FAA Proposes $533,000 Civil Penalty Against Sears Holdings
ATLANTA, Ga. - The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposes a $533,000 civil penalty against Sears Holdings Management Corp. for allegedly violating Hazardous Materials Regulations.
The FAA alleges that Sears on Dec. 20, 2012 offered UPS 27 boxes, each containing one DieHard Portable Power Supply that encased a non-spillable battery, for air transportation to various locations in the United States. Workers at the UPS sort facility in Louisville, Ky., discovered six of the corrosive shipments were vibrating and one was warm to the touch.
The FAA alleges that Sears failed to package the batteries in accordance with the Hazardous Materials Regulations to prevent unintentional activation. The agency also alleges the shipment was not accompanied by shipping papers to indicate the hazardous nature of its contents, and was not marked or labeled. Additionally, Sears offered the shipment without providing emergency response information and failed to ensure its employees had received required hazardous materials training, the FAA alleges.
“Shippers must be vigilant when packaging hazardous materials," said FAA Administrator Michael Huerta. “They must carefully follow all the regulations to ensure the safe transportation of hazardous goods aboard aircraft."
Sears has 30 days from the receipt of the FAA's enforcement letter to respond to the agency.
Source: Federal Aviation Administration
