Handling safety
While cold packs require no special handling safety guidelines, dry ice must be handled with extreme caution because it is extremely cold. Skin contact with dry ice can lead to severe frostbite. Skin cells can very quickly freeze and become damaged. Use tongs to handle dry ice when possible, and use loose-fitting, thermally insulated gloves for manual handling. Never handle dry ice with bare hands.
When shipping products with dry ice to end consumers make sure to enclose the dry ice and provide clear and visible instructions regarding the dry ice. The goal is to know exactly how much dry ice you need in order to have the refrigerant fully sublimated by the time it arrives. In a case where dry ice remains at the end of the delivery it is important to design a system that prevents your customer from being injured.
Storage and disposal
When dry ice sublimates, it releases substantial amounts of CO2 gas. As a result, make sure to store dry ice in a well-ventilated location, as well as in a purpose-designed non-airtight container like our PopupLiner. When unpacking dry ice, dispose of it in a well-ventilated area. Do not place it in a sink or fixture where the extreme cold could result in damage to fixtures. Many cold pack materials (outer plastic shell), on the other hand, can be fully recycled at local collection depots. Check with your cold pack supplier to find out more.
Regulatory considerations Dry ice is considered a hazardous material in the United States. Non-medical shipments that contain more than 5.5 pounds) of dry ice must comply with Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations (49 CFR) or International Air Transportation Association (IATA) rules, depending on the mode of transportation. Where shipments are beneath this weight threshold, only minimal packaging markings are required, providing that the goods being chilled are not also hazardous. There are no regulatory requirements regarding cold packs.
