Narrative:

Prior to departure; we received hazmat notification from ramp; an air waybill correctly and completely filled out showing life saving appliances; self inflating of 130 pounds loaded in aft #6. Also received an air waybill referring to radio active material type a. This part did not have a weight (amount) or location where on the airplane where it was loaded. When I inquired about this (it appeared that someone just forgot to fill that part out) ramp sent a man up to review it. I showed him the paperwork and inquired about the missing information. He said he would check and get back tome. Ramp called back; and then a ramp employee came back to the cockpit with the section of radioactive material inked out. Both men said that it was a mistake. There was no weight or pit location because the radioactive hazmat was not loaded on our airplane after all; that's why there was no pit location. Ramp lead assured us it was not loaded. Later that day; I checked at ZZZ control. Paperwork for pit showed both loads of hazmat; one for 130 pounds and one for 150 pounds had both been loaded into aft pit. Their paperwork showed signed off by ramp lead. When I discussed the discrepancy with them; 2 of the air freight/loading specialists were sympathetic and helpful. The third gentleman; while nice; seemed to shrug it off; and reassured me that 'well; that stuff isn't really radioactive' and all parties seemed to downplay the significance because it was 'just' comat. My concern is that ramp/freight does not seem to understand the importance of complying with FARS and notifying the captain about hazmat on the airplane. It is not up to a ramp person; or even a pilot to determine what is and is not hazmat on an airplane. I explained strict testing standards are applied; and they didn't seem familiar with this. I strongly suggest some serious training emphasizing that all hazmat must be accounted for; properly documented and the captain must know what is on his airplane! Some complacent ground personnel were also vaguely familiar with the rules but shrugged them off on the ground that 'oh; it's just comat; and those oxygen containers were empty anyway....' let's solve this problem now by complying with our existing good rules!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 CAPT RPTS UNDOCUMENTED HAZMAT REMAINED ON THE ACFT FOLLOWING QUESTIONING OF RAMP PERSONNEL ABOUT ITS WT AND LOCATION.

Narrative: PRIOR TO DEP; WE RECEIVED HAZMAT NOTIFICATION FROM RAMP; AN AIR WAYBILL CORRECTLY AND COMPLETELY FILLED OUT SHOWING LIFE SAVING APPLIANCES; SELF INFLATING OF 130 LBS LOADED IN AFT #6. ALSO RECEIVED AN AIR WAYBILL REFERRING TO RADIO ACTIVE MATERIAL TYPE A. THIS PART DID NOT HAVE A WT (AMOUNT) OR LOCATION WHERE ON THE AIRPLANE WHERE IT WAS LOADED. WHEN I INQUIRED ABOUT THIS (IT APPEARED THAT SOMEONE JUST FORGOT TO FILL THAT PART OUT) RAMP SENT A MAN UP TO REVIEW IT. I SHOWED HIM THE PAPERWORK AND INQUIRED ABOUT THE MISSING INFO. HE SAID HE WOULD CHK AND GET BACK TOME. RAMP CALLED BACK; AND THEN A RAMP EMPLOYEE CAME BACK TO THE COCKPIT WITH THE SECTION OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL INKED OUT. BOTH MEN SAID THAT IT WAS A MISTAKE. THERE WAS NO WT OR PIT LOCATION BECAUSE THE RADIOACTIVE HAZMAT WAS NOT LOADED ON OUR AIRPLANE AFTER ALL; THAT'S WHY THERE WAS NO PIT LOCATION. RAMP LEAD ASSURED US IT WAS NOT LOADED. LATER THAT DAY; I CHKED AT ZZZ CTL. PAPERWORK FOR PIT SHOWED BOTH LOADS OF HAZMAT; ONE FOR 130 LBS AND ONE FOR 150 LBS HAD BOTH BEEN LOADED INTO AFT PIT. THEIR PAPERWORK SHOWED SIGNED OFF BY RAMP LEAD. WHEN I DISCUSSED THE DISCREPANCY WITH THEM; 2 OF THE AIR FREIGHT/LOADING SPECIALISTS WERE SYMPATHETIC AND HELPFUL. THE THIRD GENTLEMAN; WHILE NICE; SEEMED TO SHRUG IT OFF; AND REASSURED ME THAT 'WELL; THAT STUFF ISN'T REALLY RADIOACTIVE' AND ALL PARTIES SEEMED TO DOWNPLAY THE SIGNIFICANCE BECAUSE IT WAS 'JUST' COMAT. MY CONCERN IS THAT RAMP/FREIGHT DOES NOT SEEM TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF COMPLYING WITH FARS AND NOTIFYING THE CAPT ABOUT HAZMAT ON THE AIRPLANE. IT IS NOT UP TO A RAMP PERSON; OR EVEN A PLT TO DETERMINE WHAT IS AND IS NOT HAZMAT ON AN AIRPLANE. I EXPLAINED STRICT TESTING STANDARDS ARE APPLIED; AND THEY DIDN'T SEEM FAMILIAR WITH THIS. I STRONGLY SUGGEST SOME SERIOUS TRAINING EMPHASIZING THAT ALL HAZMAT MUST BE ACCOUNTED FOR; PROPERLY DOCUMENTED AND THE CAPT MUST KNOW WHAT IS ON HIS AIRPLANE! SOME COMPLACENT GND PERSONNEL WERE ALSO VAGUELY FAMILIAR WITH THE RULES BUT SHRUGGED THEM OFF ON THE GND THAT 'OH; IT'S JUST COMAT; AND THOSE OXYGEN CONTAINERS WERE EMPTY ANYWAY....' LET'S SOLVE THIS PROB NOW BY COMPLYING WITH OUR EXISTING GOOD RULES!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.