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…
What every hazmat shipper should know about tagboard hazmat placards
Lightweight, durable tagboard hazmat placards keep Dangerous Goods shipments compliant at a fraction of the cost of permanent vinyl placards. With Labelmaster’s huge selection of tagboard placards now sharply discounted (for a limited time only), we’ve been getting lots of good questions about them. (Also some weird ones, but we’re used to that.) Here are…
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…
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…
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…
Chemical company manager adopts hazmat spill kits for his family and home.
Your mother told you there was no use crying over spilled milk. But your mother probably didn’t manage shipping for a chemical company. “I hate spills,” says Dave, a shipping manager at a Midwestern chemical company who asked that his last name and employer not be revealed. “I do everything I can to prevent them,…
If hazmat labels could talk: An exclusive interview
Dangerous Goods is not a Pixar movie. Hazmat labels don’t talk. But if they did, they might have some interesting things to say about the role they play in shipping compliance: Q: Tell our readers about yourself. A: I’m a PVC-free, Class 9 Miscellaneous hazard class label from Labelmaster. Q: It sounds like you say…
That seals it! The 7 most famous, nonhazmat-related seals
Seals Series, Volume 6 — Over the last few weeks, we’ve taken a close look at the role of security seals in the Dangerous Goods business. From explaining why seals trump locks in hazmat security, to how seals protect less-than-load shipments, we’ve explained just about everything you need to know about seals. Everything serious, that is.…
What too many hazmat shippers forget about LTL shipment security
Seals Series, Volume 5 — Did you know that more shipments are moved on pallets and in crates than in full containers? It’s true—and, unfortunately, many of those less-than-load (LTL) Dangerous Goods shipments are not as secure as their shippers think. Some shippers feel that once the shipment has left their facility, they are no…