The long-awaited DOT PHMSA Interim Final Rule (IFR) enhancing the safety provisions for lithium batteries transported by aircraft appeared in the Federal Register this week on March 6th. This IFR generally harmonizes the 49 CFR with the ICAO Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air (regulations effective in the ICAO TI…
2018: The year in Dangerous Goods regulations
2018 was a relatively quiet year in the Dangerous Goods galaxy, with few major new regulatory changes and no unexpected surprises from domestic or international regulatory bodies. Still, as Labelmaster’s Manager of Regulatory Affairs and Corporate Responsibility, I hear all the questions from our customers and partners about how best to comply with regulations. This…
Getting You Ready — New Lithium Battery Marks and Labels are Mandatory on January 1st
As 2019 quickly approaches, lithium battery shippers need to be aware of the mandatory label changes that become effective on January 1st. For almost 2 years shippers of small (excepted) batteries and battery-powered devices have had the option to use either the lithium battery handling “Caution” label or the lithium battery mark while operating under…
See Pia Jala’s insights on lithium battery packaging in HCB Monthly
Labelmaster Vice President of Operations Pia Jala is one of the Dangerous Goods industry’s most experienced voices. In the latest issue of HCB Monthly, she examines the impact across the supply chain of Obexion advanced lithium battery packaging: “What if the supply chain industry turned its attention beyond the labels placed on the outside of…
IATA Publishes 2018 Guidelines for Passengers Traveling with Lithium Batteries
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) today published their guidelines for passengers traveling with lithium batteries and devices that contain lithium batteries. Please download and refer to their full guide here: LithiumBatteryPassengers_March 2018. Some highlights: Effective March, 2018 These rules are already in effect as of March. The guide covers topics like: Types of batteries and when…
What Obexion’s special permit means for lithium battery shipping
If your business ever ships damaged, defective or recalled lithium-ion batteries—or devices that contain them—you need a thorough knowledge of section 173.185 of the 49th volume of the Code of Federal Regulations. Ha! Just kidding! You really only need to know one word: Obexion. Here’s why: In addition to its revolutionary, fire-mitigating fiberboard material, every…
Industrial Pack 2018 preview: a new chance to discover Obexion
Next week, vendors and buyers from every segment of the packaging industry will meet up at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta for the first annual Industrial Pack 2018. Of course, Labelmaster will be there! The organizers of Industrial Pack describe it as “North America’s FIRST and ONLY free-to-attend trade event dedicated to … bring…
11 questions every e-commerce device maker must ask about lithium batteries
Say you’ve invented a robot that doesn’t just vacuum floors, but cleans all the grime off your showers, sinks and toilets, too. (Let’s call it the “Bathroomba.”) If an informal poll here at Labelmaster is any indication, your brainchild will command a premium price and sell a million units by next Wednesday. There’s only one…
7 new lithium battery technologies; 0 new regulations
Considering the sheer impact of lithium batteries and the devices they power on today’s global economy, any new wrinkle in the regulations governing lithium battery transport creates aftershocks among: Battery manufacturers Device manufacturers Airlines and freight carriers E-commerce retailers Product recall managers Third-party logistics companies Hazmat trainers And anyone who owns a cell phone, laptop,…
Confessions of a 3PL hazmat manager: “Lithium batteries are my life.”
Cody DeGrush is Hazardous Materials Manager at GEODIS. As a hazardous materials manager for a major third-party logistics (3PL) company, I’m almost a regulatory consultant within my own company. I share guidance with other organizations whenever regulations change, I gather information when onboarding a new client, and I oversee training. For the last four years,…