Neil McCulloch contributed to this article. Monday’s press release from IATA, highlighting the problems and implications of non-enforcement of existing lithium battery shipping regulations, is both salutary and discouraging. Salutary, because we’ve long been on record as saying that comprehensive enforcement of existing regulations would have a larger impact on safety than enacting new regulations. Many other…
Shouldn’t you have a Lithium Battery Advisor for everyday life?
Lithium battery shipping is complex and challenging, but Labelmaster’s Lithium Battery Advisor software makes it simple and stress-free. Wouldn’t it be great if you had a Lithium Battery Advisor for all your everyday challenges? Seriously. Think about how quickly lithium battery regulations have changed. Many shipments that not long ago required no special handling at…
In Geneva, UN Dangerous Goods Experts Hash Out Coming Regulatory Changes
The structure of the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) in the US 49 CFR Parts 100 – 185 may seem byzantine at first; it’s hardly light reading. However, it is actually built upon a very sound and logical structure. US regulations are in large part based on and or harmonized to the Dangerous Goods regulations (it’s…
New video explores Dangerous Goods compliance at 30,000 feet
Mike Wentz is Manager of Cargo Compliance for American Airlines, but when he talks about his job he could be speaking for any Dangerous Goods professional in any capacity: “I knew I’d never be comfortable in the role unless I could understand the regulations back to front and be able to communicate them effectively.” Get…
20 Years On, Remembering (and Learning) from ValuJet Flight 592
Twenty years ago today, ValuJet Flight 592 took off from Miami’s airport only to within minutes be destroyed after an intense fire in the cargo hold sent the aircraft into a nearly vertical dive which almost totally obliterated it in Everglades swampland. Miami remembers, as do I, as Dangerous Goods Manager with IATA at the time.…
How can you keep customer returns of Dangerous Goods compliant?
Q: Reviewing the PHMSA HM-253 Final Rule on reverse logistics issued March 31, it appears it doesn’t really address returns from consumers to suppliers or manufacturers. How do you suggest keeping these shipments compliant? You are correct. Although the new PHMSA ruling contains regulatory relief for reverse logistics shipments that originate from retail stores, it…
“I shipped lithium batteries for that?” The 10 dumbest battery devices
Shipping lithium batteries is challenging, with new air shipping regulations making air transport for many batteries all but impossible. But at least you know those batteries power the devices that make our world more amazing by the day, right? Well, not always. For every life-altering phone, tablet or fitness tracker, there’s a device so pointless…
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?…
8 technologies that could make lithium batteries safer (or obsolete)
If you ship lithium batteries, or anything with batteries in it, your job seems to get more challenging every week. New battery-shipping rules have made some air transport all but impossible, and the regulatory landscape—er, airscape—is primed for more restrictions. Do you sometimes wish lithium batteries would just go away? Dream on! Battery power is…
DG Digest: MH370 Anniversary Fuels Speculation, Guide to Paraquat Hazard Mitigation
Another busy week in the world of Dangerous Goods, EH&S, and associated regulations: FMCSA: The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) extended the comment period for its proposed rulemaking revising the way in it assigns “Carrier Safety Fitness Determinations.” These determinations can be important to carriers for reasons like frequency of inspections, insurance costs, and…