B777 pilot refuses to accept hazmat material aboard the aircraft prior to departure from hnl.

Attributes
ACN	578245
Time
Date	200303
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hnl.airport
State Reference	HI
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B777 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	578245
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

No one available to decipher shipping content description. As a result, hazmat cargo refused. Cargo is labeled 'infectious substance affecting humans.' I wanted to know if cargo represented a danger to individuals in general and/or others having hepatitis a, B, and C or hiv. Also, what the effective radius of the infectious substance was, etc. Operations could only tell me that the cargo originated in japan. I said that if no authority/authorized could answer my questions, I was going to refuse it for the safety of passenger and crew. Recommend that some authority/authorized be available for consultation so informed and proper decisions can be made regarding carriage of infectious substances.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B777 PLT REFUSES TO ACCEPT HAZMAT MATERIAL ABOARD THE ACFT PRIOR TO DEP FROM HNL.

Narrative: NO ONE AVAILABLE TO DECIPHER SHIPPING CONTENT DESCRIPTION. AS A RESULT, HAZMAT CARGO REFUSED. CARGO IS LABELED 'INFECTIOUS SUBSTANCE AFFECTING HUMANS.' I WANTED TO KNOW IF CARGO REPRESENTED A DANGER TO INDIVIDUALS IN GENERAL AND/OR OTHERS HAVING HEPATITIS A, B, AND C OR HIV. ALSO, WHAT THE EFFECTIVE RADIUS OF THE INFECTIOUS SUBSTANCE WAS, ETC. OPS COULD ONLY TELL ME THAT THE CARGO ORIGINATED IN JAPAN. I SAID THAT IF NO AUTH COULD ANSWER MY QUESTIONS, I WAS GOING TO REFUSE IT FOR THE SAFETY OF PAX AND CREW. RECOMMEND THAT SOME AUTH BE AVAILABLE FOR CONSULTATION SO INFORMED AND PROPER DECISIONS CAN BE MADE REGARDING CARRIAGE OF INFECTIOUS SUBSTANCES.

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.