Hazardous Materials Transportation
In 1996, ValuJet 592 crashed 11 minutes after taking off from the Miami International Airport. The lives of 105 passengers and 5 crew members were lost as the result of the accident. The cause was ultimately determined to be improperly classified and stored hazardous materials.
ValuJet 592 helped raise national awareness that hazardous materials are commonly transported on passenger aircraft and the tragic consequences which can result when these materials are not properly managed.
In an effort to provide for the highest level of protection for staff and the general public, Indiana University has developed a Hazardous Materials Transportation Program to provide clear guidance on shipping or otherwise transporting those hazardous materials required for the day-to-day operation of the University.
The Indiana University Hazardous Materials Transportation Program can be found here. If you would like a printable .PDF version of the program please click here.
The Program provides direction on:
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Training requirements necessary to ship or transport regulated hazardous materials.
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Training requirements and guidance on those circumstances where hazardous materials may be transported by University personnel in University-owned or leased vehicles.
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Training requirements and guidance on moving hazardous materials within buildings on campus without the use of a motor vehicle.
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Guidance on the very limited circumstances where hazardous materials may be transported in an employee’s personal vehicle.
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Guidance for laboratories in need of moving chemical inventories as the result of laboratory closure or relocation.
Biological materials used in conjunction with research or clinical trials are the most commonly shipped hazardous material on the IUPUI campus. The Office of Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) has developed the Shipment of Biological Materials training module to meet this need.
The module is offered in a classroom format on a quarterly basis for those employees never having completed the training previously at IUPUI and as a refresher module through E-Training for those who have. Additional on classroom training can be found here. Additionally the on-line refresher training can be found here.
We can also schedule on-site classroom training sessions upon request for groups of 5 or more employees.
Trained EHS staff are also available to assist with infrequent or one-time hazardous materials shipment needs – regardless of what type of hazardous material is involved. In addition to assisting with the selection and assembly of packaging, EHS staff are qualified to sign outgoing shipping documents.
Research institutions such as IUPUI are increasingly subject to on-site inspections by the U.S. Department of Transportation and/or the Federal Aviation Administration. Packages designated to ship FedEx overnight or express are, in most cases, shipped by air if their end destination is outside the metropolitan Indianapolis area. To date, 8 formal inspections have occurred IUPUI campus including neighboring Indiana University Health and Eskenzi Health facilities. This trend is certain to continue and likely increase. While minor violations have been noted, none of the inspections have resulted in the issuance of a fine or penalty. Other institutions have not fared as well incurring fines in the tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Both regulatory agencies also reserve the right to pursue criminal charges for any infraction found to be the result of willful neglect and found to have put the public at significant risk. The lack of training and the use of improper packaging have been found previously to rise to this level of neglect.
EHS is available to assist during any environmental or safety regulatory inspection, including any transportation related inspection. Simply call 274-4351 and an EHS representative will report to the inspection location. EHS is also the designated University representative to respond to any deficiency noted during an inspection.
As with all of our safety or environmental programs, our end goal is to ensure the safety of our campus and neighboring community. If at any time you are in need of additional assistance, please contact us at ehs@iupui.edu or by calling 274-2005. | 
