Transport of samples

Transport of samples to and from the Bragg Institute

The information provided on this website is general advice. All efforts have been made to obtain accurate information but in all cases you should seek out appropriate information for your situation. The information included here relates mainly to aircraft transport.

After you have registered your samples in your proposal on the Bragg Institute Customer Portal you will need to arrange the transport of the samples to the facility (and from the facility, if you are planning to take them back with you). The Bragg Institute will not arrange transport or provide packaging materials.

Shortcuts:

• Bragg Institute mailing address for samples
• Authorisations
• Transport to the Bragg Institute
• Transport from the Bragg Institute
• Material Safety Data Sheets and Transport
• Non-dangerous goods
• Dangerous goods
• Biological samples
• Deuterated material
• Strategic goods
• Antibiotics and medicines
• Other Chemicals Requiring Permits
• Dry ice (solid carbon dioxide)
• Transport within Australia
• Notes (cover letter suggestion and general information)
• Links

Bragg Institute mailing address for samples   

<Local contact name>
<Local contact phone number>
Bragg Institute, B82
Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
New Illawarra Rd
Lucas Heights, New South Wales 2232
Australia

Please ensure samples are appropriately packaged and labelled. If samples require refrigeration or freezing on arrival please indicate this clearly and in large letters on the package.

Authorisations   

Before transporting samples, either by mail or on your person, it is strongly recommended that you contact your carrier and the relevant authorities in the country you are shipping/travelling from regarding regulations for exporting (and importing, if you are returning to that country with the samples).

It is advisable to begin organising sample transport as early as possible to account for any special conditions you may be required to follow. For importing/exporting information for Australia, the contacts are the Australian Customs Service and the Department of Defence (DoD).

If the carrier/airline, courier, Australia or other country authorities require a statement regarding the intended use of the material from the Bragg Institute, please contact the User Office.

Transport to the Bragg Institute   

• Package and label your samples in accordance with your carrier's requirements (including Australia Post where applicable) and the applicable country authority requirements. Check the below information for assistance, especially regarding biological samples, deuterium and deuterium oxide.
• Ensure you have included your name, your Bragg Institute proposal number and the sample information and MSDSs. A covering letter is recommended.
• Send to the address above and inform your local contact that you have sent the samples.
• Please ensure that the samples are listed on your Bragg Institute Proposal, their MSDSs have been provided and are labelled appropriately (minimum requirement is chemical name and risk and safety phrases).
• If your samples require refrigerated, freezer (-18°C), ultralow temperature (-80°C) or liquid nitrogen storage please contact the Lab Manager ahead of shipment. Please ensure packages contain enough cooling material to account for shipping delays and are clearly marked urgent and require refrigeration/freezer.

Transport from the Bragg Institute  

• All samples that have been in a neutron beam must have a radiation clearance certificate before leaving the building. Instruction on how to obtain a clearance certificate will be given during your laboratory induction training. If a sample cannot be cleared before you are due to leave it can be stored at the Bragg Institute until your next visit.
• Package your samples appropriately, a covering letter is recommended. Please note that the Bragg Institute will not arrange transport or provide packaging materials. 
• Ensure that you have complied with all relevent carrier and country requirements. All deuterated materials are a special case, please consult details below.
• For courier transport: Organise pick up from ANSTO receiving dock with your carrier and provide your courier number.

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) and transport    

In all cases you should obtain a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for all samples and reagents you are transporting. The transport section of the  MSDS, generally section 14, will detail if the substance is regulated for transport.

If a substance is a non-dangerous good it will generally have a statement to the effect of: Not regulated for the transport of dangerous goods (IATA).
 

If the substance is a dangerous good, this section will contain information relevant for the transport of the substance as a dangerous good.
MSDSs with no transport information are unusable, you will need to obtain one from the manufacturer or supplier that has transport information or the aforementioned statement.

Non-dangerous goods    

Shipping by mail or courier:

These substances may be transported by air without the conditions and documentation required for dangerous goods. However the following points should be followed:

• Contact - the courier/postal service that you intend to use. Different companies have different requirements for the transport of chemicals, even if they are non-hazardous/dangerous.
• Packaging - pack the sample in a leak-proof or sift-proof container labelled appropriately. Seal in a plastic bag (if the sample is a liquid, wrap container in enough absorbent material to absorb the full volume before sealing). Place in a box with cushioning material.
• Documentation - provide the MSDS/s with the package and a statement that the goods are non-hazardous and their intended use.

In your checked baggage:

Contact the airline you are travelling on as soon as possible (or before you book) to discuss the transport of the samples. They will probably require copies of the MSDS/s for the samples and possibly a statement that confirms the non-hazardous nature of the samples and their intended use. Each airline will have their own policies on the transport of chemicals. Package samples as above.

Dangerous goods   

If your sample is a regulated for transport as a dangerous good, as listed by the transport section of the MSDS, you will need to be a certified shipper of dangerous goods or have someone in your organisation who is one and can pack the items and prepare the documents.

A certified shipper will have completed and passed a 3 day course on the shipment of dangerous goods by air. This certification, as well as the laws regarding air transport of dangerous goods, is international, so you will need a certified shipper no matter what country you are in or what country you are sending to.

Please note: certified shippers are required to pack all shipments they complete the documentation for, do not expect them to send something that you have packaged. It is best to approach them, in advance, with the information about what you want to transport.

The Bragg Institute's Lab Manager is a certified shipper and is available for packing samples and signing shipper's declarations by prior arrangement. You will need to provide all appropriate packaging materials, labels and documentation.

If you have no access to a certified shipper, there are a number of companies that provide dangerous goods shipping services that can organise all aspects of the transport of dangerous goods. Some examples are in the links section at the bottom of this page.

In general, a dangerous good will need to be packed and transported in accordance with the IATA dangerous goods regulations. Small volumes of some classes of dangerous goods can be transported in excepted quantities or in limited quantities. For these items UN specification packaging materials are not required. In all cases a certified shipper is required.

Biological samples   

The import of biological materials into Australia is regulated but the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS). Biological materials that may require an import permit include food samples, proteins, microorganisms and antibodies. Further information on importing biological laboratory materials is available from the Biological Imports section of AQIS.

The Bragg Institute has an import permit that covers a range of biological materials. Contact the Laboratory Manager for a copy of the permit. Biological material not included on this permit may require an import permit to be applied for and received before samples are sent.

A lack of permit may result in a sample being stopped at Australian Customs and returned to the sender (at sender's cost) or destroyed. Import permit application details are available from the AQIS website or from the Lab Manager.

Biological samples will also need an MSDS and be transported appropriately.

Deuterated materials  

Deuterated materials require an MSDS and appropriate transport.

Importing to Australia:

Contact your country's authorities to obtain any necessary approvals to export deuterated material. Contact the carrier (airline) or courier.
Contact the Australian Safeguards and Non-proliferation Office (ASNO) to determine if your material is a trackable quantity. Deuterium gas and deuterium oxide (heavy water) will usually require tracking.

Exporting from Australia:

For the export of all quantities of any deuterated materials from Australia, an export permit from Defence Export Control Office (DECO) and an Australian Customs Service Export Declaration Number (EDN) are required.

The process is outlined below and permit approval process takes at least 15 working days. Please confirm all details with DECO. Export permits for more than one export/shipment are available from DECO on request. All permits require reporting to DECO on each shipment.

• Apply for export permit from DECO using form DEC01  (instructions available on DEC02 ). DEC03 may be required if the material to be given or sold to a person overseas.
• Use export permit number on the Customs Export Declaration form (B957) at item 36 and attach the permit. Complete B957 and B957A (for each AHECC code item; the AHECC code for deuterium oxide is 2845.10.00 and for other deuterium containing substances is 2845.90.00 and all quantities in all forms are in kilograms) as appropriate. For your first export you will need to register as an exporter with customs form B319. Note: if using a customs broker, this step and following steps may be completed by them.
• At least 24 hours before departure (but less than 30 days prior), present the form/s and your ID (100 points, for example: passport and drivers licence) at Customs House at the port of export (for Sydney: Customs House 10 Cooks River Drive Sydney International Airport Telephone: 1300 558 287 Facsimile: 02 8339 6714). Customs usually do not need to see the export permit, airline approval or MSDSs but it may be useful to take these with you. This must be done in person for each export. At Customs House in Sydney there is free 15 minute parking at the front door, go to counter 12, you do not need a ticket.
• Receive EDN from Customs.
• Package and label your samples correctly, attach the permit, MSDS/s, cover letter (see notes below), approval from airline (see notes below) and the EDN.
• Declare the material at Customs on leaving Australia.
• Comply with the DECO reporting conditions, failure to do so may result in permit cancellation.

DECO website: http://www.defence.gov.au/strategy/deco/default.htm

You will also need to contact the Australian Safeguards and Non-proliferation Office (ASNO) to determine if your material is a trackable quantity. Deuterium gas and deuterium oxide (heavy water) will usually require tracking.

Strategic goods   

Items listed on the Australian Defence and Strategic Goods List must also have an export permit and an EDN. Deuterated material appears on this list and it should be checked for other substances and equipment. Permits are applied for through DECO as per the process above. If you are unsure if an item  or compound is on the list, advice can be sought from DECO.

Antibiotics and other medicines   

Samples that are antibiotics and other medicines may require a permit through the Department of Health and Ageing before entry into Australia. Further details on the compounds included in this are available on the Department of Health and Ageing website.

Other Chemicals Requiring Permits    

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has a list of chemicals that require import or export permits at this website.
The Department of Health and Ageing issues permits for precursor chemicals; information is available on their website.

Dry ice (solid carbon dioxide)  

The shipment of dry ice for refrigeration purposes on aircraft does not require a certified shipper provided that the samples it is cooling are non-dangerous (see information above).
The following details apply to all shipments of dry ice:
Proper shipping name: Carbon dioxide, solid
UN number: UN 1845
IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations packaging instruction: 904
The packaging instruction from the current IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations should be consulted.

Extracts from packaging instruction 904:

• Carbon dioxide, solid must be in packaging designed and constructed to permit the release of carbon dioxide gas and to prevent a build-up of pressure that could rupture the packaging.
• A Shipper's Declaration is only required when the carbon dioxide, solid is used as a refrigerant for dangerous goods that require a Shipper's Declaration.
• When a Shipper's Declaration is not required, the following information, required for the carbon dioxide, solid must be contained in the "Nature and Quantity of Goods" box on the airway bill:
   

- Proper shipping name: Carbon dioxide, solid

- Class 9
- UN 1845
- The number of packages
- The net quantity of carbon dioxide, solid in each package

• The net weight of the carbon dioxide, solid must be marked on the outside of the package along with the words "Carbon dioxide, solid", UN 1845 and a miscellanous dangerous goods class diamond (class 9). 
   

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Transport within Australia   

If you are sending samples that are dangerous goods within Australia by Australia Post you will need to consult the Australia Post Dangerous Goods Guide. Please note that Australia Post interstate mail services within Australia are generally by air transport.

Covering letter

A covering letter is a good idea for all shipments of research samples. It should be on the organisational letterhead of the sender and signed by a group/research leader. It should include the following information:

• Why the samples are being exported (i.e. for an approved research experiment)
• Where they are going to be used and their end use (for example: returning with you, being sent back, disposal or kept by Bragg Institute or other collaborator)
• Dates of export and import (if returning)
• Who will be in charge of the samples (i.e. the owner)
• Details of chemicals (chemical name, CAS number, formula, quantities, important hazard information)
   

Airline/carrier/operator approval to carry chemicals on aeroplane

Contact the operator's safety office with details of the research samples you want to carry on the plane. Provide the MSDSs of each compound, the full flight details and ask them for approval to carry the material on the plane. You should get an email or phone call back with approval granted (or more questions) and this should be followed by an approval letter.

Links   

Australia - import and export

Australian Customs Service - importing and exporting information
Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service - importing biological materials
Australian Safeguards and Non-proliferation Office - deuterated materials
Department of Defence - Defence Export Control Office - deuterated materials and other strategic goods
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade - list of chemicals requiring import or export permits
Australia Post - dangerous goods post guide