Can You Ship a Laptop by Air?
Lithium batteries, Class 9 dangerous goods according to the Department of Transportation (DOT), power many devices — including laptops. Their high risk level means you must adhere to the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) regulations to ship a computer by air.
How to Package Laptops for Air Shipping
Follow these steps when packing computers containing lithium-ion batteries:
1. Inspect the Devices
Check the devices to confirm they’re in good condition.
2. Protect the Keyboards and Screens
Add a thin protective layer of bubble wrap to keep the laptop screens and keyboards safe during transit.
3. Acquire Heavy-Duty Cardboard Boxes
Purchase enough heavy-duty cardboard boxes for the shipment. According to the IATA guidelines, the maximum lithium-ion battery weight per box is 11 pounds. So, keep this weight in mind when choosing box sizes.
4. Pack the Laptops
Arrange the gadgets neatly inside the boxes while separating them from each other using cardboard dividers. Alternatively, wrap each device individually before placing it inside the box.
5. Seal the Boxes
Use tape to seal each cardboard box securely.
6. Label Appropriately
Add an unsafe material sticker to the outside of each box.
7. Stack the Boxes
Stack the boxes on a pallet and secure them with strong wrapping.
8. Add Final Labels
Add a durable label with the right United Nations (UN) number and the shipper’s name and address to the package. Also, include the overpack label to indicate that you’ve contained multiple boxes within a single enclosure for easy handling.
9. Fill out the Necessary Documentation
Fill out the documentation to declare harmful articles and complete the air waybill to prepare your package for shipping.
How to Stay Safe
Your personnel must handle products containing unsafe goods cautiously during racking, picking, screening, packing and shipping to avoid short circuits. To achieve this level of caution, ensure your manufacturing plant is:
- Training staff: Only qualified and certified personnel should handle hazardous stock. So, enroll your employees in comprehensive classes to certify them.
- Segregating high-risk merchandise: To prevent adverse incidents, have your crew identify and segregate dangerous articles from low-risk items.
- Following regulations: Your staff should follow IATA guidelines whenever they encounter high-risk articles. Integrate these rules into factory protocols to make them easy to remember.
- Updating facility protocols: Ask team managers to update facility protocols whenever regulators create new rules or alter existing ones.
Train Your Crew at Hazmat School
Sign your personnel up for Hazmat School classes to train and certify them in handling unsafe merchandise. We provide various courses that allow professionals to meet regulatory requirements. Our program on shipping lithium batteries by air teaches learners how to classify, package and label shipments containing lithium power sources and how to follow the communication protocol for emergencies. We’ll offer discounts when you enroll an entire team.
Manages Hazmat School’s E-Learning courses and blog. Kirstie has extensive experience in the online training and education industry. Kirstie has worked with courses that offer a variety of safety and environmental certifications that satisfy OSHA, EPA and DOT requirements.
