Archive for News
New Dangerous Goods consultants video: No such thing as a typical day
Working with Dangerous Goods means interpreting thousands of pages of regulations from more than twenty national and international agencies. No wonder our consulting team is so popular. Watch our latest video to meet three of our consultants. “I don’t think the word ’typical’ exists in the DG world,” says Senior Consultant Alicia Saenz. “I deal... Read more [...]
DG Digest: Final Rules on FRA Safety Plans and FAST Act
To a certain degree, the “dog days” of summer do seem to be here; action in the regulatory sector last week was limited, the exception being two major rules implemented to impact the nation’s rail infrastructure, affecting both safety of operation and the carriage of flammable liquids. Here’s the week’s breakdown: FRA FRA announces…
Changes to 58th Edition of the IATA DGR – A Synopsis
In late July, the International Aviation Transport Association (IATA) released a summary document in reference to the changes that will appear in the 58th edition of their Dangerous Goods Regulations (IATA DGR). This edition will become effective on January 1st, 2017. While many changes are of a minor or administrative nature, a number of significant…
Design critic reviews Labelmaster’s floor sign collection
It’s not every day a renowned design critic reviews industrial design, let alone a subject as specialized as Dangerous Goods floor signs. But Stewart D. O. North is no ordinary critic. “Floor signs are the most visible line of defense in promoting workplace safety,” he said. “Some people seek the writing on the wall, some…
DG Digest: Special Permit Delays, USPS Updates Pub 52, and the EPA’s New Tool
August is now in full swing, and the summer doldrums have, at least to a degree, struck the regulatory scene. It was a quiet week, in so far as it goes. However, here are the highlights, which do contain several items of interest: PHMSA: There was an announcement in reference to delayed applications in the…
Shouldn’t you have a Lithium Battery Advisor for everyday life?
Lithium battery shipping is complex and challenging, but Labelmaster’s Lithium Battery Advisor software makes it simple and stress-free. Wouldn’t it be great if you had a Lithium Battery Advisor for all your everyday challenges? Seriously. Think about how quickly lithium battery regulations have changed. Many shipments that not long ago required no special handling at... Read more [...]
9 things you might not know about jerricans and pails
Maybe you’re one of the hundreds of people who buy our jerricans and pails. After all, they’re indispensable for all kinds of liquid transport and storage purposes. But for all the times you’ve filled, emptied, shipped and stored jerricans and pails, we bet you’ve never stopped to ponder them. Well, we have, and we’ve…
The Dangerous Goods professional’s guide to the big Rio sports event
You may have heard about this humongous international sporting event starting in Rio de Janeiro next week. (We’re not allowed to use the O-word; for the duration of this article we’ll refer to the event as the HISE—Humongous International Sporting Event.) Here’s a quick guide to a selection of HISE terms that sound like they…
Dangerous Goods Report | Vol. 6
Summary: The Elements of Compliant Packaging: Why hazmat packaging comes in so many different forms, configurations and sizes. Infographic: Your Guide to Retail Reverse Logistics, or, “How to Keep Returns from Coming Back to Haunt You” It’s July 2016. Do you know where your hazcom compliance stands? Every workplace in the US should now—in theory,…
Chemical company manager adopts hazmat spill kits for his family and home.
Your mother told you there was no use crying over spilled milk. But your mother probably didn’t manage shipping for a chemical company. “I hate spills,” says Dave, a shipping manager at a Midwestern chemical company who asked that his last name and employer not be revealed. “I do everything I can to prevent them,…
DG Digest: Pub 52 Updates and EPA Issues Correction
USPS Updates Publication 52 On July 21, 2016, the USPS posted notice in the Federal Register that Publication 52, Hazardous, Restricted, and Perishable Mail will be revised effective August 4, 2016, to include revised standards for its hazardous materials Small Quantity Provision and will also add a new Excepted Quantity Provision. These updates align with…
Infographic | Your Guide to Retail Reverse Logistics
For companies in the e-commerce retail market, coordinating consumer returns of hazardous materials can be a nightmare. Customers don’t know how to ship hazmat compliantly. In fact, they often don’t even know they’re shipping hazmat. And while recipients of non-compliant hazmat shipments (i.e., you) are not necessarily liable for mistakes made by other shippers (i.e.,... Read more [...]
DG Digest: PHMSA v. Pittsburgh, FAA Backs Off a Bit, & DOT Being “Spooky”
Here it is mid-July already! We here at Labelmaster hope your plans for a summer break are on your schedule, but the regulatory world seems to be seeing little change of pace—those agencies are out there and staying busy with new information and requirements. Here’s the latest: PHMSA Pre-empts Pittsburgh, PA In an interesting turn…
The Hazmat Quizmaster — Are you King (or Queen) of the Road?
Test your knowledge and take our latest quiz! Find all the regulatory resources you need at Labelmaster.com!
DG Digest: FMCSA on Driver Qualifications, FRA Pushes Crossing Safety, and EPA to Allow Emissions Override for Emergency Generators
Believe it or not, the Independence Day holiday is over already! Hopefully, your summer is going well—and not too quickly to miss enjoying. And here at Labelmaster, so far the summer season has yet to slow down the pace of regulatory news, so let’s dive right in: FMCSA Corrects an error in its June 7,... Read more [...]
DG Digest: FRA, PHMSA, TSA, FMCSA and OSHA Fines Increasing
Last week’s DG Digest was pre-empted by an otherwise very busy schedule here at Labelmaster; so, this week, we’ll be covering the last two weeks instead of just one. Gosh it’s been busy! Whatever happened to the “lazy crazy hazy days of summer?” Gone with the song, apparently. Herewith, the action on the DG/EH&S front…
How will Brexit affect Dangerous Goods transport for the UK and Europe?
Like several of my Labelmaster colleagues, I’m an accredited DGSA, from DGAC’s SQA affiliated training program (No one can say Dangerous Goods is short of acronyms!) and hence well versed in the ADR. What those acronyms mean is that I’m somewhat knowledgeable about European Dangerous Goods regulations as they are applied in Great Britain. As…
This July 4th, why should Class 1 Explosives get all the attention?
July 4th is coming, and one hazmat class will once again monopolize the nation’s attention—Class 1 explosives. Sure, we all ooh and aah at our local fireworks displays. Many of us may even responsibly deploy firecrackers and mini-rockets during private celebrations. (It’s safe to say the bozos captured in videos like this one are not…
Okay, Fine! PHMSA to Increase Penalties on August 1st
The USDOT’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) took a big step forward yesterday in upping the ante for shippers who knowingly violate the regulation contained in the US 49 CFR Parts 100 – 185 Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR). Increases in penalties had been bandied about the industry for some time, and have now…
In Geneva, UN Dangerous Goods Experts Hash Out Coming Regulatory Changes
The structure of the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) in the US 49 CFR Parts 100 – 185 may seem byzantine at first; it’s hardly light reading. However, it is actually built upon a very sound and logical structure. US regulations are in large part based on and or harmonized to the Dangerous Goods regulations (it’s…
The Hazmat Quizmaster — Name That Airport Code!
Test your knowledge and take our latest quiz! Find all the regulatory resources you need at Labelmaster.com!
If hazmat labels could talk: An exclusive interview
Dangerous Goods is not a Pixar movie. Hazmat labels don’t talk. But if they did, they might have some interesting things to say about the role they play in shipping compliance: Q: Tell our readers about yourself. A: I’m a PVC-free, Class 9 Miscellaneous hazard class label from Labelmaster. Q: It sounds like you say…
Hazmat legislation: TSCA reform proves Congress can still do its job
The Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act—an overdue reform of the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976, better known as TSCA—has passed both houses of Congress. President Obama will soon sign it into law. This is obviously big news for the chemical industry, but it should be big news for all…
DG Digest: TSCA Reform Bill passes the Senate and FMCSRs require seatbelts for passengers in CMVs
Short and sweet today, but look out later this week for a detailed look at the Toxic Substance Control Act! TSCA Reform Bill: After passing the House of Representatives the previous week, the much anticipated revisions to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) have passed the Senate as well. The legislation now only requires a…
New video explores Dangerous Goods compliance at 30,000 feet
Mike Wentz is Manager of Cargo Compliance for American Airlines, but when he talks about his job he could be speaking for any Dangerous Goods professional in any capacity: “I knew I’d never be comfortable in the role unless I could understand the regulations back to front and be able to communicate them effectively.” Get…
Last name in the alphabet; first name in Dangerous Goods regulations
Jeanne Zmich, Labelmaster Vice President of Research & Development—who is retiring on June 16th— has helped define and grow the Dangerous Goods industry that we work in every day. During her four decades overseeing regulations at Labelmaster, Jeanne has achieved a number of industry milestones: She co-authored a two-volume set on compliance with the original... Read more [...]
DG Digest: Congress Toughens Toxic Substances Control Act & OSHA/PHMSA Joint Meetings Scheduled
Welcome back from the holiday weekend. Hopefully, everyone is well rested! Let’s dig right in to the week’s goings-on in Dangerous Goods and EH&S: Toxic Substances Control Act: In some of the week’s biggest news, the US Congress passed a significant modification to the Toxic Substances Control Act, or TSCA. The new revision lifts the... Read more [...]
DG Digest: OSHA’s Millions, PHMSA (ALSO) to Ban e-Cigs in Checked Bags, and EPA Grants!
It’s Monday again—hope you’re coping—and time thus for another edition of the weekly peek at what’s new in the world of Dangerous Goods and EH&S: OSHA: OSHA announced the new availability millions of dollars in grant monies to qualifying small governments and training organizations under the annual Susan Harwood Training Grant program, targeting safety improvements... Read more [...]
7 clues that Game of Thrones is really about hazmat shipping
Every Sunday night, millions of people worldwide gather to watch a show about kings, queens, dragons and Class 3 hazmat. Yes, it’s Game of Thrones, and it’s the greatest show about Dangerous Goods ever created. What’s that? You don’t think Game of Thrones is about hazmat shipping? Here are seven uncanny similarities that will prove…
DG Digest: OSHA’s New Reporting Requirement, More PHMSA Special Permits, and Amtrak #118 One Year Later
Happy Monday! May has been a chilly month in much of the nation, but hopefully it finds you gearing up for a safe and productive summer. Here’s the past week’s “latest and greatest” in reference to the world of DG transport and EH&S activity: PHMSA: PHMSA took a variety of actions in reference to Special... Read more [...]
20 Years On, Remembering (and Learning) from ValuJet Flight 592
Twenty years ago today, ValuJet Flight 592 took off from Miami’s airport only to within minutes be destroyed after an intense fire in the cargo hold sent the aircraft into a nearly vertical dive which almost totally obliterated it in Everglades swampland. Miami remembers, as do I, as Dangerous Goods Manager with IATA at the time.…
19th Edition of UN Model Regulations Foretells Changes to the 58th IATA DGR
2017 will bring in a new edition of the ICAO Technical Instructions which sees ICAO’s biennial catch up with the UN Model Regulations; this time to reflect the 19th revised edition. In consequence, IATA also plays catch up with updating and upgrading their DGR manual to parallel the new edition of the TI. Usually this…
What too many hazmat shippers forget about LTL shipment security
Seals Series, Volume 5 — Did you know that more shipments are moved on pallets and in crates than in full containers? It’s true—and, unfortunately, many of those less-than-load (LTL) Dangerous Goods shipments are not as secure as their shippers think. Some shippers feel that once the shipment has left their facility, they are no…
Why PVC belongs on your turntable, not your hazmat labels
Ask any music fan—vinyl is in a full-fledged comeback. Old records are emerging from basements and grandparents’ houses everywhere, and the pressed black polyvinyl chloride (PVC) disc is once again the hip way to buy new music. PVC was once the hip material for hazmat labels, too. But environmental and health concerns about PVC have…
