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Patient specimens included in
"Biological Substance, Category B" must be treated as UN3373, when
they are transported for diagnostic or investigative purposes.
All specimens must be packaged to
prevent damage and spills. The system used is to use three layers (Three Layer
Packaging) in accordance with guidelines from WHO and the International Air Transport
Association (IATA).
When a package of infectious
material (containing harmful viruses or bacteria) is moved between the place of
origin, the cargo transport unit, the warehouse and its destination, the
package may encounter various challenges, including movement, vibration,
changes in temperature, humidity, and pressure. Therefore it is important to
use strong packaging to protect infectious material during transportation. The
packaging must be of good quality and strong enough to withstand various
challenges during shipping.
Therefore, materials containing
infectious agents must follow a three-layer packaging system, in which the
packaging layer is strong and the containment material is sufficient so that it
can be used to anticipate leaks and ensure safety.
A three-layer packaging system
with more specific and detailed requirements is needed for infectious materials
classified as Category A, Category B, or medical or clinical waste according to
UN 3291. These additional requirements ensure safe supervision in various modes
of transportation, and help stakeholders the importance of being able to ensure
that the packaging materials used have the appropriate strength and quality.
Further specifications for a three-layer packaging system may also be needed if
there are other dangerous goods (eg when dry ice is used as a cooler). The UN
model regulations, as well as other capital agreements, provide information
sheets outlining detailed packaging requirements for various classifications
and sub-classifications of dangerous goods. These instruction sheets are
generally referred to as "packing instructions", and three of them
may apply to the transmission of infectious material.
BASIC THREE LAYER PACKAGING
SYSTEMS
As the name suggests, a
three-pack system used to contain infectious substances must consist of three
layers:
• Main container;
• The second container must be
waterproof and leak-proof and can wrap and protect the main container; and
• The third container is used to
protect secondary packaging from physical damage while traveling.
FIRST CONTAINER
The first container or main
container, which contains an infectious material, must be waterproof, and not
penetrated by the material inside; that is, it must be leak-proof if the
material is liquid or strong if the substance is solid. The main container must
be labeled according to its contents. The main container should not be
punctured, damaged, weakened or come into contact with infectious substances.
For example, primary containers may not be corroded by preservative media used
for patient specimen media. If the infectious material is liquid or
semi-liquid, the main container must be wrapped with enough absorbent material
to absorb all the liquid in the event of damage or leakage.
SECOND CONTAINER
The second container must be
waterproof and leak-proof and strong, can be used to wrap and protect the main
container, and its absorbent material. Multiple primary containers can be
placed in a single secondary package, as long as they contain infectious
material of the same class. If the primary container is fragile, each must be
wrapped and placed in a secondary package separately, or in a way that prevents
contact between the samples. Bearing material may be needed to secure the
primary container in the secondary packaging.
THIRD CONTAINER
The third container, outer packaging is used to
protect secondary packaging from physical damage while traveling. Therefore,
this layer must have the appropriate strength for the weight, size and
composition of the package inside, to ensure that the package is protected. The
smallest external dimension must be at least 100 mm. Specimen data forms,
letters, supplementary documentation and other types of information that
identify or explain infectious material must be placed between the secondary
packaging and the outer layer of the packaging. If necessary, these documents
can be attached to the secondary pack
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