FAA fines food shipper for illicit hazmat cargo

The Federal Aviation Administration has proposed a $54,000 civil penalty against Gordon Food Service of Wyoming, Mich. for allegedly violating federal hazardous materials regulations.    The U.S. Transportation Department’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has proposed a $54,000 civil penalty against Gordon Food Service of Wyoming, Mich. for allegedly violating federal hazardous materials regulations.
   The FAA alleges that on Aug. 11, 2014, Gordon Food offered UPS a shipment of 30 4-ounce fryer boil-out foaming tablets for air transport from Plant City, Fla., to Greensboro, N.C. The agency noted the tablets consisted of corrosive sodium hydroxide, and the inner boxes displayed the words, “DANGER: May Cause Burns.” Workers at UPS’s sort facility in Lakeland, Fla., found the shipment.
   The FAA alleges the package was “not properly marked, labeled or accompanied by shipping papers indicating the amount, type and hazardous nature of the material inside.” It also said Gordon Food did not provide required emergency response information with the shipment.
   In addition, the FAA alleges the company failed to train its employees on how to properly prepare hazmat shipments.