Narrative:

On jan/xy/99, xyz aircraft on ground desk, abc wyy ordered me to ship (10 each) oxygen generators to zxw for an OTS aircraft. I protested, being afraid of an accident or incident that I would be responsible for. Supervisor insisted that I ship them. Supervisor said an air taxi was the same as a cargo plane. The hazardous machine would not accept the airline code of the air taxi, therefore, I had to do the paperwork out by hand. I have not been trained on the DOT exemptions or competent authority/authorized individually and inadvertently left them off of the paperwork. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states the aircraft OTS was an MD80 and maintenance control insisted the 10 oxygen generators be sent air freight. The reporter said there were no published procedures on shipping oxygen generators by air freight in the stores area and the reporter was absolutely certain it was forbidden. The reporter said he had received no training on the procedures and safety requirements for shipping oxygen generators and the paperwork required. The reporter said the units were shipped after he was ordered to comply, but was given no guidance or help. The reporter stated it turned out the shipping of the units by air freight is legal, but has stringent requirements on type of aircraft and documentation required. The reporter said he had no way of knowing the type of aircraft the units were actually carried on. The reporter stated that since this incident, the air carrier has made the handling procedures known to all stores personnel. The reporter was counseled and given the hazmat shipping hotline phone number.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A STOREKEEPER WAS ORDERED BY ACR MAINT CTL TO SHIP 10 OXYGEN GENERATORS BY AIR FREIGHT WITH NO REGULATORY OR SAFETY PROCEDURAL GUIDANCE.

Narrative: ON JAN/XY/99, XYZ ACFT ON GND DESK, ABC WYY ORDERED ME TO SHIP (10 EACH) OXYGEN GENERATORS TO ZXW FOR AN OTS ACFT. I PROTESTED, BEING AFRAID OF AN ACCIDENT OR INCIDENT THAT I WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR. SUPVR INSISTED THAT I SHIP THEM. SUPVR SAID AN AIR TAXI WAS THE SAME AS A CARGO PLANE. THE HAZARDOUS MACHINE WOULD NOT ACCEPT THE AIRLINE CODE OF THE AIR TAXI, THEREFORE, I HAD TO DO THE PAPERWORK OUT BY HAND. I HAVE NOT BEEN TRAINED ON THE DOT EXEMPTIONS OR COMPETENT AUTH INDIVIDUALLY AND INADVERTENTLY LEFT THEM OFF OF THE PAPERWORK. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THE ACFT OTS WAS AN MD80 AND MAINT CTL INSISTED THE 10 OXYGEN GENERATORS BE SENT AIR FREIGHT. THE RPTR SAID THERE WERE NO PUBLISHED PROCS ON SHIPPING OXYGEN GENERATORS BY AIR FREIGHT IN THE STORES AREA AND THE RPTR WAS ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN IT WAS FORBIDDEN. THE RPTR SAID HE HAD RECEIVED NO TRAINING ON THE PROCS AND SAFETY REQUIREMENTS FOR SHIPPING OXYGEN GENERATORS AND THE PAPERWORK REQUIRED. THE RPTR SAID THE UNITS WERE SHIPPED AFTER HE WAS ORDERED TO COMPLY, BUT WAS GIVEN NO GUIDANCE OR HELP. THE RPTR STATED IT TURNED OUT THE SHIPPING OF THE UNITS BY AIR FREIGHT IS LEGAL, BUT HAS STRINGENT REQUIREMENTS ON TYPE OF ACFT AND DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED. THE RPTR SAID HE HAD NO WAY OF KNOWING THE TYPE OF ACFT THE UNITS WERE ACTUALLY CARRIED ON. THE RPTR STATED THAT SINCE THIS INCIDENT, THE ACR HAS MADE THE HANDLING PROCS KNOWN TO ALL STORES PERSONNEL. THE RPTR WAS COUNSELED AND GIVEN THE HAZMAT SHIPPING HOTLINE PHONE NUMBER.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.