Package testing and development
Avantor® specifies and dispatches thousands of kitting items to laboratories and scientific sites around the world daily – and we extend our expertise in shipping to our customers through our Package Testing and Development Service. We can develop, test and certify a wide range of packaging to meet the needs of specific materials and the research they support.
Specifications we can cover include (but are not limited to) temperature-controlled packaging, e.g. 2-8°C, dry ice, insulated ambient or other custom needs.
We partner with you to make sure your kits are packaged according to the specifications you require, and in compliance with applicable transportation and hazardous material regulations. You can be sure that the materials, specimens and/or chemicals are packaged to arrive in the condition needed for your testing requirements.
Meeting your requirements
Based on your requirements – from basic to complex – we first develop the appropriate packaging. Our skilled team then validates each item in environmental test chambers that reflect the shipping environments the kits are likely to encounter. We document test results in a report that demonstrates how the packaging solution meets industry standards for procedure, calibrations and practices.
Many of our customers also benefit from our custom branded packaging.
Package certification
Avantor ensures that your packages will meet applicable domestic (U.S. Department of Transportation) and International Air Transport Association (IATA, ICAO) performance regulations for shipping hazardous materials via air and ground transportation. Our hazardous packaging team evaluates your specimens and/or chemicals to see that your packages meet regulatory shipping directives.
Our evaluation services are performed in a registered U.S. Department of Transportation test facility, and can include:
- Drop, stack and vibration testing
- 95 kPa pressure differential testing for air transport
Packages we supply meet Biological Substance, Category B, Infectious Substances, Excepted Quantity, Limited Quantity and full Hazmat criteria.
Package design
We also design and develop a wide range of packaging to meet specific parameters for the transportation of unregulated materials that need to arrive safely and intact. Contact our team for more details.
Hazardous materials training
At Avantor, we like to share our expertise with customers, and that’s why we created and run our widely adopted web-based training and certification program, covering the regulations that govern the handling and shipping of medical and other critical industry substances.
What does the course cover?
Every participant receives training and certification in the requirements of these leading regulatory agencies:
- U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)
- International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
- International Air Transport Association (IATA)
Who should take this course and why?
Anyone involved in preparing hazardous materials for shipping within the biopharmaceutical industries. Mandatory re-training required every two years. All students successfully taking the training receive a “Certificate of Completion” that meets the requirements of the regulatory agencies.