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    The Hazardous Materials Transportation Safety Improvement Act of 2012

    - July 5, 2012 - ,

    Few within the hazmat industry believed a hazmat reauthorization bill would be approved prior to November’s U.S. presidential election. Thus, in what should be considered a surprising move, Congress passed a $105-billion transportation bill this past Friday, part of which includes provisions for hazardous materials transportation safety. The complete text for the Moving Ahead for…

    The 41st Session of the UN Subcommittee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods, Part I

    - June 27, 2012 - ,

    The 41st session of the United Nations Sub-Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (the Sub-Committee) convened earlier this week. The following is a summary of papers discussed so far. We will provide periodic updates throughout the course of the meetings. For more background on this meeting, please view our overview of the…

    World’s Dangerous Goods Transportation Experts to Convene in Switzerland Beginning Next Week

    - June 21, 2012 - ,

    The 41st session of the United Nations Sub-Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (TDG Sub-Committee) will take place in Geneva, Switzerland, from June 25 to July 4.  The 41st session of the TDG Sub-Committee is the third of four meetings scheduled for the 2011-12 biennium. The primary purpose of the meeting will…

    New ICAO Lithium Battery Regulations Will Present Significant Challenges in 2013. Are You Ready?

    - June 18, 2012 - ,

    One of the most noteworthy changes that will come into force in the 2013 ICAO Technical Instructions is the reworking of the various packing instructions for lithium ion and metal batteries and cells. ICAO has determined that some lithium batteries currently assigned to Section II of Packing Instruction 965 (for lithium ion) and 968 (for…

    Roadcheck 2012 to Focus on Vehicle Brake Systems, Preventing Driver Fatigue

    - May 31, 2012 - ,

    Trucking, transportation and logistics companies should take note that Roadcheck 2012 will take place June 5-7. This annual event, organized by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), is the largest targeted enforcement program on commercial motor vehicles (CMV) in the world. The CVSA, which states that approximately 14 trucks or buses were inspected, on average,…

    PHMSA Responds to Recent Rule Appeals, Proposes to Extend ORM-D System Phase-Out Until End of 2015

    - May 25, 2012 - ,

    The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Administration (PHMSA) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in the U.S. Federal Register today addressing appeals that resulted from recent harmonization rules HM-215K and HM-231, both of which dealt with hazmat packaging requirements. Companies should examine the NPRM carefully and work with their respective trade organizations to ensure that…

    US Postal Service Prohibits International Shipments of Lithium Batteries

    - May 17, 2012 - , ,

    Effective yesterday, the United States Postal Service (USPS) amended its mailing standards, the Domestic Mail Manual (DMM), to incorporate provisions prohibiting the outbound international mailing of lithium batteries and devices containing lithium batteries. The move brings the USPS international mailing standards in line with recent actions by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the…

    New Minimum Size Requirements for Hazmat Package Markings Expected to Take Effect in 2013

    - May 10, 2012 - ,

    Hazmat shippers will want to take note of new UN recommendations regarding minimum dimension requirements for package markings that could have an effect as soon as next year. The 17th edition of the UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods – Model Regulations requires that the UN number marked on packagings must meet minimum…

    PHMSA Adopts Secondary Closure Requirement for Certain Air Shipments of Hazardous Liquids

    - May 7, 2012 -

    U.S. shippers of hazardous materials via aircraft should take note of new restrictions for combination packages containing liquids adopted by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) last month. The new rule, HM-231A, amends the U.S. Hazardous Materials Regulations to “require closures of inner packagings containing liquids within a combination packaging intended for transportation by…

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