THE UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE- DISCIPLINE OF MEDICAL BIOCHEMISTRY

Transcription

1 STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE PROCEDURE NO: GDP 012 MOD: 2nd Issue Page: 1 of 5 Procedure Type: General Discipline Procedure 1. Purpose: 1.1 To describe the various procedures and regulations governing the shipment of infectious and non-infectious substances, hazardous substances and equipment, by road, rail and air. 2. Equipment: 2.1 As required. 3. Materials: 3.1 The IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (stored in the Resource Managers Office). 3.2 'Goods Despatch Advice' form (available from the Medical Store). 3.3 'Dangerous Goods Declaration' forms, if required (available from the Medical Stores). 4. Set Up: 4.1 All items that do not fall into the Dangerous Goods category, generally, may be shipped without restrictions. Shipment of Dangerous Goods locally and internationally is governed by the following transport regulations: The International Air Transportation Association (IATA) Dangerous Goods Regulations Australian Code for the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road and Rail. The Australia Post, Dangerous Goods and Packing Guide The IATA Guidelines are the most comprehensive and are referenced by the other documents. For a procedure that deals specifically with the Exportation of Infectious Substances, consult GDP 013, Procedure for Importing or Exporting Biological Goods. WRITTEN BY CHECKED BY REVIEWED BY AUTHORISED BY NAME (signed) Sarah Cooper Kelly Marquardt Lisa Fluechter Phillip Dickson DATE 3 rd October th August th April th January 2007 Distributed To: GDP Master File / GDP Lab File

2 Page: 2 of The University has a contract with a preferred courier and unless otherwise specified, this courier will be used for all shipments. Contact the Medical Stores Staff for courier details. 5. Methods and Safety Precautions: 5.1 PACKING EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPMENT There may be occasions when laboratory equipment will need to be sent away for servicing and it is important that it is packed appropriately. Some companies will provide their own packing instructions, detailing the type and method of packing they require. It is also necessary to decontaminate any equipment that may contain traces of chemicals, radiation or infectious substances. Some companies may require a decontamination certificate to be completed before the equipment is sent. Chemical Decontamination - refer to the General Equipment Procedure for cleaning and decontamination instructions. Radiation Decontamination - Refer to the GDP 008 Radiation Safety for instructions on equipment decontamination. Infectious Substances Decontamination - consult the GEP for cleaning and decontamination instructions. If possible, swab all appropriate surfaces with 70% ethanol. Once equipment has been decontaminated, contact the Medical Stores for packing advice, materials and a 'Goods Despatch Advice' form. If a courier other than the University preferred courier is required, indicate this on the form. Other details required by the form include; School/Faculty/Department, Goods description, recipient name and address, contact phone number, appropriation number etc. 5.2 PACKING DANGEROUS/HAZARDOUS GOODS FOR SHIPMENT WITHIN AUSTRALIA The IATA Guidelines state that Dangerous Goods for shipment are only to be packed by personnel who have been accredited to do so. The strict package testing required as a part of the guidelines means that it is preferable to have dangerous goods packed by an IATA accredited courier. There is however an alternative; companies such as HAZPAK ( provide pretested and certified packages, and can help with packing, documentation, etc. Australia Post also accepts some Dangerous Goods, (including Infectious

3 Page: 3 of 5 Substances) for carriage, provided they are packed according to the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations and are accepted for carriage according to their Terms and Conditions. Consult the 'Terms and Conditions' section of the Australia Post Web site: for more details. 5.3 PACKING NON-INFECTIOUS AND INFECTIOUS SUBSTANCES FOR SHIPMENT WITHIN AUSTRALIA Infectious Substances are a subgroup of the Dangerous Goods category and are identified by their UN Dangerous Goods Class Number 6.2. For the purposes of transportation, the following definitions determine the way that Infectious Substances are to be grouped and packed: a) Biological materials known not to contain infectious agents may be transported without restrictions. They are assigned to UN 3373 with proper shipping name Diagnostic or Clinical Specimens. b) All biological products and diagnostic specimens with a low probability of being infectious for humans or animals must be packed according to Packing Instruction No. 650 of the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations. c) Specimens containing pathogens of Risk groups 2 and 3 (moderate individual risk/low community risk and high individual risk/ low community risk respectively) may be transported as diagnostic specimens as above. Specimens containing Risk group 4 (high individual/ high community risk) and cultures of risk groups 2 and 3 must be treated as an infectious substances. d) All materials that are genetically modified, not infectious, but capable of altering animal, plants or microbiological substances must be classified under Class 9 (Miscellaneous) and assigned to UN If the goods are not infectious and is not capable of altering animals etc it is not classified as restricted. e) All materials that are genetically modified, but thought unlikely to be infectious for animals or humans, must be packed according to Packing Instructions No. 913 of the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations. f) All materials that are infectious or thought to be infectious for humans or animals, be they a GMO, diagnostic specimen or clinical waste, must be packed according to Packing Instructions No. 602 of the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations. These regulations define the requirements for

4 Page: 4 of 5 certification, the physical packaging requirements, the maximum quantities that can be transported by cargo or passenger aircraft, the external labeling requirements (including the identifying UN number,) and the details to be included in the attached Shippers Declaration for Dangerous Goods. Consult the guidelines directly for further information. g) Infectious substances which cause disease in humans or in both humans and animals are assigned to UN 2814 with proper shipping name Infectious substance, affecting humans. Infectious substances which cause disease only in animals are assigned to UN 2900 with proper shipping name Infectious substance, affecting animals. Once the UN Packing Group has been determined, acquire the appropriate packaging either by purchasing it, or use packaging as instructed by the courier. The Medical Store may be able to assist with packing materials. Infectious substances must be handled carefully at all times, and personal protective equipment (gloves, glasses, lab coat) must be worn. Ensure that all vials and vessels containing infectious substances have had their outsides decontaminated before packing them into outer packages. (Swab the outsides of the containers with a suitable disinfectant). Dry Ice is a dangerous good and must be classified as Class 9 Miscellaneous. It has the UN identification number 1845 and proper shipping name Carbon Dioxide, solid (dry ice). It must be packed according to packing instructions 904. A shippers declaration for dangerous goods is only needed when dry ice is being used to ship a dangerous good that requires a declaration itself, eg an infectious substance. Where Dry Ice is used: Due to its low temperature (-79 o C) care must be taken, as it is capable of causing severe burns to the skin upon contact. Ensure that cryogloves are worn. When heated, dry ice converts directly into gaseous carbon dioxide, which is heavier than the surrounding air. This may cause asphyxiation in confined areas as it displaces the air. Packages containing dry ice must be constructed so as to prevent build-up of pressure due to the release of carbon dioxide gas. Dry Ice may be ordered through the Medical Store one day before it is required. All packages containing Dry Ice must display a Miscellaneous Dangerous Goods sticker, also available from the Medical Store.

5 Page: 5 of 5 Once dangerous goods have been packed, contact the Medical Stores for two 'Dangerous Goods Declaration' forms. The Medical Stores also provides the 'Goods Despatch Advice' forms and if a courier other than the University preferred courier is required, indicate this on the form. Other details required by the form include; School/Faculty/Department, Goods description, recipient name and address, appropriation number etc. Ensure the package is in the University Main Store before the courier arrives. Contact the Main Store to ask about courier collection times etc. 6. Maintenance: 6.1 If any part of this procedure changes, contact the Professional Officer so that it can be updated as soon as possible. 7. Shutdown: 7.1 If you were required to read this GDP, sign the Requested Reading Record Sheet (Illustration 5.2) in GDP 001 Induction Procedure. 8. Illustrations: N/A 9. Check List: 9.1 Ensure all necessary documentation is complete. 10. References: 10.1 The IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations 10.2 The Australia Post, Dangerous Goods and Packing Guide 10.3 Australian Standard: Safety in Laboratories, Part 3: Microbiology. 11. Change History: 11.1 Issue Number: 1st Issue Date Issued: 11.2 Issue Number: 2 nd Issue Date Issued: 30 th January 2007