it to the captain. The captain reviews and accepts the notice to pilot in command. Air carriers also use and ship hazardous materials. Hazmat required aboard an aircraft to make it airworthy, such as aircraft batteries, fuel, and crew members' personal breathing apparatus are not subject to the hazardous materials regulations. However, replacements for these items and other company material, COMAT, used in the day-to-day operation of the airline, such as paints, solvents, disinfectants and cleaning compounds, are regulated and subject to the hazardous materials regulations when transported as cargo. That means that these shipments require the same preparation and documentation as other hazardous material shipments. Most hazmat transported by air is shipped as air cargo. However, it is not uncommon for passengers to pack hazardous materials in their baggage. Although there are limited exceptions for passengers' personal use items, such as medicines and toilet articles, most hazmat is not acceptable in either carry-on or checked baggage. Personnel at ticket counters, baggage check-in positions, and gates must be watchful to make sure that hazardous materials are not inadvertently accepted in checked or carry-on baggage. Look for clues that a passenger may be carrying hazmat. For example, passengers traveling to the Caribbean may be traveling with scuba equipment containing compressed gas. A passenger with hiking gear may be carrying a liquid propane camp stove and a backpack. Other passengers may be carrying self-protection sprays, like mace and pepper spray, which are prohibited. Despite all precautions, accidents do happen. Boxes fall off baggage carts. They become damaged. They leak. All personnel should know what actions to take when something goes wrong. Follow your company's safety procedures. When accidents, incidents, or discrepancies do occur, they must be reported. Discrepancies are situations where hazardous materials are improperly described, certified, marked, labeled, and packaged. And this is not known at the time of acceptance by the air carrier. Discrepancies require the person who discovered the discrepancy to notify the nearest FAA Civil Aviation Security Office by telephone. Hazmat incidents and accidents that result either in any of the following require notification as soon as possible to the nearest FAA Civil Aviation Security Office, or the Center for Disease Control, if applicable. Death or injury that requires hospitalization. Damage greater than $50,000. Change in the operational flight pattern or routine of an aircraft. Shutdown of a major facility or transportation artery for more than one hour, or an evacuation of the general public that lasts for more than an hour. The telephone report must be followed by a written report within 30 days. A written report is also required for any incident involving the release of a hazardous material, regardless of the seriousness of the incident. Training is an integral part of hazardous material safety. Training is required for all personnel who offer, accept, and or handle hazardous materials in all modes of transportation. Initial training is required for new employees or employees who assume new hazmat-related responsibilities. This training must include general awareness, familiarization, function specific, and safety training. A person may not perform a hazmat function unless they have been trained in that function, or for a new employee or one who changes job functions, they work under the direct supervision of someone who is trained. If any regulatory requirements pertaining to a function the employee performs change, the employee must be retrained concerning that function immediately. DOT requires that hazmat employees be retrained and tested at least once every three years. However, the FAA, under 14 CFR, requires annual recurrent training for air carrier employees. Both DOT and FAA require the employer to maintain training records. Training is the best means of preventing hazmat incidents. The responsibilities for hazmat safety are shared by everyone who handles hazmat shipments, from the shipper to the air carrier. Along with training, compliance with the regulations, general awareness, and diligence at baggage check-in positions, you can help ensure the safe transportation of hazardous materials by air.