DOT Requirements for Fluorescent Lamps
- The US DOT has regulations regarding the transport of fluorescent bulbs and lamps due to the mercury contained within them.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
The long, slender bulbs commonly seen in commercial or professional buildings are fluorescent lamps that create light by exciting the mercury vapor in them with electricity. The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) has regulated their transport since they are considered a hazardous material due to their mercury content. - Guidelines call for red or orange fluorescent warning signs on the back of the vehicle carrying the fluorescent bulbs. According to the final ruling of the DOT Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the flags must be "457 mm (18 inches) square." Also, "a single flag at the extreme rear is required if the projecting load is 610 mm (2 feet) wide or less. Two warning flags are required if the projecting load is wider than 610 mm. Flags are required to be positioned to indicate maximum width of loads which extend beyond the sides and/or rear of the vehicle."
- Under 49 C.F.R. Section 173.164(c)((3)(iii), shippers of mercury must have paperwork on them that indicates how much mercury is contained in the packages they are carrying.
- Current DOT regulations require that fluorescent bulbs must be shipped in packing that will not allow the mercury to leak outside of the packaging. However, the bulbs may be shipped in their original manufacturer's packing if the package contains less than 30 grams of mercury with no lamp exceeding 5 grams.
- According to 49 C.F.R. Section 173.164(b), "manufactured articles or apparatuses, each containing not more than 100 mg (0.0035 ounce) of mercury and packaged so that the quantity of mercury per package does not exceed 1 g (0.035 ounce) are not subject to the requirements of this subchapter." What this means is that if the package contains less than 1 gram, the rules no longer apply.
