The transport of human or animal material intended for diagnostic or research purposes is regulated by the ADR, a UN document that specifies how such substances must be classified, packaged, and transported.
Are you transporting biological substances safely and legally?
The UN guidelines specify how substances must be classified and packaged for transport. According to these guidelines, biological substances classified as UN3373 Category b must be packaged and transported in accordance with packaging instruction P650.
What does UN3373 mean?
When deciding how to prepare dangerous goods for transport, the first step is to determine which UN number the dangerous goods belong to.
There are four UN numbers used to classify infectious or biological substances:
UN2814 – Infectious substances that are dangerous to humans
UN2900 Contagious substances, dangerous only to animals
UN3291 – Clinical waste
UN3373 – Biological substances
UN3373 Medical bags
What does P650 mean?
When a biological substance has been classified as UN3373, it must be packaged for transport in accordance with a set of guidelines known as P650 or Packaging Instruction 650. This is a list of requirements for the quality and construction of the packaging used for transport.
Packing instruction 650 is defined in the ADR, the European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road. The full text can be found hereExcerpts from it can be found below.
How can Versapak's medical transport bags help you comply with regulations?
Working closely with medical transport personnel and in consultation with the Department for Transport (DfT), Versapak has developed a range of medical bags that fully comply with Packaging Instruction 650 while remaining practical and user-friendly.
Since the introduction of the approved range, Versapak has supplied bags to around two-thirds of NHS hospitals, private clinics, and hospitals.
The table below shows excerpts from ADR packaging regulation P650 relating to overpackaging and explains how Versapak medical transport bags help to comply with the guidelines of packaging regulation 650.
Requirements of Packaging Instruction 650
"The packaging must be of good quality and able to withstand the shocks and stresses that typically occur during transport..."
Versapak medical bags are made from high-quality, weather-resistant, and tear-resistant material with extra-strong seams. Integrated padding and reinforcements protect the contents.
Requirements of Packaging Instruction 650
"Packaging must be designed and closed in such a way as to prevent loss of contents that may occur under normal transport conditions due to vibration or changes in temperature, humidity, or pressure."
A sturdy zipper keeps the bag's lid in place. A tamper-proof closure compartment can be sealed with a Versapak seal, which prevents the bag from being opened accidentally or without authorization.
Requirements of Packaging Instruction 650
The packaging must consist of at least three components:
(a) primary packaging
(b) secondary packaging
(c) outer packaging"
The Versapak medical transport bag is the outer packaging. We also offer leak-proof secondary packaging.
Requirements of Packaging Instruction 650
"...whereby either the secondary packaging or the outer packaging must be rigid."
"The secondary packaging must be placed in the outer packaging with suitable cushioning material."
"Any leakage of the contents must not compromise the integrity of the cushioning material or the outer packaging."
Versapak medical bags have integrated reinforcement to ensure that the bags remain stable at all times. The reinforcement is padded with a soft outer material that protects the contents and increases user-friendliness. The reinforcement, padding, and outer material are designed so that contact with liquids does not compromise their integrity.
Requirements of Packaging Instruction 650
"For transportation, the identification mark shown below must be affixed."
"The official name for transport, "BIOLOGICAL MATERIAL, CATEGORY B," must be indicated on the outer packaging directly next to the diamond-shaped label, with a font size of at least 6 mm."
An A5 window on the side of the bag is printed with the UN3373 logo. Inside the window, a white card provides a contrasting background and is printed with the relevant text.
Requirements of Packaging Instruction 650
At least one of the surfaces of the outer packaging must have minimum dimensions of 100 mm x 100 mm.
The smallest Versapak biological transport bag measures 305 x 170 x 305 mm.
Requirements of Packaging Instruction 650
"The complete package must be able to successfully pass the drop test specified in subsection 6.3.5.3 in accordance with the provisions of subsection 6.3.5.2 at a drop height of 1.2 m."
Versapak's biological substance transport bag has been independently tested and certified to pass a drop test from a height of 1.2 m in accordance with these regulations.
Click here to view the test results.
Primary, inner, and outer packaging
A Versapak medical transport bag is the outer packaging for biological substances in accordance with UN3373. Primary packaging is required and is usually specified by the laboratory. Versapak supplies small (6 liters), medium (18 liters), and large (35 liters) medical transport bags, meeting the requirements of most laboratories and medical facilities. Leak-proof inserts complement the inner packaging and are available in small, medium, and large sizes to fit the transport bag. The inserts are equipped with fastening clips to prevent samples from entering the outer packaging when used with our absorbent material.
View all approved UN3373 transport bags from Versapak:
UN3373 Medical bags
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