If you ship and receive hazardous materials, chances are that you will eventually receive a shipment that does not meet the DOT's standards for hazmat packages, whether it's undeclared, misdeclared or damaged. Hazmat shipping mistakes are especially common in the reverse logistics supply chain, since your customers may not have the training needed to identify their hazmat shipping responsibilities before returning a product by mail. If you do receive a noncompliant hazmat package, it is important that you are prepared to deal with the situation correctly to prevent an accident or a subsequent compliance violation at your facility. Your reaction to receiving noncompliant hazmat will depend on a number of factors.
