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SOP No. 20.0 Sample Shipping Procedures <br />• Minimum eight pounds of ice <br />• Wet ice packs (frozen) <br />• Bubble wrap or other packing material <br />• Federal Express form (with account number) <br />• Vermiculite (or commercially available cat litter) <br />6.0 COLLECTION OF SAMPLES <br />Sample collection and all shipment activities will be under the direction of the Principal <br />Investigator (PI). <br />7.0 PROCEDURES <br />For shipping purposes, samples are segregated into two classes; environmental samples and <br />restricted articles (i.e., hazardous materials). Environmental samples can also be categorized <br />based on expected or historical analyte levels (i.e., low or high). An environmental sample is one <br />that is not defined as a hazardous material by the Department of Transportation (DOT, 49 CFR <br />Part 171.8). The DOT defines a "hazardous material" as a substance which has been determined <br />by the Secretary of Transportation to be capable of posing an unreasonable risk to health, safety, <br />and property when transported in commerce, and which has been so designated. Any material of <br />a suspected hazardous nature, previously characterized as hazardous or known to be hazardous is <br />considered a restricted article. <br />In general, the two major concerns in shipping samples are protecting the samples from <br />incidental breakage during shipment and complying with applicable DOT and courier <br />requirements for restricted article shipments. <br />Protecting the samples from incidental breakage can be achieved by following "common sense." <br />All samples should be packed in a manner that will not allow them to freely move about in the <br />cooler or shipping container. Glass surfaces should not be allowed to contact each other. When <br />possible, repack the samples in the same materials that they were originally received in from the <br />laboratory. Each container should be cushioned with plastic bubble wrap, styrofoam or other <br />nonreactive cushioning material. Shipping hazardous materials should conform to the packaging, <br />marking, labeling and shipping instructions identified in 49 CFR Parts 172 & 173. <br />Environmental samples shall be packed for shipment using the following procedures: <br />I . Select a sturdy cooler in good condition. Secure and tape the drain plug with fiber tape. <br />Line the cooler with a large, heavy-duty plastic bag. <br />2. Place 2-4 inches of bubble wrap or other packing material in the bottom of the cooler. <br />3. The sample packer should wear eye protection and protective gloves when handling the <br />samples during the packing process. <br />4. After ensuring that sample container lids are secure, place the bottles in separate and <br />appropriately sized Ziploc® polyethylene bags. Seal the bags with tape. <br />8/05/08 Page 2 of 6 R Squared Inc. <br />Attachment A