We receive paraffin blocks from all over the world. Normally you just need a
letter for the customs inspectors stating what the material is and that the
material is non-infectious and non-hazardous. For infectious material you
need special packaging and labeling.

You can find detailed packaging instructions for infectious and
non-infectious materials in the CDC Biosafety handbook "Biosafety in
Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories, United States Department of
Health and Human Services, 4th Ed., edited by J.Y. Richmond and R.W.
McKinney, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1999. " This is also available in
it's entirety for free online at:

www.cdc.gov/od/ohs/biosfty/bmbl4/bmbl4s1.htm


Tim Morken EMT(MSA), HTL(ASCP)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Infectious Disease Pathology
MS-G32 
1600 Clifton Road
Atlanta, GA 30333

PH 404-639-3964
FAX 404-639-3043
email tim9@cdc.gov 

-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Carns [mailto:Jim.Carns@LifeSpanBioSciences.com]
Sent: Tuesday, May 21, 2002 2:14 PM
To: histonet@pathology.swmed.edu
Subject: Shipping Paraffin Blocks overseas


One of my co-workers has contacts in Japan that want to send paraffin blocks
to our lab in Seattle.  We are all unsure of the restrictions there might be
on shipping, particularly in how to label the material.  Does anyone know
where I can go to find regulations for such things?  Since they are being
sent from Japan, I suppose that the regulations will be set by the Japanese
government and not by the US.  Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks
Jim Carns, MD
LifeSpan BioSciences, Inc.
Seattle, WA