Shipping Biologicals

Shipping of dangerous goods and hazardous materials are regulated by the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA). If you need to ship materials, you as the shipper are responsible for the appropriate paperwork, marking, labeling, handling and packaging of the material you are shipping. Liability for packages is on the shipper.

Certification

Prior to shipping a package you must be certified as a shipper of biological materials. It is very important that any individual who signs an airway bill or declaration form, packages materials, or marks or labels packages have a current training certificate. The IATA shipping training is good for two years. To maintain your certification please make sure your training remains current. Contact us to receive a training link from our training vendor.

After successful completion of this course, GW research staff and students will obtain a certification to ship the following:

• Category A Infectious Substances
• Category B Biological Substances
• GMO’s and GMMO’s
• Exempt Animal/Patient Specimens
• Dry Ice

Shipping Labels

Use these Department of Transportation & IATA compliant labels to ship a package:

• Dry Ice Label (PDF) 
• Dry Ice Label Exempt Human Specimen (PDF)
• Dry Ice Label Exempt Animal Specimen (PDF)
• UN 3373 Marking (PDF) for Category B shipments
• Directional Arrows (PDF)
• Aircraft Cargo Only (PDF)
• Overpack (PDF)
• Infectious Substance (PDF)
• Exempt Animal or Human Specimen (PDF)
• Category B Substance (PDF)

Vendors For Shipping Supplies

• Air Sea Containers
• Therapak
• Thermosafe
• Inmark Worldwide
• Fisher Scientific

If you have any questions regarding shipping biological materials, please contact us at [email protected].