Shipping and Transportation
Shipping and Transportation
Summary
How to ship and transport research and regulated materials to and from Harvard.
Who is this for?
All students, faculty, and staff.
Shipping and transporting materials to and from Harvard
Follow Harvard requirements and EHS guidance to ship and transport certain materials by ground, air, or sea, including:
- Biological materials and dry ice.
- Chemicals regulated by the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).
- Lab and research materials, including biological, chemical, and radioactive research materials.
Follow universal waste regulations when you ship batteries from Harvard.
Use eShipGlobal to ship biological materials, chemicals, and research materials.
eShipGlobal helps you classify shipments, generate supporting documents, and meet domestic and international shipping requirements.
Complete all applicable training courses before shipping or transporting materials:
Lab and research materials
Labs and researchers can use EHS resources to help ship and transport dangerous goods, including biological, chemical, and radioactive research materials.
Certain research materials must follow federal regulatory and permitting requirements, such as:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention import permits.
- Department of Agriculture transport, import, and export permits and regulations.
- Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations.
- Fish and Wildlife Service permits.
- Food and Drug Administration import permits.
- International Air Transport Association guidelines.
- Maritime law.
Follow this guidance to safely transport research materials through common areas in Harvard buildings.
When possible, avoid wearing gloves by:
- Using carts, bottle carriers, or secondary containment trays to transport chemicals.
- Packaging materials so you can handle the outer container without gloves and the package will contain the material if it is dropped.
Follow the one-glove rule if you must wear gloves to transport materials:
- Use an ungloved hand to touch common surfaces.
- Use a gloved hand to carry the materials.
Shipping and transportation at Harvard
EHS support
Contact EHS for more information about general shipping and transportation, including:
- Transporting hazardous materials, including DOT requirements and security plans.
Contact ehs_researchtransport@harvard.edu for more information about shipping or transporting research materials to and from Harvard.