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SOP-005 Standard Operating Procedure Packing and Shipping of Environmental Samples <br />Page 2 of 3 Revision No. 1 April 2019 <br /> <br />Sharpe Army Depot <br />Samples will be assessed to determine potential hazard. Potentially hazardous samples are required by law to be properly handled and labeled. <br />Good judgment on the part of the sample coordinator is necessary to identify potentially hazardous samples. Samples collected from chemical or fuel drums and tanks, stained or otherwise obviously contaminated soil, free product from a well, leachates, sludges, and samples with headspace readings noted above are all hazardous samples. Hazardous waste samples will be shipped according to DOT and IATA regulations. <br />Samples determined to be non-hazardous by the Sample Coordinator are environmental samples. They are to be labeled, packaged, documented, and shipped as described in Section 3.2. <br />4.0 Procedures <br />Determine the maximum allowable weight of each cooler (Federal Express limit for Priority Overnight shipping is 150 pounds). <br />Place each container in a Ziploc® bag and seal, squeezing as much air as possible from the bag before closing. Glass bottles and jars will be wrapped in bubble wrap. <br />Tape the cooler's drain plug shut on the inside and the outside. <br />Place a large size plastic bag (trash bag) in the cooler to contain samples. <br />Place the sample bags in the plastic bag, with enough room for ice bags to be placed among and around the containers and insulate with enough bubble wrap to deter breakage. <br />Place ice (double-bagged) among the containers along the walls and top of each cooler in a manner to ensure uniform cooling. When shipping soil samples, place one bag of ice along the bottom of the cooler as well. Do not use Blue Ice, as its heat capacity is lower than regular ice. If the Sample Shipper/Controller is informed by the laboratory that the samples are not being chilled sufficiently, additional ice may be required. Note that in summer months, more ice may be needed to ensure the samples arrive cold at the laboratory. <br />If shipping via commercial carrier (e.g., Federal Express), write the carrier's airbill number on the COC form, place the appropriate pages of the COC form inside a Ziploc® bag, and seal the bag with a signed, dated custody seal. The COC form has three pages. The original and one copy are sealed inside the Ziploc®bag and placed inside the cooler. One copy goes to project data management, and one copy (made by the Field Manager) is placed in field files. The COC form sent to the laboratory must be completed with all designated information, the pages must be originals (not photocopies), and the COC must be unique to the samples contained in the cooler. <br />If a courier from the laboratory is collecting the samples and delivering them to the laboratory, have the courier confirm that all samples listed are present and then sign the COC form. <br />Tape the Ziploc® bag with the COC form to the inside lid of the cooler, and close and latch the cooler.