Earlier this month, we asked Dangerous Goods professionals to take a hazmat training survey. They responded to seven statements about how well their organizations and the rest of the DG community handle the vital task of educating their teams about hazardous materials. The results were fascinating, and a little troubling. Labelmaster Global Learning Leader Rhonda…
New trucking technology startups may change how hazmat gets shipped
A few weeks back, we wrote about the pros and cons of autonomous trucks hauling hazmat. But while autonomous vehicles get all the headlines these days, there are lots of new technologies and innovative approaches poised to transform trucking as we know it. Some of these innovations are already here; some may be many years…
Can autonomous trucks handle hazmat shipments safely?
You’ve probably seen a number of articles and videos over the last year or so, proclaiming that autonomous vehicles—also known as “driverless” cars and trucks—will be commonplace on our highways within a few years. That future is coming, and maybe sooner than a lot of folks thought. Last October, an autonomous truck created by Otto…
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,…
Q&A with 30-year hazmat packaging veteran Bill Barger: “2017 is our year.”
Since joining Labelmaster last June, Senior Packaging Product Manager Bill Barger has connected with customers nationwide to make sure we’re not just meeting their packaging needs, but anticipating them. A Pittsburgh native who still calls himself a die-hard Steelers, Pirates and Penguins fan, Bill has seen a lot of progress over three decades in the…
Lithium battery discussion heats up Dangerous Goods Symposium Day 3
Sorry for the terrible choice of words. But when you’ve convened the world’s foremost experts in lithium battery shipping the same week the world’s largest smartphone maker recalls millions of units due to battery issues, it’s all we can do to not call the session “explosive.” Okay, we’re done now. Friday morning’s lithium battery panel…
Shipping damaged lithium batteries? Say hello to Special Permit Packaging!
Of all the headaches associated with shipping lithium batteries, the most acute of them might be return shipments of damaged or defective cells/batteries, or the equipment containing them. If that headache sounds familiar, we now have your ibuprofen. Based on a special permit from the U.S. Department of Transportation that grants relief from 49 CFR…
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…
Design critic reviews Labelmaster’s floor sign collection
It’s not every day a renowned design critic reviews industrial design, let alone a subject as specialized as Dangerous Goods floor signs. But Stewart D. O. North is no ordinary critic. “Floor signs are the most visible line of defense in promoting workplace safety,” he said. “Some people seek the writing on the wall, some…
9 things you might not know about jerricans and pails
Maybe you’re one of the hundreds of people who buy our jerricans and pails. After all, they’re indispensable for all kinds of liquid transport and storage purposes. But for all the times you’ve filled, emptied, shipped and stored jerricans and pails, we bet you’ve never stopped to ponder them. Well, we have, and we’ve…