[Healeys] Shipment of dangerous flammable goods-Paint and solvents

[Robert F. Begani]

Gentlemen:

 

I have been selling and shipping products including Hazardous and Dangerous
items internationally for 40 years and am quite familiar with situations as
have been described.  First of all, Europe is a union of sovereign
countries. When you are shipping Paint or Paint in aerosol or paint in a pen
via a common carrier, it is considered dangerous and hazardous. However, it
becomes more complicated when you ship such an item across a border or
across an ocean as the rules change immediately.  The documentation is very
technical and time consuming.  Moreover, it is in total very expensive.
That is why many distributors of industrial products state on their catalog
or website, for example, Paint or solvent, especially in aerosol cannot be
supplied because of the cost and documentation.  They would have to have a
person certified to fill out and file Hazardous Goods Documents. You cannot
put a Flammable label and ship it.

 

Just in case you do not believe it could be such a problem with one small
can of paint, the ink in your felt tip marker is largely a highly flammable
solvent.  Put 12 in a box and 12 boxes in a shipping carton and now you have
a package of dangerous goods.  Be careful shipping paint or solvents or any
flammable items, the fines are HUGE.  That is why the UPS store asks you
questions about what you are shipping in that little brown box.

 

Regards,

 

Bob Begani