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…
Changes to 58th Edition of the IATA DGR – A Synopsis
In late July, the International Aviation Transport Association (IATA) released a summary document in reference to the changes that will appear in the 58th edition of their Dangerous Goods Regulations (IATA DGR). This edition will become effective on January 1st, 2017. While many changes are of a minor or administrative nature, a number of significant…
How will Brexit affect Dangerous Goods transport for the UK and Europe?
Like several of my Labelmaster colleagues, I’m an accredited DGSA, from DGAC’s SQA affiliated training program (No one can say Dangerous Goods is short of acronyms!) and hence well versed in the ADR. What those acronyms mean is that I’m somewhat knowledgeable about European Dangerous Goods regulations as they are applied in Great Britain. As…
Okay, Fine! PHMSA to Increase Penalties on August 1st
The USDOT’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) took a big step forward yesterday in upping the ante for shippers who knowingly violate the regulation contained in the US 49 CFR Parts 100 – 185 Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR). Increases in penalties had been bandied about the industry for some time, and have now…
In Geneva, UN Dangerous Goods Experts Hash Out Coming Regulatory Changes
The structure of the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) in the US 49 CFR Parts 100 – 185 may seem byzantine at first; it’s hardly light reading. However, it is actually built upon a very sound and logical structure. US regulations are in large part based on and or harmonized to the Dangerous Goods regulations (it’s…
Hazmat legislation: TSCA reform proves Congress can still do its job
The Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act—an overdue reform of the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976, better known as TSCA—has passed both houses of Congress. President Obama will soon sign it into law. This is obviously big news for the chemical industry, but it should be big news for all…
20 Years On, Remembering (and Learning) from ValuJet Flight 592
Twenty years ago today, ValuJet Flight 592 took off from Miami’s airport only to within minutes be destroyed after an intense fire in the cargo hold sent the aircraft into a nearly vertical dive which almost totally obliterated it in Everglades swampland. Miami remembers, as do I, as Dangerous Goods Manager with IATA at the time.…