Archive for News
10 must-have items for hazmat shipping when it’s freaking cold
If you’re transporting Dangerous Goods anywhere north of Arizona this time of year, it seems like every conversation starts like this: “Cold out.” “Yeah. Supposed to get colder.” “Really? $*%#@!” But Dangerous Goods shipments don’t care if your eyelashes freeze together or your fingertips go numb. You have to keep your shipments safe and on-time—but... Read more [...]
Federal Register publishes HM-233F revisions to the HMR
The United States Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) yesterday published the newest rulemaking under its HM-233 Docket family. This incorporates various aspects of previously issued Special Permits (SP’s) into the body of the regulations. Specials Permits are administrative actions that grant specific users permission to do something outside of... Read more [...]
IATA DGR Update: Everything you know about lithium battery shipping may change
Shippers are still coming to grips with the recent International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) addendum, which among other changes, established the first-ever state-of-charge limitation on air transport of lithium batteries. Then, on Saturday, January 16th, the International Air transport Association (IATA) released an addendum to 57th edition of the Dangerous Goods Regulations, commonly referred to as... Read more [...]
ICAO imposes first-ever charge limit on lithium battery shipments, effective April 1
ICAO has published its much anticipated addendum highlighting additional consignment conditions for the transport of lithium batteries. The ICAO Dangerous Goods Panel considered that these would significantly improve the already high-level of safety of these shipments and it would be prudent to have them in place as soon as possible. As a result, the ICAO addendum... Read more [...]
New Year, New Revisions to DG Regulations for IATA and IMO
As often occurs at the turn of the year, both the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) have released updates to their respective Dangerous Goods Regulations. In the case of the IATA regulations, much of it has to do with revisions to rules surrounding lithium batteries. Please see our relevant…
DG Digest: ICAO’s Lithium Battery Changes Coming to The Technical Instructions
Long-time observers of the various UN dangerous goods organizations could be forgiven for double checking their calendars in November, as the ICAO Secretariat issued the final report of the 25th meeting of the ICAO Dangerous Goods Panel (DGP) less than 3 weeks after the conclusion of the meeting. The reason for this surprising and…
DG Digest: FMCSA lowers truckers’ substance test rates, will hold FAST sessions; FRA begins PTC data collection
December 24: FMCSA cuts random trucker’s testing rate for substance abuse to 25%. Good news for truck drivers and carriers—the United States Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has cut the random testing rate for substance abuse in half, from 50% to 25%. This should produce a nice savings for carriers,... Read more [...]
Can You Solve the DG Shipping Regulations Puzzle?
We all sometimes feel like we don’t have a clue about all the rules and agencies that regulate Dangerous Goods. Now you have 15! This puzzle will test your DG expertise. Every answer is an abbreviation of a regulatory agency or a set of regulations. The deeper your DG knowledge, the faster you’ll solve the…
OSHA finds non-consumer lithium batteries subject to the 2012 HCS
In what one can only characterize as a remarkable development for American manufacturers and importers, on December 17th the US Department of Labor’s (USDOL) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a formal Letter of Interpretation in response to a query regarding their consideration of the status of Lithium batteries as articles (or not). The... Read more [...]
USDOT/FMCSA announces delay to new Medical Exam Report and Certificate compliance date
Today the United States Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) formally made the anticipated announcement of which rumor had circulated in the regulatory community for the last several days. FMCSA offered a “grace period” of 120 days regarding mandatory use of the new Medical Examination Report (MER) (Federal Form MCSA-5875) and... Read more [...]
Are There New FMCSA Electronic Logging Devices Regulations on the Horizon?
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) submitted a notice of filing on December 10, 2015, that will mandate the use of electronic logging devices (ELDs) by interstate commercial motor vehicle drivers who currently use a driver’s log to record their hours of service. This ruling is scheduled to be posted in the Federal Register…
New OSHA Letter of Interpretation clarifies Import/Export issues under the HCS
On November 23rd, 2015 the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) released a Letter of Interpretation (LOI) which offered further clarification of US companies’ responsibilities when importing or exporting materials which require action under the 29 CFR 1910.1200 Hazard Communication Standard (HCS). This standard was revised in 2012 to harmonize it with the UN Globally... Read more [...]
New FMCSA Medical Examination Forms Released
On Monday December 7th, 2015, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) posted example copies of the revised Medical Examination Report Form (MCSA-5875) and Medical Examiner’s Certificate (MCSA-5876) on the FMCSA website. See below: https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/medical/driver-medical-requirements/medical-applications-and-forms The FMCSA mandated use of the new forms in a Final Rule amending the FMCSR published in the Federal Register... Read more [...]
Hoverboards, this season’s hot holiday gift, banned from airline transport
While many Americans focus on holiday activity and the shopping often attendant to that, one product that might be on people’s “get list” looks like it may run into logistics trouble arriving under the tree. On Thursday, December 10th US media outlets like The Washington Post and CNN reported that major US airlines including United,…
Guest Blog: Workplace and transport labeling: Communication cures the confusion
Guest blogger Chandra Deeds Gioiello helps clients across the globe navigate regulations with Industrial Health & Safety Consultants, Inc. She is a registered Safety Data Sheet and Label Author and a Certified Industrial Hygienist, specializing in international hazard communication regulations. I have written Safety Data Sheets for employers throughout the world. I’ve classified mixtures according... Read more [...]
For the first time in 25 years, OSHA fines will increase dramatically in 2016
On November 2, 2015, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (H.R. 1314) was signed by President Obama, ensuring that the federal government will have a budget in place for the next two years. Great news for anyone concerned that budget woes could result in a government shutdown—bad news for OSHA violators at risk for citations.…
Dangerous Goods Report | Vol. 4
From lithium batteries to GHS to crude oil by rail, 2015 was one eventful year in the world of Dangerous Goods shipping regulations. Manufacturers, shippers, carriers and consultants alike have been working overtime just to keep up. This issue of the Dangerous Goods Report reviews the impact of DG regulations over the past year—and looks…
2018 Rail PTC Extension rolls through Congress
Congress acted to avert confusion and delay on the nation’s rail infrastructure on Wednesday October 28th, 2015 by passing an extension to what had been a looming December 31st, 2015 deadline for railroads to fully implement Positive Train Control, or PTC, control systems on their networks. PTC is a control system that uses Global Positioning…
Lithium battery packaging strives to reduce fire risks
“Striving to better, oft we mar what’s well.” King Lear – William Shakespeare Or to put it in the modern vernacular, “The perfect is the enemy of the good.” This is the aphorism that came to mind during my presentation of a new and novel Labelmaster packaging solution at a mini-symposium of lithium battery packaging... Read more [...]
FAA to develop task force addressing drone registrations
Drone operators in the U.S. are going to be impacted by some big regulatory changes in the near future. Drones, referred to as unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), currently are not to be operated within 5 miles of an airport without notifying the airport operator/control tower, and are limited to an altitude of 400 feet. The…
D.O.T. moves to ban e-Cigs in checked bags
On October 26, 2015, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) issued an interim final rule banning passengers and crew from storing electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and other battery-powered electronic smoking devices in checked bags on passenger airlines. This final ruling will be effective seven days after the upcoming posting... Read more [...]
Infographic | 2015 Regulations in Review
Emergency orders and advisories? Check. Airlines making their own rules? Check. Congress playing politics with key deadlines? No surprise to anyone who’s worked in the world of DG shipping regulations for more than 15 minutes. We know there’s only one constant—change. Download a printable PDF of the Infographic | 2015 Regulations in Review…
Ban lithium batteries from airlines? Pursue the violators instead.
On August 12, 2015, a handling agent at London’s Heathrow Airport saw smoke emanating from a pallet that had arrived from Hong Kong. He removed the smoking box and discovered that a lithium battery packed inside—with more than 500 others—had caught fire. The ensuing investigation revealed that: It was unlikely that the shipment’s battery type…
Congressional politics threaten PTC extension bill
Just when American railroads were perhaps starting to breathe a bit easier about the December 31st, 2015 Positive Train Control (PTC) deadline account the seeming agreement in the House of Representatives about extending the deadline to 2018 under a pending bill HR 3651, new political roadblocks to passage appear to be arising. On Wednesday October…
IATA Lithium Battery workshop concludes; undeclared and non-compliant shipments pose biggest risks
Last week, I was part of the Labelmaster team that attended the Lithium Battery workshop hosted by IATA in Montreal. For those of us who’ve been following the twists and turns of the regulations governing the air transport of these articles, we might be forgiven for thinking there would be nothing new to see and…
Congress advances bill to delay Railroad PTC Mandate
The US House of Representatives has introduced legislation to delay until 2018 the current deadline for US railroads to implement Positive Train Control (PTC) systems on their tracks. As discussed in a previous blog on the subject, the nation’s railroads have jointly stated the physical impossibility of completing such an inter-operative system by the end…
Guest Blog: Why isn’t anyone talking about digital Dangerous Goods compliance?
Guest blogger James Harriman oversees compliance requirements for shipping of nearly every hazmat class for Aviall, the Dallas-based provider of aftermarket supply-chain management services for the aerospace and defense industries. Harriman is Aviall’s lead Product Regulatory Compliance Department Corporate Dangerous Goods & Compliance Specialist II. One of the reasons I enjoyed the recent Dangerous Goods... Read more [...]
EPA revises pesticide protection regulations for agricultural workers
On September 28, 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that they have completed the much anticipated revisions to the Worker Protection Standard (WPS) found in Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations (40 CFR) Part 170, ensuring that agricultural workers will have similar health protections as workers in other industries. The plan to…
EPA revises pesticide protection regulations for agricultural workers
On September 28, 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that they have completed the much anticipated revisions to the Worker Protection Standard (WPS) found in Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations (40 CFR) Part 170, ensuring that agricultural workers will have similar health protections as workers in other industries. The plan to…
Do complex hazmat regulations drive you to UN 3065?
Then you’ll love sharing these DG eCards on Twitter! What are DG eCards? They’re amusing little comments with graphics that poke a bit of fun at our business—especially people who don’t take Dangerous Goods as seriously as they should. What do you do with them? Just select your favorite card and click on the link…
Do complex hazmat regulations drive you to UN 3065?
Then you’ll love sharing these DG eCards on Twitter! What are DG eCards? They’re amusing little comments with graphics that poke a bit of fun at our business—especially people who don’t take Dangerous Goods as seriously as they should. What do you do with them? Just select your favorite card and click on the link…
PHMSA/FAA Meet to Discuss Concerns on Lithium Battery Transport
The US Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) held a joint public meeting in Washington, DC on September 18th. The principal topic of discussion was the situation regarding the transport of lithium batteries via aircraft. This past summer, many individual airlines took action to limit the... Read more [...]
ICAO to launch new aircraft tracking website
On September 22, 2015, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) announced the addition of a new portion of their website devoted to a centralized collection of aircraft tracking information. The new information section of ICAO’s public website was created in response to recommendations from ICAO Member States in February of this year at the High…
August Survey Results — DG Heros
Thank you to those who participated in our August Survey on Dangerous Goods. Some of the questions were meant to spark a chuckle, some were more serious. You delivered way beyond our expectations! With that, we would like to share a few of the best and all the rest full results at bottom of…
PTC Alert! The Positive Train Control Deadline Creates a Potential Transportation Crisis
Will January 1, 2016 be the day the trains stop? As America’s railroads and Congress fail to agree on extending the December 31 deadline for implementing Positive Train Control systems, that threat inches closer to reality. The railroads have threatened to essentially shut down all service rather than face fines for non-compliance. Congress, with recent... Read more [...]
ICAO releases new Addendum/Corrigendum updating Technical Instructions for Dangerous Goods
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has released a new Addendum and Corrigendum revising the 2015 – 2016 Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air, commonly referred to as the ICAO TI or simply TI. The TI are the set of regulations that, together with national regulations like the 49 CFR…
New DOT/PHMSA Interpretation Brings Some Clarity to the Lithium Ion Watts Issue
In a formal Letter of Interpretation dated August 19th, 2015 to Mr. Mike Revis USDOT/PHMSA stated categorically that a Lithium Ion Battery being shipped under the exceptions granted in 49 CFR 173.185(c) may have cells which feature watt hour ratings greater than 20 watt hours as long as the battery itself remains less than one…
Guiding Principles behind UN Model Regulations — Free Download
At the Labelmaster Dangerous Goods Symposium last week, Jeff Hart, former Chair of the United Nations Sub-committee of Experts asked delegates whether anyone had read the “Guiding Principles” document which illustrates some of the concepts and detail behind to UN Model Regulations. Only a few delegates knew of the document. For those interested in getting acquainted with... Read more [...]
Maritime hydrogen fuel cell applications promise cleaner emissions and reduced shipping costs
On August 28, 2015, the United States Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD), through a cooperative agreement with the United States Department of Energy, initiated field tests on a prototype hydrogen fuel cell to power refrigeration units in the port of Honolulu, Hawaii for freight shipments between harbors. “The Maritime Administration continues to fund innovative... Read more [...]
New FRA grant program to help state & local governments improve rail safety
In the Friday, September 04, 2015 edition of the Federal Register, the US Department of Transportation’s (USODT) Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) announced a new grant program. Under the Railroad Safety Grants for the Safe Transportation of Energy Products by Rail Program (Step Rail), ten million dollars is being made available to local and state governments... Read more [...]
