Welcome back all! Hopefully, everyone had a chance to rest, recharge, and enjoy the just-concluded Thanksgiving holiday period. This edition of the DG Digest is a “two-weeker,” given that there was no publication last Monday, the 19th. As one may therefore guess, any number of things popped up over the last fourteen days, so let’s…
DG Digest: EPA is working on adjustments within the universal waste regulations to improve safety standards and reduce fires from mismanaged end-of-life lithium batteries.
If you’re like many readers of this blog, you’re seeing this on Tuesday morning, after it appeared in your email overnight. If that’s you—Happy Halloween! Let’s all remember that the kids are going to be out in force for their treats in the evening, and they may not pay as much attention as they should…
DG Digest: PHMSA announces a meeting of the Lithium Battery Air Safety Advisory Committee.
It’s the second week of October and begins with a federal holiday. Hopefully, if you have the day off, you can enjoy the break and see some fall colors! Here’s the latest news: PHMSA The agency published a renewal of a set of ICR’s that address security plan requirements and hazmat route planning. Other information…
DG Digest: FRA publishes new safety advisory to help protect workers
Uh-oh. It’s October already! How did that happen? Now’s the time to start making sure that your winter safety plans are ready to go and that your contracts with snow removal vendors are finalized. You don’t want your workplace to be the last in line for this vital service. Employee slips and falls rise dramatically…
DG Digest: STB’s Rail Energy Transportation Advisory Committee to meet October 18th
Amazingly enough, it’s already mid-September. Hopefully everyone is getting back into the groove of having the kids back in school and having most employees back from summer vacations. This coming week is the last of the calendrical summer, and before too long the fall will be here. If your workplace is in a location that…
DG Digest: OSHA Requests Extension on ICR Contained in HAZWOPER Program
This edition of the DG Digest publishes on September 11th—today is the 22nd anniversary of the 9/11/2001 terror attacks. The Labelmaster family joins all Americans in remembering those we lost on that awful day, and the first responders and military personnel that have given so much since then. It’s a short digest this week, as…
Transport Canada publishes a large miscellaneous update to its TDG regulations
Here we are sweltering in late July! Much of the nation is in the grip of record-breaking heat, so all of us need to be sure to pay extra attention to heat safety—let’s keep our fellow employees protected from heat exhaustion and heat stroke, both potentially dangerous conditions that can severely injure or even be…
DG Digest: PHMSA seeks feedback on modernization of its Hazardous Materials Regulations
Now that the Independence Day holiday has come and gone, here we are in the full swing of summer. Make sure that your workplace has a solid plan in place to mitigate the effects of the inevitable hot weather, and to safely account for the absence of employees that are away on vacation—it’s “prime time”…
DG Digest: PHMSA publishes rule which requires rail carriers to provide greater levels of information about hazardous materials.
PHMSA published the proposed rule discussed here last week which will require rail carriers to provide greater levels of information about hazardous materials in train consists to first responders when potentially dangerous incidents occur. A BNSF train rolls through a curve near Rock Island, Washington in July of 2017. Image © 7/2017 by Nikki Burgess;…
The EPA has published new guidance related to the characterization of waste related to lithium batteries.
It’s the first week of June and here comes summer! If you haven’t yet implemented your workplace’s summer heat illness and injury prevention program, now’s the time! Heat stress and heat stroke are among the most common workplace illnesses and the summertime is the biggest period of the year where they tend to occur. Help…