The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today said it wants to impose a $350,000 civil penalty against Amazon.com for allegedly violating Hazardous Materials Regulations. Airline passengers probably don’t realize that commercial cargo is loaded with their baggage on a flight.
The FAA says that on 15 October 2014, Amazon offered to United Parcel Service (UPS) a package containing a one-gallon container of “Amazing! LIQUID FIRE,” a corrosive drain cleaner for transportation by air from Louisville, KY., to Boulder, CO.
Amazon has a history of violating the Hazardous Materials Regulations. From February 2013 to September 2015, Amazon was found to have violated the Hazardous Materials Regulations 24 other times. The FAA is continuing to investigate Amazon’s compliance with the Hazardous Materials Regulations applicable to air transportation.
In the current case, while being transported some of the Liquid Fire leaked through the fiberboard box. Nine UPS employees who came into contact with the box were treated with a chemical wash.
The FAA alleges the shipment was not properly packaged, was not accompanied by a Shipper’s Declaration for Dangerous Goods and was not properly marked or labeled to indicate the hazardous nature of its contents.
Furthermore, the FAA alleges Amazon failed to provide emergency response information with the package, and that Amazon employees who handled the package had not received required hazardous materials training.
Amazon has not responded yet. It has 30 days.
