Fall is here, and with it the cool weather and fast approaching holidays we all enjoy so much. Hopefully your season is filled with pleasant plans and lots to do! Regulatory activity remains fairly minimal, although some action related to the recent catastrophic hurricanes has occurred. Let’s take a look at the latest updates: PHMSA…
Archive for News
Watch the video that has hazmat pros cheering and laughing
We kicked off the recent 2017 Dangerous Goods Symposium with a video that had nearly 300 DG professionals roaring. Kids Say the DG’est Things introduces kids to the challenges we face every day, and their candid responses are adorable, hilarious and—ultimately—a touching tribute to the importance of the DG professional. Enjoy the video? Leave a…
DG Digest: Transport Canada Explores Mandatory DG Certification & AAR Will Meet to Discuss Bulk Transport of Hazmat
Fall is just around the corner; the official first day of autumn is this Friday. Will the regulatory pace increase to wrap up the year? Time will tell. Meanwhile, here’s what was new this week: PHMSA The agency issued notifications for its receipt of both applications for new Special Permits as well as modifications of... Read more [...]
Labelmaster salutes “Haul Stars” for National Truck Driver Appreciation Week
Labelmaster is celebrating National Truck Driver Appreciation Week by visiting a few of our customers in the area to share coffee, breakfast and our exclusive “Haul Stars” t-shirts. It’s the least we can do to show our appreciation for the folks who transport 94 percent of all hazmat shipped in the U.S. That’s 1.3 million…
A “Haul Stars” playlist for National Truck Driver Appreciation Week
There are lots of great songs about trucking, but you won’t find any of them here. This is a playlist for people who drive for a living—an hour’s worth of songs, mostly about roads and highways, to help give your next drive a little more magic. Listen to the whole playlist on Spotify at bit.ly/labelmaster-ntdaw.…
DG Digest: New PHMSA Head? Mexico Updates Radioactive Materials Regulations
Labor Day has come and gone and the summer concluded with Labelmaster’s biggest annual event; the Dangerous Goods Symposium! This year’s meeting was held in our headquarters city of Chicago, Illinois. Hopefully many of you had an opportunity to attend; it’s one of our industry’s biggest get-togethers. If not, see the rest of our blog... Read more [...]
Dangerous Goods Symposium Day 3—Lithium Battery Day
Day 3 of the Dangerous Goods Symposium has, for the last few years, been known as “Lithium Battery Day.” It’s only a half day, but the always-vigorous discussion panel gives the 300 DG pros in attendance a full day’s worth of information to digest. We’ll get to highlights of today’s panel in a minute. But…
Dangerous Goods Symposium Day 2—Dang Good Training
“We abbreviate’ hazardous materials’ to ‘hazmat,’” said Gene Sanders, kicking off Day 2 of the 2017 Dangerous Goods Symposium. “I say we shorten ‘Dangerous Goods training’ to ‘Dang Good training.’” Sanders, co-founder of W. E. Train Consulting, gave the 300 DG pros on hand an entertaining look at an assortment of horrific explosions, spills and... Read more [...]
Dangerous Goods Symposium Day 1—Why aren’t DG pros more confident?
At 8 a.m. on a clear September day, Chicago’s historic Drake Hotel looks out over Lake Michigan waters still sparkling from the sunrise. But a different sort of outlook drew the focus of the Dangerous Goods professionals assembled for the 12th annual Dangerous Goods Symposium—a view that was far more serious. Day 1 of the…
DG Symposium keynote speaker Adrian Gonzalez asks, “What business are you in?”
Adrian Gonzalez, driving force behind Talking Logistics and founder of Adelante SCM, will deliver the opening keynote address of the 12th annual Dangerous Goods Symposium, September 6–8, 2017, in Chicago. You might know Adrian Gonzalez as the host of Talking Logistics, the online video talk show and blog featuring thought leaders and newsmakers from throughout the... Read more [...]
DG Digest: DOT, EPA and Other Agencies Set Semi-Annual Priorities
It’s the week prior to the Labor Day holiday in the United States; regulatory activity is slow as most of official Washington lingers in the August recess and vacation period soon to close out. Meanwhile our thoughts are with those affected by Hurricane Harvey, and the emergency responders who are assisting them. Here’s the latest…
How will hazmat benefit from tomorrow’s smarter supply chain?
Over the last few months, we’ve published several posts about new trucking technologies and their potential impact on the Dangerous Goods industry. But the wave of innovation that’s reshaping the trucking business is sweeping through the rest of the supply chain as well. For example: In 2016, venture firms poured at least $4 billion into…
DG Digest: IATA Previews Changes to the 59th DGR and USPS Updates Pub 52 Lithium Battery Requirements
Summer continues to drift towards its end, with many school districts across our country either back in session last week, or heading back this week—let’s be sure we all do our part to keep both eyes open for our nation’s children as they once again appear on our streets and sidewalks during the morning rush. …
DG Digest: PHMSA Names a New Deputy Administrator; FRA and FMCSA Withdraw Sleep Apnea Standards
August is the month that Washington, DC takes off. Congress is not in session and many officials get of town—the city is famous for its humid and uncomfortable August weather. However, despite this the last week was fairly busy on the regulatory front, with a number of agencies announcing relevant action. Here’s the update: PHMSA... Read more [...]
DG Symposium speaker Brian Beetz gets shippers’ toughest questions
Brian Beetz, Labelmaster’s Manager of Regulatory Affairs and Corporate Responsibility, will speak about recent updates to the 49 CFR during the 12th annual Dangerous Goods Symposium, September 6–8, 2017, in Chicago. Brian Beetz fulfills a role for Labelmaster that Labelmaster fulfills for its thousands of customers—making sure our products are compliant with the latest regulations and... Read more [...]
DG Digest: FMCSA Clarifies SDLAs and PHMSA Announces Special Permit Applications
Believe it or not, it’s already the calendrical Midsummer’s Day—the night of which, if you are a devotee of the works of William Shakespeare, when the woods, meadows, and forest fields are at their most magical, filled with sprites and faeries ready to set we mere mortals on paths of bold adventure—if you dare to…
Report from Geneva: The UN Sub-Committee on lithium batteries and label specifications
New people join the ranks of Dangerous Goods professionals every day—in many cases, with little or no preparation. Perhaps their first introduction is a well-thumbed copy of Labelmaster’s MasterRegs version of 49 CFR, along with the orange-colored volumes of the United Nations Model Regulations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (UNMR). The UNMR is the... Read more [...]
DG Digest: PHMSA Seeks Input for U.N. Geneva Meeting and USPS Revises Lithium Battery Rules
The end of July finds the Federal Register having roared back to life after a period of relative quiet; most of the action revolves around information requests vice from rulemaking, but still, given how slow things have been in the US regulatory world, the activity is significant. See all the action below. PHMSA The nation’s…
How current are you on hazmat regulations? Take the DG Digest quiz!
Every week, Labelmaster regulatory specialist Nikki Burgess compiles the DG Digest, recapping the week’s updates from regulatory bodies in the U.S. and around the world. It’s the most complete synopsis of hazmat-related information you’ll find anywhere. For answers to all your Dangerous Goods questions, find all the regulatory resources you need at labelmaster.com!
DG Digest: US Air Force Updates AFMAN and the EPA Revises TSCA Handling of the Materials List
The summer quiet continues around the regulatory scene these last two weeks, with relatively minimal action. Biggest news of the period was the issuance of a revised US Air Force “AFMAN,” which serves all of the US armed services as their guide to shipping hazardous materials. It was the first such issuance in several years—2009,... Read more [...]
What every hazmat shipper should know about tagboard hazmat placards
Lightweight, durable tagboard hazmat placards keep Dangerous Goods shipments compliant at a fraction of the cost of permanent vinyl placards. With Labelmaster’s huge selection of tagboard placards now sharply discounted (for a limited time only), we’ve been getting lots of good questions about them. (Also some weird ones, but we’re used to that.) Here are... Read more [...]
Dangerous Goods Symposium speaker Jeff Hart calls IMDG updates “an opportunity.”
Former Chairman of the UN Sub-Committee of Experts on Dangerous Goods Jeff Hart will speak about upcoming updates to the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code during the 12th annual Dangerous Goods Symposium, September 6–8, 2017, in Chicago. Jeff Hart claims he was never “technically qualified” for work in Dangerous Goods, yet his 25-year career in... Read more [...]
DG Digest: PHMSA’s pre-emption of New York’s levy on hazmat may set precedent
The approach of mid-July finds summer getting in to full swing; remember to pay attention to managing heat related issues in your workplace, and remind everyone to watch out on the road—many more pedestrians, especially children, are “out and about” in the long dusk of the summer. Safety first! Here’s this week’s regulatory action: PHMSA... Read more [...]
Game of Thrones 2017 preview (Hazmat Transport edition)
Last year, we convincingly demonstrated that the hugely popular HBO series Game of Thrones is really about hazmat transport. To recap: Game of Thrones and the hazmat transport business are each based on an extremely long, frighteningly complex book series—A Song of Ice and Fire and the Codes of Federal Regulations, respectively. Flammable liquids (Hazard…
DG Digest: Key OSHA deadline extended; Transport Canada publishes revisions and harmonizes on lithium batteries
Happy July everyone! Hopefully, everyone enjoyed a long and relaxing Independence Day holiday. Our nation’s 241st birthday finds regulatory activity continuing to be slow; here’s the most recent standout items: OSHA On May 12, 2016, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published a rule entitled ‘‘Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses’’ with an... Read more [...]
Beyond autonomous—trucking technology that actually helps drivers
According to a recent Business Insider article, no fewer than nine companies are vying to put autonomous trucks on the road. From giants like Uber, Google and Daimler to startups like Peloton, Embark and Starsky Robotics, it seems like all the new trucking technology is dedicated to taking the wheels out of drivers’ hands. Not…
DG Digest: PHMSA Special Permits Announced and the EPA Amends the ‘All Appropriate Inquiries’ Rule
The last Monday of the month (already!) finds a new week of regulatory activity at a slightly quicker pace than has been typical of late. A quick reminder to be safe in the coming summer heat! It’s easy to forget to keep our workplaces safe from heat related injury or illness—be sure your premises aren’t…
DG Digest: The Summer Wind and the Regulatory Drought
Welcome back for a new week! The summer solstice on June 20th (or the 21st, depending on your time zone!) continues to find regulatory activity at fairly low ebb; the new administration’s dictum to limit such rules to absolute necessity appears to have been taken to heart. PHMSA, for example, has rarely been so quiet. …
The Hazmat Fathers’ Day Gift Guide—personalize like a DG pro
With Fathers’ Day coming up, we at Labelmaster feel it’s time to address something many fathers secretly dread—adorable, personalized gifts. A coffee mug or a silly tie might provoke a smile, but if you’re going to personalize anything, make it a hazmat resource that makes a hazmat dad’s job easier! Our Personalized Products page offers…
The Hazmat Quizmaster—Can you spot the non-compliant hazmat labels and markings?
It may be true that the differences between compliant hazmat labels and markings and cheaper, non-compliant versions may be small and hard to notice. But you can bet your supply chain partners—and possibly DOT inspectors—will catch them. Compliance is … getting labels and markings from Labelmaster. Find the compliant hazmat labels you need—and all your other... Read more [...]
DG Digest: New York State Proposes Skirting Lax Federal Environmental Policy
PHMSA/OSHA June rolls the summer in with continuing low levels of US regulatory activity; perhaps the biggest news is the preparations under way for the big July UNECE meeting over in Geneva, Switzerland. Will new international proposals impact the regulatory outlook here? We’ll keep an eye on it for you! Meanwhile, here is this week’s... Read more [...]
Geoff Leach on hazmat training, compliance and the Dangerous Goods Symposium
Longtime Dangerous Goods veteran Geoff Leach will participate in the Technology & Training workshop during the 12th annual Dangerous Goods Symposium, September 6–8, 2017, in Chicago. “I get very cross when people say Dangerous Goods is dull,” says Geoff Leach, founder and director of The Dangerous Goods Office, Ltd. “How can any subject be dull... Read more [...]
DG Digest: New EPA RCRA hazwaste regulations commence today and California considers banning flouropolymers
Welcome back! Hopefully, all of our readers had a chance to enjoy the kickoff holiday weekend of the summer; and also, to take time to remember the sacrifices that so many of our service members have made for all of us over the history of our country. We honor each of them. Regulatory activity continues…
Will Uber Freight (and other startups) deliver hazmat more efficiently?
Last week, Uber made headlines by officially launching Uber Freight, a move that had been foreshadowed for months. Uber Freight joins a host of startups who, over the last few years, have set out to do for freight hauling what Uber did for passenger hauling. Is this development good for the trucking industry in general,…
Take the first-ever global Dangerous Goods compliance survey
Labelmaster and Hazardous Cargo Bulletin (HCB) partner to create the Dangerous Goods Confidence Outlook Should hazmat enforcement be more severe, or less restrictive? How important is Dangerous Goods compliance to your company? And which of the world’s regions is leading the way in DG compliance? Here’s your chance to share your opinion with the entire…
US Updates ICAO TI Variations
One of the missing pieces in the HM215-N update was a provision to allow for the carriage by air of UN 3528 and UN 3529. (Flammable liquid and flammable gas powered engines). With the publication of the latest edition of the ICAO Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air, the classification…
Proposed laptop carry-on ban may put far more passengers in danger
Plans to ban laptops and tablets from the cabins of flights from Europe were put on hold when the European Union decided against implementation on May 17. But the ban remains in place for flights from eight Middle Eastern countries, and we persist in our opinion opposing it. The proposed ban on carrying large battery-powered…
DG Digest: EPA extentions, proposed new rules for table saws, and OSHA is looking for training partners
Welcome to mid-May! It was another fairly quiet week in the regulatory world, with what news there was mainly focused in the environmental and safety sectors. Here’s the brief: U.S. EPA On December 15, 2016, EPA issued a notice in the Federal Register requesting public comment on whether revision to the current size standards for... Read more [...]
DG Digest: ICAO releases variations, U.S. exploring cabin laptop ban, and OSHA issues comment period on scissor lifts