724 Postal Service Handling

724.1 Acceptance Personnel

In addition to the basic guidelines in 251, acceptance personnel must follow the Transportation/Aviation Security Hazardous Materials Program instructions for the acceptance of hazardous materials. Key requirements include:

1. Proper Preparation: Each mailpiece presented contains a mailable hazardous material that is properly packaged and labeled.
2. Shipper‘s Declaration for Dangerous Goods: If required, the mailpiece bears the required Shipper‘s Declaration for Dangerous Goods (refer to 326 and 711.3).
3. Air-Transportation Eligibility: The mailpiece is eligible for air transportation and mailed as Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, or First-Class Package International Service, as permitted.
4. Surface Markings: These mailpieces must never display markings indicating surface transportation, such as "Surface Mail" or "Surface Mail Only."

Note: For safety reasons, mailers are not permitted to pay postage at Priority Mail Express or Priority Mail prices for mailpieces containing hazardous materials that are not eligible for air transportation.

724.2 Dispatch Personnel

In addition to the basic guidelines in 252, Postal Service personnel involved with mail dispatch via air transportation must follow the Hazardous Materials Program, HAZMAT SOP. These policy statements provide interim field instructions for handling mailpieces containing hazardous materials within mail processing areas and the proper tendering of such mail to the air carriers.

724.3 Nonmailable or Improperly Prepared Mailpieces

Mailpieces containing nonmailable or improperly packaged hazardous materials that were inadvertently accepted for mailing should:

1. Be stopped where identified and not presented to an air carrier.
2. Be handled in accordance with the Hazardous Materials Program, HAZMAT SOP.
3. Include notification to the mailer and the Post Office of origin to prevent future shipments from being incorrectly accepted for mailing.