Almost a year ago, we asked why no one was talking about blockchain in hazmat shipping. As far as we know, we’re still the only ones asking. There have been no significant developments in the application of blockchain technology to Dangerous Goods transport. Yet, as blockchain continues to grow more important to worldwide logistics, it…
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,…
3 unexpected facts about Obexion lithium battery packaging
Since we introduced Obexion packaging technology last fall, we’ve had an unbelievable response from people who ship lithium batteries and battery devices. Many of the questions were predictable (even if the answers were amazing): Can Obexion really contain a 400°C lithium battery fire without gels, pellets or heavy liners? Yes—watch the video here. Can I…
Lithium batteries and new technology dominate our top 10 posts of 2017
If you’re a Dangerous Goods professional, just keeping up with changing regulations can be a full-time job. But you also have to make sure all your team members are compliantly trained, and you might even have to prove to your upper management (over and over again) that hazmat compliance is an area that justifies serious…
Remember these disasters? “Dang Good” training made sure they never happened.
This post is adapted from a presentation given at the 2017 Dangerous Goods Symposium by Gene Sanders, founder and manager of W.E. Train Consulting. Since we can abbreviate the words “hazardous materials” to “hazmat,” I say we shorten “Dangerous Goods training” to “Dang Good training.” It saves time, and it describes what we trainers hope…
9 reasons you’re going to love complying with FMCSA’s ELD mandate
The deadline for U.S. truck operators to replace paper logs with electronic logging devices (ELDs) is just a few weeks away. While many operators have already switched, others’ attitudes toward making the transition might best be described as “kicking and screaming.” We get it. Change is hard, and complying with yet another federal mandate can…
Is Obexion the lithium battery shipping breakthrough we’ve been waiting for?
To the surprise of absolutely no one, lithium battery shipping once again dominated the agenda at the recent 2017 Dangerous Goods Symposium. The story, in a nutshell: There will continue to be more and more lithium batteries and battery-powered devices to transport, and transporting them safely and compliantly will continue to be challenging. The big…
Is your operation ready for a lithium battery device recall?
Chris Harvey is Director of Recall Solutions at Stericycle Expert Solutions. This post is based on the white paper Taking Charge: Effective Management of Lithium-ion Battery Recalls. With complex and rapidly shifting regulatory requirements, lithium-ion batteries and devices present one of the greatest challenges of all product recalls. As a manufacturer in this environment, it…
Dangerous Goods Symposium Day 3—Lithium Battery Day
Day 3 of the Dangerous Goods Symposium has, for the last few years, been known as “Lithium Battery Day.” It’s only a half day, but the always-vigorous discussion panel gives the 300 DG pros in attendance a full day’s worth of information to digest. We’ll get to highlights of today’s panel in a minute. But…