UNITED

NATIONS	ST

Secretariat	Distr.

GENERAL

ST/SG/AC.10/1998/48

25 September 1998

Original: ENGLISH
COMMITTEE OF EXPERTS ON THE

TRANSPORT OF DANGEROUS GOODS

(Twentieth session,

Geneva, 7-16 December l998,

agenda item 2 (d))

WORK OF THE SUB-COMMITTEE OF EXPERTS

ON THE TRANSPORT OF DANGEROUS GOODS

New proposals

Packing of Diagnostic Specimen

Transmitted by the Expert from Germany

Introduction

Diagnostic Specimen are shipped around the world in high numbers. Shipments are not only carried out as usual cargo, but also by mail.

Very often, only one Diagnostic Specimen is shipped e.g. between laboratories. For such cases, the packing requirements in 2.6.3.3.2 (d) have to be used.

Practice in Europe has shown, that this is not the only way of packing such specimen and that for several cases - especially for mailing - the packaging required in 2.6.3.3.2 (d) is not the most effective one. Such packagings are dealt as small parcels which require higher fees and need a longer transport time than letters.

For Diagnostic Specimen, transport time is very important, they have to arrive at their point of destination as quickly as possible. Therefore a packaging provision which permits sending as letter by mail should be added.

GE.98-

The European Committee for Standards (CEN) has developed EN 829 for transport of Diagnostic Specimen, including provisions for a suitable packaging to be mailed as letter. EN 829 should be included in 2.6.3.3.2 as an alternative packaging. The standard has proven to be sufficiently safe, is accepted by common practice and will be included in Class 6.2 of ADR/RID from 1 January 1999.

Proposal

In 2.6.3.3.2 (d) replace "The packaging includes" by:

"The packaging shall consist of:".

In 2.6.3.3.2 (d) (ii) replace "... of 100 mm." by:

"... of 100 mm; or"

Add new (iii) to read:

"(iii) shall be conforming to Standard EN 829-1996".

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