FAA penalizes Sherwin-Williams for hazmat violation

The Federal Aviation Administration also fined Centurion Air Cargo for hazardous material safety issues.    Sherwin-Williams faces a $71,500 fine for not declaring hazardous materials in shipments transported aboard FedEx Express aircraft, the Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday.
   The agency said that on two occasions last October the paint manufacturer knowingly booked shipments of primer, paint and related materials, which are classified as hazardous materials. One of the products is flammable and corrosive, it said.
   Employees at FedEx’s Indianapolis hub discovered the contents when one of the shipments leaked.
   The FAA alleges that the shipments were not accompanied by shipping papers describing the type or quantity of the hazardous materials and were not marked, labeled or packaged in accordance with hazardous materials regulations. Additionally, the FAA alleges the contents exceeded the allowable quantity for air transportation and that Sherwin-Williams failed to ensure the employees who processed them had received required hazardous materials training. The products were also not packed properly.
   Sherwin-Williams has 30 days to respond to the proposed civil penalty.
   The FAA also said it intends to fine Miami-based Centurion Air Cargo $66,000 for allegedly operating an MD-11 freighter on at least 12 flights that may have had faulty equipment. According to the FAA, Centurion operated the aircraft after receiving a fuel gauge fault message. Carriers are prohibited from flying aircraft with inoperable equipment unless it complies with minimum requirements. Centurion should have labeled the faulty device and verified the tail and forward auxiliary tanks were empty after refueling. 
   The agency also said the air carrier operated several flights after discovering the indicator for the emergency slide was broken and failing to verify that the slide system was adequately charged.