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Exempt Human

International Air Transport Association (IATA) Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) manual contains a category that was created for shipping patient specimens for which there is minimal likelihood that pathogens are present.

The regulations cite examples of many routine laboratory tests that can now be transported as Exempt Human Specimens. Examples of those tests are: blood or urine for cholesterol levels, hormone levels, prostate specific antigens (PSA), tests to monitor organ function (heart, liver, kidney), tests conducted for insurance or employment, pregnancy, biopsies for cancer, drug or alcohol presence testing.

The Exempt Human Specimen (EHS) category has a specific packing and marking requirement. Specimen shipping packages consigned to couriers and air carriers must have the marking “Exempt Human Specimen” and must, at a minimum, meet the following package requirements:

  • 100 mm² dimension on one side
  • leak-proof primary container
  • leak-proof secondary container
  • absorbent between primary and secondary sufficient to absorb total primary container(s) contents
  • outer packaging of adequate strength for its capacity

To effectively transport patient specimens in the Exempt Human Specimen category, Therapak offers many EHS shipping systems based on the temperature sensitivity of the specimen payload. Please choose from the links below depending on transport conditions to select the shipping system most appropriate for your specimen type.

Individual Specimen Shipping Components