Category B Shipments

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Category B Shipments

The HMR, 49 CFR Part 173.199, outlines packaging requirements for UN3373 Category B, Biological Substances.
Category B organisms, by definition, are infectious substances in a form generally incapable of causing permanent disability or life-threatening disease in otherwise healthy humans or animals when exposure to it occurs. This includes infectious substances transported for diagnostic or investigational purposes.
Category B shipments need:
  • To be triple packaged, which consists of:
  • Primary leak-proof receptacle (sift-proof for solids)
  • Secondary leakproof packaging (e.g., specimen transport bag)
  • Rigid outer packaging with appropriate labels and markings
  • Primary receptacles that are packed in such a way as to prevent break, leak, and puncture during transport under normal conditions
  • To have cushioning and absorbent material between the primary and secondary containers and be sufficient to absorb the entire quantity of hazardous material
26. Arizona Department of Health Services. (2021). "Category A & B shipping examples." AZDHS.gov. https://azdhs.gov/documents/preparedness/state-laboratory/category-a-and-b-shipping-examples.pdf

Shipping requirements for Category B specimens (26).