PHMSA kicked off a new web page for first responders dealing with the safety of oil trains. Here such a train passes north through Auburn, Washington on April 2nd, 2016. © 4/2016 by Nikki Burgess; all rights reserved.

It’s been another busy week in the world of Dangerous Goods and EH&S.  Here’s a few of the highlights:

Transport Canada:

• Our neighbor’s version of the USDOT released a proposed revision to their performance standard for aerosol containers and gas cartridges. The revision is intend to increase the level of safety for these items and contains numerous changes.  Comments on the revision are open until the end of May.  Details here

U.S. DOT: 

• DOT released a new version of its internal organization and the way it delegates powers to the various sub department administrators (PHMSA< FRA< FMCSA, etc). The document provides interesting insight into how DOT is designed to operate its internal machinery.  See the revised set up here

U.S. DOT/PHMSA:

• PHMSA issued a safety advisory reflecting the most recent change to Lithium Battery shipping by air as reflected in the new ICAO rules. PHMSA’s action mirrors that of the international body.  See the advisory here
• In a further helpful mitigating step, PHMSA has released yet another set of resources to help emergency responders and rail operating personnel deal with potential incidents involving train cars carrying flammable liquids. The new web page offers a plethora of valuable links and helpful advice for dealing with this important aspect of railroad operations.  Here’s the new page

U.S. EPA:

• USEPA introduced new limits on the level of Trichloroethylene (TCE) allowed in fixatives in the arts & crafts industry. This solvent, already limited in its allowed usage due to various health concerns, is being phased out of most usages.  See the new restrictions here

U.S. Coast Guard:

• The Coast Guard issued a final rule establishing an information collection request for its vessel arrival and departure notification system. The system is intended to allow for better tracking of vessel traffic into and out of major US ports for security reasons.  See the request here

China:

• The Government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has released a new revision to its regulations governing the transport by road of dangerous goods. China’s rules are based on the familiar UNMR.  Here is a link to the new revision, but please note that at present, the link only provides access to the information in its original Chinese

Labelmaster is a full service provider of products and services for the Hazardous Materials and Dangerous Goods professional, shippers, transport operators, and EH&S providers. See our full line of solutions at www.labelmaster.com.