Hazardous Materials: Incorporation of ASME Code Section XII and the National Board Inspection Code
Key claim: PHMSA is letting builders and operators of certain cargo-tank trucks, cryogenic portable tanks, and multi-unit tank cars use the 2015 ASME Section XII and National Board inspection codes, which the agency says will cut costs and add flexibility without reducing safety.
Abstract
(Rule · Transportation Department, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration) PHMSA is amending the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) to incorporate by reference and authorize the use of the 2015 edition of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section XII–Rules for Construction and Continued Service of Transport Tanks for the construction and continued service of certain specification cargo tank motor vehicles (CTMVs), cryogenic portable tanks, and multi-unit tank car tanks. PHMSA is also amending the HMR to incorporate by reference and authorize the use of the 2015 edition of the National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors National Board Inspection Code, Parts 2 and 3 (including Supplement 6) as it applies to the continued service of transport packagings constructed to ASME Section XII standards, as well as for existing CTMVs constructed in accordance with ASME requirements and the HMR. PHMSA finds these updates will result in cost savings and increased regulatory flexibility without compromising safety.
Why this matters
Updating the incorporated-by-reference editions of ASME Section XII and the National Board Inspection Code aligns PHMSA’s construction and inspection requirements with current industry practice for cargo-tank trucks, cryogenic portable tanks, and multi-unit tank cars. The practical effect is narrow but tangible: builders and inspectors gain flexibility to use newer code provisions, while PHMSA retains the underlying safety baseline for high-consequence hazmat packagings.