A couple of weeks ago, we published our 2018 DG Wish List, in which Dangerous Goods professionals from around the world shared their fondest dreams for the industry. Most of these wishes were pretty practical, from simplifying lithium battery shipping regulations to making sure shippers were better educated about hazmat. Others were grander in scale—like…
3 unexpected facts about Obexion lithium battery packaging
Since we introduced Obexion packaging technology last fall, we’ve had an unbelievable response from people who ship lithium batteries and battery devices. Many of the questions were predictable (even if the answers were amazing): Can Obexion really contain a 400°C lithium battery fire without gels, pellets or heavy liners? Yes—watch the video here. Can I…
Hazmat hopes: A 2018 wish list from top Dangerous Goods professionals
Last November, we asked our readers a simple question: What’s your biggest wish for 2018 in the entire Dangerous Goods galaxy? What regulation would you change? What stress-inducing process would you simplify? What one thing would you change to make your job easier—and the world safer? DG pros from all over responded, with wishes ranging…
Lithium batteries and new technology dominate our top 10 posts of 2017
If you’re a Dangerous Goods professional, just keeping up with changing regulations can be a full-time job. But you also have to make sure all your team members are compliantly trained, and you might even have to prove to your upper management (over and over again) that hazmat compliance is an area that justifies serious…
Don’t use hazmat software? Here are some things you might need
Of all the shocks in our 2017 Global Dangerous Goods Confidence Outlook, the biggest might have been this one: 26% of DG pros say they use no DG software – they use manual processes for any hazardous materials they ship or handle. Since we offer DGIS, the most sophisticated hazmat software available, we’d like to…
Remember these disasters? “Dang Good” training made sure they never happened.
This post is adapted from a presentation given at the 2017 Dangerous Goods Symposium by Gene Sanders, founder and manager of W.E. Train Consulting. Since we can abbreviate the words “hazardous materials” to “hazmat,” I say we shorten “Dangerous Goods training” to “Dang Good training.” It saves time, and it describes what we trainers hope…
Hey hazmat pros—what’s #1 on your 2018 Dangerous Goods wish list?
Back in 2016, if you’d asked people who ship lithium batteries and battery-powered devices what they wished for in 2017, they might have said “We wish there was a simple cardboard box that contained lithium battery fires without gels, pellets or heavy liners. Then we might be able to compliantly ship our products via commercial…
Fall meetings highlight changes in Dangerous Goods air transport
The fall season in odd-numbered years has traditionally been a busy time for people who handle Dangerous Goods by air, and 2017 was no exception. Consider this timetable: Labelmaster’s 12th Dangerous Goods Symposium, Chicago, Sept. 6–8 IATA’s Dangerous Goods Board, 111th meeting in Brussels, Sept. 18–21 IATA’s Lithium Battery Seminar in Barcelona, Oct. 3–5 ICAO’s…
9 reasons you’re going to love complying with FMCSA’s ELD mandate
The deadline for U.S. truck operators to replace paper logs with electronic logging devices (ELDs) is just a few weeks away. While many operators have already switched, others’ attitudes toward making the transition might best be described as “kicking and screaming.” We get it. Change is hard, and complying with yet another federal mandate can…
Mom, can I be a hazmat pro for Halloween?
One sunny morning in mid-October, Anne poured the milk for her kids’ cereal and asked, “Hey guys—what do you want to be for Halloween this year?” Seven-year-old Kyle said, “Spider Man!” Nine-year-old Jenna said, “Wonder Woman!” And eleven-year-old Zack said, “A hazmat professional!” “A hazmat professional?” Anne shut the refrigerator and peered at Zack. “Is…