It’s mid-February, and hopefully everyone had a chance to enjoy the spirit of the Valentine’s Day Holiday. We can all be grateful for loved ones. Keep doing your part to help keep them safe. The week’s biggest news was easily the late in the week publication of a proposed revision to the nation’s Hazard Communication Standard or…
DG Digest: FMCSA revised HOS rules and OSHA to hold virtual public meetings in advance of International sessions on GHS
The nation completed another very difficult of week coping with the coronavirus pandemic as well as emerging civic strife engendered by very unfortunate current events. Here’s hoping that along with health, that peace and justice make a quick return for all the people of our nation. There were several items of interest in the regulatory world,…
DG Digest: OSHA announces intent to harmonize with 7th Revision of GHS in 2019
Need we say it? Be safe with fireworks! This week’s holiday is no reason to endure a tragedy. The safest course is to leave that kind of celebrating to the industry professionals, and just sit back and watch them do their thing. The week’s news was surprisingly busy in what is often a sparse period;…
Dangerous Goods Symposium speaker Ben Barrett: “GHS is still in its infancy.”
Hazmat consultant Ben Barrett will speak about GHS hazcom standards during the 12th annual Dangerous Goods Symposium, September 6–8, 2017, in Chicago. The UN Globally Harmonized System for hazard communications—better known as GHS—has been haltingly adopted by U.S. companies since its implementation in 2012. While the final deadline for implementation passed more than a year…
DG Digest: Marking Our One Year Anniversary with an Issue Packed-Full of DG News!
Happy Martin Luther King Day, everyone! I hope that this Civil Rights pioneer’s great legacy will help to positively inform your week. It’s also the first anniversary of this blog—the DG Digest is a year old today! I enjoy bringing you the latest and greatest from the world of DG Transport, Environmental, and HS&E regulations…
DG Digest: Star Wars criminal complaint, TDGR harmonization, and so much more!
The run-up to Valentine’s Day was not without interest in the world of Dangerous Goods and EH&S. Among the many highlights in a rather eventful week: February 9 The FRA issued a new rule regarding improved window glazing strength in all new locomotives and passenger carrying cars. The action comes as increased focus on railroad…
The Latest Developments in International DG Regulations
It’s been an incredibly busy last six weeks in the realm of international regulatory development. The beginning of November saw the ICAO Dangerous Goods Panel wrap up its 24th biennium, putting the final changes in place for the 2017-2018 ICAO Technical Instructions and tackling the very difficult subject of whether or not a prohibition on lithium batteries…
New OSHA Letter of Interpretation clarifies Import/Export issues under the HCS
On November 23rd, 2015 the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) released a Letter of Interpretation (LOI) which offered further clarification of US companies’ responsibilities when importing or exporting materials which require action under the 29 CFR 1910.1200 Hazard Communication Standard (HCS). This standard was revised in 2012 to harmonize it with the UN Globally…
Guest Blog: Workplace and transport labeling: Communication cures the confusion
Guest blogger Chandra Deeds Gioiello helps clients across the globe navigate regulations with Industrial Health & Safety Consultants, Inc. She is a registered Safety Data Sheet and Label Author and a Certified Industrial Hygienist, specializing in international hazard communication regulations. I have written Safety Data Sheets for employers throughout the world. I’ve classified mixtures according…
For the first time in 25 years, OSHA fines will increase dramatically in 2016
On November 2, 2015, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (H.R. 1314) was signed by President Obama, ensuring that the federal government will have a budget in place for the next two years. Great news for anyone concerned that budget woes could result in a government shutdown—bad news for OSHA violators at risk for citations.…