Narrative:

On the ground in sfo during preflight; the first officer observed a package on the belt loader marked for 'dry ice' and appeared to be a 'hazmat' box. Preflight paperwork showed 'live animals' so the dry ice box seemed positioned at the wrong pit since animals typically are loaded in the aft pit. Dry ice is not authority/authorized in a pit with live animals. After preflight and during the flight close-out phase; the agent asked if we had all our paperwork. The captain asked if we had a pilot notification sheet for the dry ice. None was available. During a radio call to sfo operations to inquire about the dry ice box and paperwork to accompany the box; it was reported to the pilots that since the box had less than 1 KG (2.2 pounds) of dry ice; there was no pilot notification required. The captain checked the fom and could not determine there was a minimum weight requirement for carrying dry ice in the pits without pilot notification. Captain had the box removed and confirmed the box was removed with the pushback crew. Issues to be resolved: 1) what is the correct notification procedure for dry ice/hazmat? 2) is it ok to load a hazmat box with dry ice in the same pit as live animals? 3) was the package is question shipped on another flight without pilot notification after the pilots of flight xx refused to carry the package? 4) what training is in place to ensure this won't be repeated? Captain notified dispatch; via a cell phone before pushback; of the issue with the lack of notification and removal of the package from the pit.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 FLT CREW HAS HAZMAT WITHOUT PROPER PAPERWORK.

Narrative: ON THE GND IN SFO DURING PREFLT; THE FO OBSERVED A PACKAGE ON THE BELT LOADER MARKED FOR 'DRY ICE' AND APPEARED TO BE A 'HAZMAT' BOX. PREFLT PAPERWORK SHOWED 'LIVE ANIMALS' SO THE DRY ICE BOX SEEMED POSITIONED AT THE WRONG PIT SINCE ANIMALS TYPICALLY ARE LOADED IN THE AFT PIT. DRY ICE IS NOT AUTH IN A PIT WITH LIVE ANIMALS. AFTER PREFLT AND DURING THE FLT CLOSE-OUT PHASE; THE AGENT ASKED IF WE HAD ALL OUR PAPERWORK. THE CAPT ASKED IF WE HAD A PLT NOTIFICATION SHEET FOR THE DRY ICE. NONE WAS AVAILABLE. DURING A RADIO CALL TO SFO OPS TO INQUIRE ABOUT THE DRY ICE BOX AND PAPERWORK TO ACCOMPANY THE BOX; IT WAS RPTED TO THE PLTS THAT SINCE THE BOX HAD LESS THAN 1 KG (2.2 LBS) OF DRY ICE; THERE WAS NO PLT NOTIFICATION REQUIRED. THE CAPT CHKED THE FOM AND COULD NOT DETERMINE THERE WAS A MINIMUM WT REQUIREMENT FOR CARRYING DRY ICE IN THE PITS WITHOUT PLT NOTIFICATION. CAPT HAD THE BOX REMOVED AND CONFIRMED THE BOX WAS REMOVED WITH THE PUSHBACK CREW. ISSUES TO BE RESOLVED: 1) WHAT IS THE CORRECT NOTIFICATION PROC FOR DRY ICE/HAZMAT? 2) IS IT OK TO LOAD A HAZMAT BOX WITH DRY ICE IN THE SAME PIT AS LIVE ANIMALS? 3) WAS THE PACKAGE IS QUESTION SHIPPED ON ANOTHER FLT WITHOUT PLT NOTIFICATION AFTER THE PLTS OF FLT XX REFUSED TO CARRY THE PACKAGE? 4) WHAT TRAINING IS IN PLACE TO ENSURE THIS WON'T BE REPEATED? CAPT NOTIFIED DISPATCH; VIA A CELL PHONE BEFORE PUSHBACK; OF THE ISSUE WITH THE LACK OF NOTIFICATION AND REMOVAL OF THE PACKAGE FROM THE PIT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.