Handling of samples

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1. Packaging

After sampling, the sample containers must be checked for leaks. The outer surface of packages must be clean and dry. If leaks occur, caps and stoppers should be reinforced or replaced. Another inspection should then be carried out, and if leaks persist fresh samples should be taken. Preferably use another sample container.

The sample containers used for the packaging of volatile liquid samples should be filled to approximately 90 % of their total holding capacity.

Warning signs, markings and symbols indicating potential hazards should be placed on packages holding samples of hazardous goods/compounds.

2. Sealing

Depending on your national regulations the sample container should be sealed in an appropriate manner for the type of container used, to prevent unauthorised or inappropriate handling of samples (and ensure the integrity of the contents). The seal must be firmly attached and stable in order to prevent damage during sample storage or transport, and to safeguard the chain of evidence.

3. Marking

The markings on labels must be clearly legible and permanent in order to prevent deletion or substitution/alteration during storage, handling and transport.

In the case of retail sale packages, the customs label should not cover the commercial labels of the original product (trademark, manufacturer, contents, expiry date, etc.). It is recommended that you place retail packages in a polythene bag and fix the labels and seals to the bag.

Health and safety regulations must be observed.

4. Documents accompanying final samples

The accompanying documents must be kept in line with rules laid down by the customs administration. This depends on the local situation. In some Member States only digital documents are used; they are sent by email to the customs laboratory or using integrated information systems. Copies of other relevant documents concerning the nature of the goods may also be enclosed (SDS, technical specifications, quality/compliance certificates, etc.).

5. Storage of samples

Storage conditions are determined by the characteristics and properties of samples taken. Storage conditions should ensure that the sample is not altered in any way that might affect the parameters to be analysed.

Health and safety regulations must be observed.

In general, samples should be stored in a clean, dry, dark, cool and sufficiently ventilated room.

• Foodstuff samples must be stored separately from other samples. Perishable goods must be stored in refrigerators or freezers and the storage temperature must be monitored regularly. If frozen, samples should be maintained at below -18 °C and the storage temperature should be monitored.
• Flammable substances must be stored in accordance with the fire safety regulations.

If the customs office cannot provide these facilities and the sample cannot be transferred to the customs laboratory immediately, an alternative external storage place should be sought that fulfils the conditions for safeguarding the quality and identity of the samples.

It is recommended that each customs office appoint an officer to manage the sample storage facility. Their job description should also include the following tasks:

• accepting samples for storage and transport for analysis, and record keeping;
• monitoring the sample storage deadlines;
• organising sample disposal after expiry of these dates;
• ensuring that the storage conditions for the samples are met at all times.

For certain products specific conditions are appropriate. Some examples are given below, but you should refer to the specific sampling procedure for more details.
 

6. Transport

The transport conditions must guarantee the integrity and characteristics of the samples being transported. The type of transport will depend on the nature of the samples (e.g. dangerous good or special temperature requirements), the quantities, the urgency and frequency with which they occur.

There are several methods for transporting samples to the customs laboratory.

Refer to your national guidance for further information regarding the transport of samples.

It is not usually necessary to send samples to the customs laboratory immediately, provided the customs office has adequate storage facilities. Samples may be collected and sent to the customs laboratory periodically providing the time limits for the delivery of samples to the laboratory are being observed.

For the regular transport by courier customs offices may be linked via a transport network to ensure regular collection of samples. For practical reasons it may not always be possible to connect all customs offices to the transport network. This may be the case at an isolated border office or an office where sampling seldom takes place. These offices may send samples by one of the other methods. Urgent transport of samples may be organised with a courier who can deliver the samples within 24 hours or less. Ensure that the courier offers the appropriate storage and transport conditions for the sample.

For the transport samples may be placed in additional packages (paperboard boxes, crates, special sample containers, etc.) or distribution containers. These may be filled with vermiculite or another inert product in pellet form that act as packing and filler. This will prevent damage and if leakage occurs, the liquid will be absorbed.

Frozen or chilled samples are transported in mobile freezers, cooling boxes or, for short distances, in temperature insulation bags or boxes. The cooling chain must be maintained and should be recorded.

Samples obtained from thawed products should not be refrozen unless they will otherwise perish.

Samples of food and chemical products must be separated in the transport vehicle (cargo holds, packing boxes, etc.) in order to prevent any direct contact between them.

WARNING
Samples of substances that may interact should never be stored or transported in the same box. Any physical or chemical interaction or cross-contamination that would affect the samples or could create a hazardous situation (fumes, fire or explosion) must be avoided.

Transport of samples of chemical products liable to self-ignite, explode or release toxic gases during transport is done by specialized contractors.

Samples of materials that may generate static discharges should be transported packed in electrical non-conductor material.

Transport of dangerous goods by road (ADR)

For the transport of samples that are classified as dangerous goods (see section 14 “transport information” of the SDS and/or ADR regulations have to be observed).

All personnel involved in the packaging, sending and transport need to receive regular briefings on the relevant ADR regulations.

Remark: In some Member States customs have the general exception from ADR rules however, it is highly recommended to follow the rules for health and safety as well as environmental protection reasons in case of accidents or spills.

When samples that are classified as dangerous goods are transported by a contractor (e.g. post, courier, distributor) the sender is responsible for providing all information necessary for the contractor to deal with the consignment safely. Any requirements set by the contractor regarding quantities, packaging and labelling must be complied with.

The transport of large quantities of dangerous goods requires extensive measures (e.g. regarding the transport vehicles, the training of personnel, the packaging etc.).

Usually, customs officers will be required to transport only small quantities of dangerous goods (e.g. chemical products, illegal drugs, flammable liquids). There are two exemptions from full ADR regulations for the transport of limited quantities of dangerous goods, which can be applied (see points A and B below).

The following is a short abstract of ADR regulations on transport of limited quantities. Always refer to your national administration for detailed information.

A) Transport as “Limited Quantity” (Chapter 3.4 ADR)

• Dangerous goods are each packed in an inner packaging and combined in an outer packaging.
• The total gross mass of the entire package must not exceed 30 kg.
• Quantity limits for the inner packaging depend on the nature of dangerous good. They are specified in Column 7(a) of Table A of Chapter 3.2 ADR. The necessary information on UN-Number and Packing Group can be found in the SDS in section 14 “transport information”. For a few examples of typical customs samples see the table below. If the Column 7(a) of Table A of Chapter 3.2 ADR indicates “0”, the sample cannot be transported as a limited quantity.
• Packaging needs to meet requirements of chapter 6.1 ADR but does not need to be type-examination tested (except for class 1).
• The outer packaging is labelled         

with the following sign:
and in case of liquids:

• The carrier needs to have information on the gross weight of the consignment
• All personnel involved in the packaging, sending and transport need to receive regular briefings on the relevant ADR regulations.

B) Transport using “Small Load Exemption" or “1000-Point-Rule” (section 1.1.3.6 ADR)

• Dangerous goods have to be packed in type-examination tested packaging with a UN code on the outside. Mark: for cardboard boxes tape and inner packaging (e.g. plastic bags) are part of the type-examination test.
• Packages have to be labelled with the following information: consigner, consignee, UN-number, the hazard class label, orientation arrows in case of liquids.
• The vehicle has to be equipped with a fire extinguisher (min. 2 kg).
• Quantity limits refer to the total load per vehicle (including trailer). They are calculated as shown below. There are several online applications that perform these calculations provided you have all the necessary information.

A transport category is assigned to every dangerous good (see ADR Chapter 3.2, Table A, Column 15). There are the categories 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4 depending on the UN-number, the class and the packing group of the dangerous good. The maximum total quantity per transport for each transport category is shown here:

table 1: maximum quantities for “small load exemption”

see: ADR 1.1.3.6.3

Example:

• Gasoline (UN 1203, class 3, packing group II) is assigned to transport category 2 and therefore 333 liter can be transported under the small load exemption. Equally, a transport of gasoline samples and samples of pure ethanol (UN 1170, class 3, packing group II, transport category 2) may carry a total load of 333 liter.
• If dangerous goods with different transport categories are to be transported, the quantities (weight in kg or volume in liters) are multiplied with a factor as shown in table 2 and added up. The result may not exceed the number 1000, thus “1000 point rule”.

table 2: multiplication factors for “1000 point rule”

see: ADR 1.1.3.6.4

Examples:

• Example 1:
  • Transport of samples (1 L each): 30 samples of pure ethanol, 20 diesel fuel samples, 10 gasoline samples

total points: 140
In this example the transport can make use of the “small load exemptions”.

• Example 2:
  • Transport of 50 kg cocaine seizure, 50 kg methamphetamine seizure, 15 kg heroin seizure:

total points: 1050
In this example the transport cannot make use of the “small load exemptions”.

The driver needs to carry an ADR transport document containing the following information: consigner, consignee and for each UN-number on the transport: number of packages, tunnel restriction code (see: ADR Chapter 3.2 Table A column 15), total net weight.

Warning If in doubt about the packaging and transport of dangerous goods or unknown substances, ask your customs laboratory for advice.

The above rules and requirements are non-exhaustive and apply according to individual circumstances. Different rules apply to transport by air (IATA) or sea (IMDG).

7. Acceptance at the customs laboratory

The sample must arrive at the laboratory in the correct condition in order to be acceptable. You must ensure that the following criteria are met during transport and transfer to the laboratory. The laboratory will contact the customs officer and has the right to reject the sample if these criteria are not met.

All samples must meet the following criteria:

• Samples must be labelled with details of the sample, including the sample reference.
• The sample must be sealed. A sample is considered to be sealed if one of the following criteria is met:
  1. The sample is handed over directly by a customs officer.
  2. The packing or the sample container itself is sealed in an appropriate manner for the type of container used, as mentioned in paragraph 2. Sealing. One package may contain several samples, whether or not separately sealed.
  3. The sample consists of an article to which a label has been attached and sealed in an appropriate manner.
• The package must be undamaged and unopened. The time limit for delivery to the laboratory must not be exceeded in agreement with national guidance and international regulations.
• The samples must be accompanied by a fully completed Sampling form.

• The sample amount must be sufficient to carry out the analyses. For some specific commodities the following conditions should be met:

  • Deep-frozen products must not have thawed.
  • Products normally preserved at low temperature (butter, dairy products, fruit juices) must have been maintained at this temperature.
  • Products liable to fermentation should be handled with care and should be placed in a refrigerator as soon as possible.
  • Mineral oil samples must be submitted in protective transport boxes and should be checked to ensure there has been no leakage.
  • When samples are in the original packing for retail sale, this packing should be intact.
  • Chemical samples which are officially marked with hazard symbols, such as a skull, a flame symbol or the explosion symbol, should be transported in special sample boxes (see Packaging recommendations).

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