Both Domestic (DOT - Department of Transportation) and International (IATA - International Air Transport Association) regulations require shippers to be properly trained on the shipping of Research Material and Dangerous Goods. This training must cover how to Identify, Classify, Package, and Label these shipments as well as convey some information on safety and security. Further, many “other considerations” including export controlled items, commercial invoices, import/export/interstate transfer permits, and other items may need to be considered to ensure your shipment arrives in a safe and timely manner.
The University of Chicago uses the eSHIPGlobal system for all of its outbound freight management. In order to ship research material via the platform, users must have proper training credit as applicable in EHSA. If you are unsure which course is needed, please email researchsafety@uchicago.edu for consultation.
Below are the current shipping course offerings. All trainings expire after two (2) years.
Online Training 
shp-03W: Shipping with Dry Ice
This course covers the packing instructions for shipping of non-hazardous material on Dry Ice. It does not cover how to classify any research material for shipping purposes. The training should only be taken if you are absolutely sure, based on prior training or confirmation from ORS, that your material meets the definition of non-hazardous and non-regulated. This course can be completed online via EHSA Training.
shp-04W: Shipping Biological Material IATA/DOT
This course is intended for researchers who need to ship biological material such as infectious material which is not life threatening, exempt human/animal specimen, genetically altered organisms, non-regulated biological material, as well dry ice.
This training covers the classification, packaging, and labeling of biological material for shipping as well safety and security considerations. It does not cover other types of shipping containers (dry shippers), chemicals beyond small amounts of fixatives commonly used with biological material, nor life-threatening infectious material. This course can be completed online via EHSA Training.
Clinical staff unless otherwise directed by their supervisors can take this course to fulfill their certificate requirements for record keeping purposes.
In-person (zoom) Training 
shp-12H: IATA Shipping Dangerous Goods
This course covers shipping for researchers who will need to ship chemicals, infectious material that can cause life-threatening disease, out of the ordinary shipping containers, and also includes the materials covered in the shipping biological material and dry ice training courses. To register for a training session, please visit EHSA Training Registration.
Users who previously completed the in-person shp-12H training and will only ship biological materials with/without dry ice can complete the online course shp-04W instead of shp-12H once the shp-12H training expires.
