New people join the ranks of Dangerous Goods professionals every day—in many cases, with little or no preparation. Perhaps their first introduction is a well-thumbed copy of Labelmaster’s MasterRegs version of 49 CFR, along with the orange-colored volumes of the United Nations Model Regulations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (UNMR). The UNMR is the…
US Updates ICAO TI Variations
One of the missing pieces in the HM215-N update was a provision to allow for the carriage by air of UN 3528 and UN 3529. (Flammable liquid and flammable gas powered engines). With the publication of the latest edition of the ICAO Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air, the classification…
Proposed laptop carry-on ban may put far more passengers in danger
Plans to ban laptops and tablets from the cabins of flights from Europe were put on hold when the European Union decided against implementation on May 17. But the ban remains in place for flights from eight Middle Eastern countries, and we persist in our opinion opposing it. By Neil McCulloch The proposed ban on…
Lithium batteries (what else?) dominate talks at IATA Dangerous Goods Board
As a bridge between the developers and the users of Dangerous Goods regulations, Labelmaster strives to understand the needs of both the regulated industries and the regulators. This way, we can provide the optimum solutions for our customers. And, since we closely follow the discussions and decisions of both industry and regulators, it will come as…
In The News: Safety Woes can be Major Bad News
No company wants to suffer safety problems. Worker injuries, illnesses, and in some tragic cases, fatalities, impact employees and their families in what can be devastating ways. Such incidents also negatively impact the morale of the workforce, cause loss of production, and force the expenditure of unplanned time and fiscal resources to mitigate. They can…
Trump Freezes PHMSA HM-215N: The Impact on Lithium Battery Shippers
We mentioned in our January 30th DG Digest blog that the anticipated PHMSA HM-215N Final Rule was withdrawn as a result of President Trump’s executive memoranda that put a freeze on all new regulations. Here’s some additional information on how this temporarily impacts lithium battery shippers. As you know, the HM-215N Final Rule would have…
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…
Hazmat tax? California’s new levy on local rail carriers draws ire (and lawsuits)
Ever since the Lac Megantic derailment disaster in 2013, North American rail carriers have been engaged in a running administrative battle with assorted local municipalities that have tried, so far without success, to impose local taxes or fees on the carriage of dangerous goods over the railroads that pass through their communities. This is an…
Lithium battery enforcement: A level playing field will boost safety immediately
Neil McCulloch contributed to this article. Monday’s press release from IATA, highlighting the problems and implications of non-enforcement of existing lithium battery shipping regulations, is both salutary and discouraging. Salutary, because we’ve long been on record as saying that comprehensive enforcement of existing regulations would have a larger impact on safety than enacting new regulations. Many other…