Geoff Leach is a consulting partner and was the former Head of the UK CAA Dangerous Goods Office and Chairman of the ICAO Dangerous Goods Panel. After 32 years at the CAA, in 2014, he set up The Dangerous Goods Office Limited offering training and consultancy around the world. By Geoff Leach One of the…
Distilleries making hand sanitizer? Hooray! Here’s how to ship it safely.
Among all the dire news surrounding the COVID-19 crisis, there’s one story that’s lightened a lot of people’s moods: distillers of alcoholic beverages (including several in the Chicago area) switching over some of their production to make desperately needed hand sanitizer. We love this story because: Supplies of hand sanitizer have been running low at…
What COVID-19 test sites must know about shipping infectious substances
For complete guidelines and resources for transporting COVID-19 test samples, please visit our coronavirus shipping guidelines page. With new COVID-19 test sites setting up all over the United States and the world, many businesses and their employees will be transporting infectious substances for the first time. These shippers must be aware of two important topics:…
Virtual hazmat training: interactive, customized and ideal for these times
While you’re coping with the COVID-19 pandemic, there are many things you can put off until life gets back to normal. Hazmat training, however, is probably not one of them. If your—or your team’s—certifications are coming due, you have to renew your training, or you risk fines for non-compliance. (Expired or incomplete training certifications are…
Spring Psychosis! It’s our 2020 Dangerous Goods tournament bracket!
Welp, it’s supposed to be that time of year when high school and college basketball teams start playing each other in single-elimination tournaments, and people everywhere had planned to put up brackets on cubicle walls. Unfortunately, Covid-19 virus concerns have caused the cancellation of many large gatherings and sports tournaments as folks here in the…
Undeclared hazmat? The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is on the case.
Say you need a replacement 420 Wh battery for your electric snowblower. Instead of ordering a new one from the manufacturer, you find an online retailer offering a used battery at a discount. When the battery arrives, you—being somewhat knowledgeable about the rules governing transport of lithium batteries—are surprised to see it’s in a plain,…
7 misconceptions about attending the Dangerous Goods Symposium
Have you ever attended Labelmaster’s Dangerous Goods Symposium? If so, here’s what you need to know right now: The 2020 Dangerous Goods Symposium will be held September 9-11 in Chicago You’ll save $50 by registering by April 30, 2020. Now, if you’ve never attended the DG Symposium, you might have a reason or two why…
Hazmat Quizmaster: Do you know how to ship lithium batteries by air?
KEEP YOUR LITHIUM BATTERY SHIPMENTS COMPLIANT Lithium batteries are hazmat, and the regulations for shipping them change often. Keep your shipments safe and compliant with a complete line of lithium battery resources from Labelmaster. Make sure your shipments are safe and in complete compliance with a full line of solutions from Labelmaster—a full-service provider of goods and services for hazardous materials…
DOT PHMSA Hosts First Lithium Battery Air Safety Advisory Committee Meeting
Last week DOT PHMSA hosted the first Lithium Battery Air Safety Advisory Committee meeting at DOT Headquarters in Washington, D.C., and I had the pleasure of the attending the meeting alongside Labelmaster Services V.P. of Consulting, Pia Jala. Lithium cell and battery production throughout the world continues to grow at an astonishing rate due to…
Why it’s absolutely essential to choose the right hazmat placard
True fact: No one ever got promoted for choosing the right hazmat placard. Choosing the wrong placard, however, could have negative consequences for anyone’s job prospects. Think about it. Every Dangerous Goods shipment represents a significant investment in time and materials, and it could be part of a supply chain impacting several organizations. Yet one…