This post is adapted from a presentation given at the 2017 Dangerous Goods Symposium by Gene Sanders, founder and manager of W.E. Train Consulting. Since we can abbreviate the words “hazardous materials” to “hazmat,” I say we shorten “Dangerous Goods training” to “Dang Good training.” It saves time, and it describes what we trainers hope…
Mom, can I be a hazmat pro for Halloween?
One sunny morning in mid-October, Anne poured the milk for her kids’ cereal and asked, “Hey guys—what do you want to be for Halloween this year?” Seven-year-old Kyle said, “Spider Man!” Nine-year-old Jenna said, “Wonder Woman!” And eleven-year-old Zack said, “A hazmat professional!” “A hazmat professional?” Anne shut the refrigerator and peered at Zack. “Is…
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…
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…
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…
13 things you may not know about lithium, batteries, and lithium batteries
With lithium batteries always a hot subject at meetings of the IATA Dangerous Goods Board and the ICAO Dangerous Goods Panel, you might be tempted to ask, What can they possibly say about lithium batteries that we don’t already know? Well, here are a few things … Lithium is the third smallest element and the…
Top 10 things hazmat regulators can do during a regulatory freeze
When the new administration in Washington issued an executive order blocking any new federal regulations, all pending Dangerous Goods regulations were thrown into limbo. And there they remain. What do regulators do when regulations are frozen? Rest assured, our friends at PHMSA, FMCSA, OSHA, EPA and other agencies are still finding (mostly) productive uses for…
Rated DG: What if famous horror movies were about Dangerous Goods?
When you’re obsessed with Dangerous Goods compliance, you start to see hazmat-related themes everywhere. Here at Labelmaster, we scrutinize TV shows for correct hazmat labeling. We watch major football games through a hazmat-tinted lens. We even halfway believe Game of Thrones is actually about hazmat. Clearly, we are not normal people. And most scary movies…
Did our hazmat labels and other markings impress this design critic?
Some of our friends and customers shared a lively LinkedIn conversation recently about the merits of the new Class 9 lithium battery labels. Most people thought the labels did an effective job telling carriers and receivers that packages contained lithium batteries. But design critic Stewart D.O. North was less complimentary. “That cluster of objects looks…
DGTV: Three TV shows that (mostly) got hazmat right
It’s easy (and often fun) to criticize movies and TV shows for getting things wrong, especially if it’s in an area near and dear to your heart. Whether it’s an anachronistic costume element, an improperly restored vintage car, or a storyline that violated established franchise canon, there are plenty of people out there ready to…