Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration November 21, 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

PHMSA and the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Office of Security and Hazardous Materials Safety hereby provide notification of our intent to extend the compliance date for certain provisions adopted in a January 19, 2011 final rule (PHMSA-2009-0126; 76 FR 3308) by no less than one year beyond the current January 1, 2013 compliance date in a future rulemaking action. This notice is intended to provide the widest dissemination of our planned future action to all potentially affected parties and to allow for development of a collaborative approach to implementing air-passenger notifications between interested government, commercial, and private entities.

PHMSA has been alerted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that counterfeit air bags have been sold as replacement parts to consumers and repair professionals. These counterfeit products may contain unapproved explosives and thus pose additional transportation risks when compared to air bags manufactured through legitimate means. Therefore, PHMSA is issuing this Safety Advisory Notice to (1) notify shippers and carriers of problems involving counterfeit air bags; (2) provide guidance on the proper classification of air bags; (3) specify provisions applicable to devices containing unapproved explosives; and (4) provide the next steps that PHMSA will take to address this problem. Consumers or repair professionals who suspect they have a counterfeit air bag should contact a call center established by their auto manufacturer. A list of these call centers and other additional information, including the list of vehicles that may contain counterfeit air bags, can be found at www.SaferCar.gov.