Boston, MA-NH (1888PressRelease)
November 12, 2007 - Program Established in Tewksbury to Increase Consumer Awareness of
Risks of Packing and Shipping Hazardous Goods
Associated Mail and Parcel Centers Launches “Ship Responsibly” program
A new Ship Responsibly program designed to increase awareness of consumers and businesses about the risks related to packing and shipping dangerous goods has been introduced in Tewksbury by Neighborhood Parcel
“While the overwhelming majority of our customers do not intentionally ship dangerous items, there have been recent incidents where ‘hazardous, illegal, prohibited, dangerous and restricted’ (HIPDR) goods have threatened the logistic systems of the carriers, including their aircraft and trucks,” said Hanson Bechat owner of Neighborhood Parcel in Tewksbury MA. Neighborhood Parcel is member of Associated Mail and Parcel Centers (AMPC), which represents more than 3,300 mail and parcel shipping locations nationally, all of them independently-owned small businesses.
“With heightened awareness about the contents of packages among consumers and businesses as a fact of life today in the United States, our new program also addresses these security concerns,” said Mr.Bechat. He cited research showing that of 29 million prepacked parcels presented for shipping at AMPC store member locations, one in 200 contained HAZMAT or prohibited/restricted/illegal contents in a recent 12-month period.
The new Ship Responsibly program, now being rolled out across the country, is a major step in providing a solution to the dangerous goods shipping issue, said Hanson Bechat “and we are pleased to be among the first to implement it.”
“With the current system of package drop offs that prohibits pack and ship retail store owners from opening and inspecting shipments charged to third party accounts, and the proliferation among the carriers of ‘personal’ shipping accounts, it’s imperative that we educate our customers about the potential problems caused by the shipment of hazardous items,” said Mr.Bechat, who pointed out that dangerous items are not always easy to recognize.
“For example, certain types of cosmetics are considered hazardous when shipped by air because of their low flashpoints. Also, auto body paint, even in small quantities, which while seeming to be innocuous, is also classified as an HIPDR item when being shipped,” he said.
A recent survey revealed “of 29 million prepacked parcels presented for shipping at AMPC store member locations in a recent 12-month period, one in every 200 potentially contained HAZMAT or prohibited/restricted/illegal contents.”
“The survey found that among stores that opened and inspected parcels, 68% discovered HAZMAT or prohibited/illegal items being shipped up to 50% of the time,” said Hanson , adding that “overall, 76% of our members’ stores who open and inspect packages reported discovering hazardous materials or prohibited/illegal items.”
“In the absence of clear guidelines from the carriers on shipping HIPDR goods, we can now rely on this new program of disclosure and accountability developed by AMPC that has two major goals: enabling me as an owner of a packing and shipping business to demonstrate consistent due diligence in accepting and tendering packages for shipment, and increasing my customers’ awareness of their responsibility to know if the items they are shipping are considered hazardous,” said Hanson Bechat.
Key to the Ship Responsibly program is package content disclosure by customer shippers. To facilitate this process, the program recommends the establishment of a standard policy requiring disclosure of the contents of pre-packaged parcels presented for shipment, which has been done by Mr.Bechat
Hanson said that AMPC developed the Ship Responsibly program based on extensive consultation with legal experts and industry authorities.
To underscore the problem, Hanson cited dangerous and tragic incidents involving packages shipped by individuals or businesses, without disclosing their contents.
“In July of 1997 a FedEx cargo plane crashed and caught fire at Newark (NJ) International Airport. The FAA finding: ignition of unknown hazardous material. The May 1996 Valujet crash in the Florida Everglades was attributed to a fire caused by improperly packaged oxygen canisters in the forward cargo hold.”
More recently, a tractor battery that was not identified by the company sending it leaked acid in a carrier’s logistic system, including aircraft on which it was transported. In another instance, a carrier’s driver and others in the vicinity narrowly escaped serious injury when a computer backup power supply exploded as the package in which it was shipped was unloaded from a delivery truck.
“The question of liability in shipping HIPDR goods is vague at best, and the new Ship Responsibly program is a major and much-needed step in protecting both the public and small businesses such as mine,” he said.
Hanson’s store now displays counter mats and signage with the theme “What’s in Your Package? You Might Be Surprised,” as well as an HIPDR disclosure notice that details items considered to be hazardous, illegal, prohibited, dangerous or restricted. He also provides his customers with an HIPDR Disclosure and Liability Release Form.
For more information on AMPC’s Ship Responsibly program, call Hanson at 978-703-4743 or contact AMPC at 800-365-2672 or go to www.AMPC.org.
About AMPC
Associated Mail and Parcel Centers is the largest national trade association for private retail shipping centers, representing more than 3,300 Member-locations across the country.
Founded in 1982, AMPC provides programs of advocacy, information, education/certification, and group representation for small business retailers specializing in mail and parcel shipping services. Its membership roster includes independent and franchise-affiliated (PakMail, Parcel Plus, Postal Connections, Postal Annex, Mailboxes, Etc., PostNet, The UPS Store), mail and parcel centers college and university book stores, auction consignment stores (eBay Trading Assistants), and self-storage centers. Member locations offer a combination of USPS, DHL, and FedEx shipping, packing services, and related retail and business products.
Membership in AMPC is open to manufacturers, distributors, and retail stores whose businesses provide products and services associated with the mail and parcel shipping industry.
Contact: Neighborhood Parcel
553 Main St Tewksbury
MA 01876
Tel: 978-703-4743
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