USPS Raises Penalties for Hazmat Violations in Mail System

Posted on 1/13/2021 by Roger Marks

The United States Postal Service (USPS) increased civil penalties for hazardous materials violations in the mail system. These penalties apply to “persons who knowingly mail nonmailable hazardous materials or fail to follow postal laws on mailing hazardous materials.”

The maximum civil penalty increased from $127,525 per violation to $129,032 per violation.
The minimum civil penalty increased from $320 to $324.

The Interim Final Rule is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register tomorrow, January 14, 2021.

If you offer hazardous materials for transportation, even by the Post Office, your shipments are subject to US DOT's Hazardous Materials Regulations (DOT). USPS imposes additional restrictions that must be followed to ship hazardous materials by mail.

Read more: USPS Hazmat Shipping Challenges

DOT Hazmat Penalties Also Going Up

US DOT recently updated its own civil penalties for hazmat violations to keep pace with inflation, as it now does on an annual basis.

The maximum civil penalty that PHMSA, FAA, and other DOT agencies can assess is now up to $83,439 per day, per violation. For violations that result in death, serious illness, severe injury, or substantial property damage, the penalty can be as high as $194,691 per day, per violation.

DOT also increased to minimum penalty for hazmat training violations to $502 per day, per employee. DOT require hazmat training for all “hazmat employees,” and re-training must be provided once every three years (49 CFR 172.704).

Ship Hazmat by Mail?

Learn the unique US Postal Service standards that apply to hazmat shipped by mail with the Hazmat Postal Shipper online course.

Or develop a step-by-step process to prepare and offer hazardous materials for ground, air, or vessel transport when Lion presents live hazmat training webinars in February.

Hazmat Ground Shipper Certification (DOT)
Hazmat Air Shipper Certification (IATA)
Hazmat Vessel Shipper Certification (IMDG)

Tags: hazmat shipping, Publication 52, USPS

Find a Post

Search for:

Compliance Topics

Compliance Archives

This training broke down the regulations in an easy-to-understand manner and made them less overwhelming. I now feel I have the knowledge to make more informed decisions.

Amanda Oswald

Shipping Professional

The instructor does a great job at presenting material in an approachable way. I have been able to save my company about $30,000 in the last year with what I have learned from Lion!

Curtis Ahonen

EHS&S Manager

The exercises in the DOT hazardous materials management course are especially helpful in evaluating your understanding of course information.

Morgan Bliss

Principal Industrial Hygienist

The training was impressive. I am not a fan of online training but this was put together very well. I would recommend Lion to others.

Donnie James

Quality Manager

The course was very well structured and covered the material in a clear, concise manner.

Ian Martinez

Hazmat Shipping Professional

Lion courses always set the bar for content, reference, and practical application. Membership and access to the experts is an added bonus.

John Brown, CSP

Director of Safety & Env Affairs

The instructor took a rather drab set of topics and brought them to life with realistic real-life examples.

Tom Berndt

HSE Coordinator

You blew the doors off the competition!

Stephen Bieschke

Facilities Manager

My experience with Lion classes has always been good. Lion Technology always covers the EPA requirements I must follow.

Steven Erlandson

Environmental Coordinator

My experience with Lion training, both online and in the classroom, is that they are far better organized and provide a better sequential explanation of the material.

Robert Roose

Manager, Dangerous Goods Transportation

Download Our Latest Whitepaper

Find out what makes DOT hazmat training mandatory for employees who sign the hazardous waste manifest, a “dually regulated” document for tracking shipments.

Download

By submitting your phone number, you agree to receive recurring marketing and training text messages. Consent to receive text messages is not required for any purchases. Text STOP at any time to cancel. Message and data rates may apply. View our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.