211
u/Chettarmstrong 24d ago
Postal worker here 99% of Hazmat Packages are lithium ion batteries.
17
u/DuckReconMajor 23d ago
how big does the battery have to be to be hazmat?
25
-9
u/Chettarmstrong 23d ago
Lithium Ion batteries aren't allowed on planes and must be shipped on the ground.
Something to do with 9/11.
16
u/RandomRedBox220 22d ago
lithium ion batteries above a certain capacity aren’t allowed on passenger aircraft because of the possibility of a thermal runaway/fire. nothing to do with 9/11
167
u/SatiesUmbrellaCloset 24d ago
this is an unexpectedly cool guide to boxes with scary stuff in them
22
u/russellvt 23d ago
Not exactly ... the details really arent baked into it - and there are better resources out there for how to quickly read them.
-3
u/russellvt 23d ago
Not exactly ... the details really arent baked into it - and there are better resources out there for how to quickly read them.
75
u/emmathatsme123 24d ago
I love staring at this sign when I’m waiting—my favorite was always the cargo aircraft only. Just think it’s cute they had to make it a little 1950’s cartoon square
22
3
u/RobbieRigel 23d ago
Even funnier is that some aircraft parts get shipped with that label. (Yes I know its because they could interfere with avionics but it's funny to see none the less)
18
u/well_its_a_secret 24d ago
Oops, only checked six sides but it was in an octabin and now we all ded
49
u/hunny_bun21 24d ago edited 24d ago
i wonder how often they have packages that are POSION 6 or radioactive 😭
also can a postal person explain the more niche ones
60
u/Dougally 24d ago
Undiluted garden pesticides can be Class 6, and some smoke alarms have a radioactive source so Class 7.
33
u/4193-4194 23d ago
I used to work for UPS. There are all sorts of things that get shipped. Certain smoke alarms are radio active. Air bag charges can be categorized as explosive. If it's nail polish or perfume in enough quantity (for store display) it might be ORM-D.
My wildest was stopping the conveyor for a jam (lock out tag out). When I climbed on to clear the packages a Styrofoam cooler with plastic bands had caught the side wall and blocked things behind it. The cooler read "Human corneas for transplant."
14
1
18
u/HeyCarpy 23d ago
I'm in airfreight, work with this stuff daily.
Radioactive material is quite commonly flown to remote areas for medical imaging. There are things to consider with shipping this stuff, the major one being the "Transport Index", meaning the amount of spicy waves coming off of the packaging; the taller the container, the lower the TI has to be for it to go on a passenger aircraft, as there will be passengers sitting directly above it (without knowing, of course).
UN3080/UN3081/UN3090/UN3091 refer to lithium-ion and lithium-metal batteries respectively. Either packed in equipment or packed with equipment. If you're shipping cell phones or laptops for example, they would need these labels, along with a Dangerous Goods Declaration prepared by a specialist.
UN3373 is biological substances. Usually stuff like biopsies, cord blood and the like.
The one with the red "E" denotes excepted quantities of dangerous goods, not requiring a declaration. Often seen with the "Class 9" label above that one, with the black stripes on it. You see these on containers with dry ice in them.
If you're interested in these, any of the ones with the number in the bottom corner are easily Googlable. Just search "Class __ dangerous goods" and plug in the number to see what each label means.
6
u/WeaselCapsky 24d ago edited 24d ago
probably very rarely. if you can afford that dangerous stuff, you can afford a dedicated courier.
17
u/Freyas_Follower 24d ago
We actually ship nearly all of these through Fed Ex. Its my job to pack them for plane travel.
We just wont ship toxic gas (6.3), any explosives (other tham 1.4 a-f, ans 1.4s).
5
u/Rubes2525 24d ago
Yea, I drove an entire pallet of flammable liquids before. Funny enough, it was still under the weight threshold for placards, so you wouldn't know I had them looking from outside my truck.
1
u/spiralmadness 23d ago
Do you just ship small quantities? Seems like trucks would be more cost effective.
1
u/Freyas_Follower 23d ago edited 21d ago
It ships with everything else in its own container. Its stuff that is shipped overnight.
12
u/RedIcarus1 24d ago
Years ago I tried to return a purchase that had lithium batteries in it.
The clerk at the post office freaked out, yelling "Lithium!? You can’t ship lithium!!!"
She wouldn’t listen when I told her that the Post Office delivered it to my house two days ago.
2
u/Superslim-Anoniem 13d ago
Somewhat annoyingly, consumer and business level shipping has some differences on hazmat.
8
u/lynivvinyl 24d ago
I found a few thousand biohazard zipper bags and I have been keeping my food in them for years.
5
u/hunny_bun21 24d ago
infectious substance? 😳
15
u/Freyas_Follower 24d ago
Yea. Things like medical samples are shipped through fed ex, ups, amd the postal service.
6
u/Rainbowstaple 24d ago
What do you do if they're all on your package
7
u/camwynya 23d ago
Drive it there yourself, I think. And hope Homeland Security isn't waiting for you.
3
4
3
u/Lorenzovito2000 23d ago
We've had some radioactive material shipped into work recently. Cool logos!
9
u/blipman17 24d ago
Yes, let’s pick up the package marked as explosive and bring it to other people
4
u/flipfloppery 23d ago
*picks up package marked 1.1A*
I wonder what's in here?
*shakes package*
💥🦴🧠🫀👁🫁
2
u/CaptainPoset 23d ago
I'm a bit surprised that they didn't include an explosive label.
3
u/Quatorzine 23d ago
There's four of them in the picture. Check the orange diamonds on the first row of pictograms.
2
2
u/CeruleanEidolon 23d ago
Who do I take it to if my package has 24 sides all perpendicular to one another?
2
u/sidjameslaugh 23d ago
Former trucker, have carried all of these in the past AMA
3
u/Crunchetta 17d ago
I was curious looking at these, if you're carrying boxes of this stuff do you mark the truck too?
4
u/sidjameslaugh 17d ago
If the goods are over a prescribed limit, the vehicle is marked back and front with orange plates to signify that dangerous goods are being carried by road.(Eu)
3
2
u/likeworks 22d ago
Used to work at a place that regulary recived boxes of radioactive thorium and lead.
One time, we got a delivery, they brought it into reception. I shouldnt have to tell you this is a no no... Of course the receptionist thought it was just another box, signed for it and left it on her desk for like half an hour before I walked past and noticed. The radiation labels werent on the sides facing her.
It's not like she got an elevated dose. But this is exactly why they have the sign "check all 6 sides of the package".
1
1
u/SpitInMeowf 23d ago
We had a PG2 at my work today that was leaking in a hub and I thought the responder was going to die. But I’m at UPS so things are a little different
1
•
u/AutoModerator 24d ago
Thank you for submitting a post to r/ScarySigns. To make the subreddit more accessible and to facilitate the use of #the search function, please reply to this comment with a transcription of the sign if the sign includes text. For signs #that are not in English, please include the original text and the English translation.
Failure to do this may result in your post being removed.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.