Summary: HM-215: Are you ready for the border patrol? If you ship Dangerous Goods, don’t let new border measurement regulations for labels and placards catch you unprepared. Ship damaged batteries in a fiberboard box? Yes, you can! Just in time for the largest cell phone recall ever—new Special Permit Packaging makes reverse logistics easier and…
Hazmat tax? California’s new levy on local rail carriers draws ire (and lawsuits)
Ever since the Lac Megantic derailment disaster in 2013, North American rail carriers have been engaged in a running administrative battle with assorted local municipalities that have tried, so far without success, to impose local taxes or fees on the carriage of dangerous goods over the railroads that pass through their communities. This is an…
DG Digest: Chemical Safety Board Issues Alert, EPA Settles with Harley-Davidson, and FAA OK’s Special Conditions for the Boeing 737-8
Ready for another week? Although August can be a slow month in the regulatory world as much of Washington, DC takes time to avoid the sticky heat and humidity in the nation’s capitol, this week was nevertheless quite busy. Here’s all the latest and greatest: Chemical Safety The US Chemical Safety Board has issued a…
The Dangerous Goods professional’s guide to the big Rio sports event
You may have heard about this humongous international sporting event starting in Rio de Janeiro next week. (We’re not allowed to use the O-word; for the duration of this article we’ll refer to the event as the HISE—Humongous International Sporting Event.) Here’s a quick guide to a selection of HISE terms that sound like they…
Dangerous Goods Report | Vol. 6
Summary: The Elements of Compliant Packaging: Why hazmat packaging comes in so many different forms, configurations and sizes. Infographic: Your Guide to Retail Reverse Logistics, or, “How to Keep Returns from Coming Back to Haunt You” It’s July 2016. Do you know where your hazcom compliance stands? Every workplace in the US should now—in theory,…
Ultimate hazmat security: C-TPAT Compliant Seals
Seals Series, Volume 4 — A massive freighter docks overnight at a U.S. port. Its containers hold the kind of hazardous material that, in the wrong hands, could put countless American lives at risk. The next morning, the containers are offloaded to trucks and trains that take them to every corner of the country. A…
How a security seal control program protects your hazardous materials
Seals Series, Volume 3 — Seals are a great, underappreciated hazmat security tool. In our last couple of posts, we’ve talked about situations where seals are essential in Dangerous Goods security, and where seals are a better choice than locks. But seals by themselves can only do so much. To fully exploit their potential, you…
Dangerous Goods Report | Vol. 5
Lithium Battery Shipping—Retail Rolls with the Changes. Cover Story: Challenging skies for lithium battery shippers. As lithium battery shipping regulations get even more complex and restrictive, retailers must adopt new processes and tactics. A look inside UN-certified packaging. Do you need it? Is it worth it? And what do all those letters and numbers mean?…
Dangerous Goods security: 5 reasons to choose a seal over a lock
Seals Series, Volume 2 — Since our high school locker days, most of us are conditioned to think that the best way to keep things secure is with a lock. In the Dangerous Goods world, though, locks aren’t always the best choice. When is a seal better than a lock? You might be surprised: …
11 places security seals are essential in Dangerous Goods
Seals Series, Volume 1 — If you’re in the Dangerous Goods business, you probably use security seals somewhere. Maybe lots of somewheres. But you might not realize how many ways and places DG professionals put seals to work. A closure device that can be opened only once can protect more than you might think. Locks…