It’s the week prior to the Labor Day holiday in the United States; regulatory activity is slow as most of official Washington lingers in the August recess and vacation period soon to close out. Meanwhile our thoughts are with those affected by Hurricane Harvey, and the emergency responders who are assisting them. Here’s the latest…
DG Digest: IATA Previews Changes to the 59th DGR and USPS Updates Pub 52 Lithium Battery Requirements
Summer continues to drift towards its end, with many school districts across our country either back in session last week, or heading back this week—let’s be sure we all do our part to keep both eyes open for our nation’s children as they once again appear on our streets and sidewalks during the morning rush. …
DG Digest: PHMSA Names a New Deputy Administrator; FRA and FMCSA Withdraw Sleep Apnea Standards
August is the month that Washington, DC takes off. Congress is not in session and many officials get of town—the city is famous for its humid and uncomfortable August weather. However, despite this the last week was fairly busy on the regulatory front, with a number of agencies announcing relevant action. Here’s the update: PHMSA…
DG Digest: FMCSA Clarifies SDLAs and PHMSA Announces Special Permit Applications
Believe it or not, it’s already the calendrical Midsummer’s Day—the night of which, if you are a devotee of the works of William Shakespeare, when the woods, meadows, and forest fields are at their most magical, filled with sprites and faeries ready to set we mere mortals on paths of bold adventure—if you dare to…
DG Digest: PHMSA Seeks Input for U.N. Geneva Meeting and USPS Revises Lithium Battery Rules
The end of July finds the Federal Register having roared back to life after a period of relative quiet; most of the action revolves around information requests versus rulemaking, but still, given how slow things have been in the US regulatory world, the activity is significant. See all the action below. PHMSA The nation’s DG…
DG Digest: US Air Force Updates AFMAN and the EPA Revises TSCA Handling of the Materials List
The summer quiet continues around the regulatory scene these last two weeks, with relatively minimal action. Biggest news of the period was the issuance of a revised US Air Force “AFMAN,” which serves all of the US armed services as their guide to shipping hazardous materials. It was the first such issuance in several years—2009,…
DG Digest: PHMSA’s pre-emption of New York’s levy on hazmat may set precedent
The approach of mid-July finds summer getting in to full swing; remember to pay attention to managing heat related issues in your workplace, and remind everyone to watch out on the road—many more pedestrians, especially children, are “out and about” in the long dusk of the summer. Safety first! Here’s this week’s regulatory action: PHMSA…
DG Digest: Key OSHA deadline extended; Transport Canada publishes revisions and harmonizes on lithium batteries
Happy July everyone! Hopefully, everyone enjoyed a long and relaxing Independence Day holiday. Our nation’s 241st birthday finds regulatory activity continuing to be slow; here’s the most recent standout items: OSHA On May 12, 2016, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published a rule entitled ‘‘Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses’’ with an…
DG Digest: PHMSA Special Permits Announced and the EPA Amends the ‘All Appropriate Inquiries’ Rule
The last Monday of the month (already!) finds a new week of regulatory activity at a slightly quicker pace than has been typical of late. A quick reminder to be safe in the coming summer heat! It’s easy to forget to keep our workplaces safe from heat related injury or illness—be sure your premises aren’t…
DG Digest: The Summer Wind and the Regulatory Drought
Welcome back for a new week! The summer solstice on June 20th (or the 21st, depending on your time zone!) continues to find regulatory activity at fairly low ebb; the new administration’s dictum to limit such rules to absolute necessity appears to have been taken to heart. PHMSA, for example, has rarely been so quiet. …