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…
DG Digest: EPA Updates RMP to Reduce Accidents and Updates on Drug & Alcohol Testing from FRA/FMCSA
Happy New Year! I’m sure I speak for the entire Labelmaster family when I express our hope that you will enjoy a safe, happy, and prosperous 2017. Today’s digest covers the last two weeks of the year just concluded. Although activity was minimal, a number of issues worth noting occurred over the holiday period, so…
Flying over the holidays? Don’t be human hazmat!
When you think about it, it’s amazing that we think nothing about flying thousands of miles to visit friends and family over the holidays. Flying is relatively inexpensive if you plan in advance, and—despite the airport crowds and potential weather delays—rarely qualifies as any kind of adventure. Beyond that, flying is also tremendously safe. In fact,…
A Letter from Bangkok on the 109th Meeting of the IATA Dangerous Goods Board
A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for. – John A. Shedd (Salt from My Attic, 1928) A not so old adage that captures the balance between safety and action. A 21st century version might be “An airplane is safe in its hangar, but that’s not what…
The Hazmat Holiday Gift Guide for last-minute shoppers
You’re a busy hazmat professional. Who has time to shop for holiday gifts? Fortunately, you’re a hazmat professional. Some of the stuff you see and use every day can, with a little imagination, make clever gifts for just about anyone on your list. Plus you have access to the toughest, most durable packaging anywhere. This…
8 ways to prevent reverse logistics headaches this holiday season
If you’re a Dangerous Goods specialist at a retailer that ships electronics, you’re probably more nervous this holiday season than a 3rd-string quarterback on 4th-and-20. And it’s all due to four words: Lithium batteries. Reverse logistics. We really don’t need to say any more about the headaches lithium batteries have caused shippers over the last…
DG Digest: Injunction Halts Hazmat Tax, Joint PHMSA/OSHA Public Meetings Announced, and a Busy Week at the EPA
Happy Halloween everyone! Make it a safe and memorable family holiday. Let’s get to this week’s issue of “treats” in the world of Dangerous Goods. Rail Tax News Hazmat shippers by rail to, from, or through the State of California are breathing a sigh of at least temporary relief after a Federal Court issued an…
Top 10 hazmat products for
your last-minute Halloween party
Halloween is just three days away, and if you don’t have your costume or decorations yet, this is (in the immortal words of Woody from Toy Story) the perfect time to panic. But fear not! You’re a Dangerous Goods professional, with access to some of the coolest, edgiest, scariest costume-making and office-decorating material anywhere. You…
Q&A with 30-year hazmat packaging veteran Bill Barger: “2017 is our year.”
Since joining Labelmaster last June, Senior Packaging Product Manager Bill Barger has connected with customers nationwide to make sure we’re not just meeting their packaging needs, but anticipating them. A Pittsburgh native who still calls himself a die-hard Steelers, Pirates and Penguins fan, Bill has seen a lot of progress over three decades in the…