If 2020 was the year of the pandemic, the global supply chain may remember 2021 as the year of the capacity crunch. With the pandemic still impacting workforces and travel, a perfect storm of other factors combined with surging demand to disrupt supply chains as never before. The Dangerous Goods regulatory world, while naturally affected…
This Thanksgiving, DG also stands for “Deepest Gratitude.”
We know lots of Dangerous Goods professionals are on vacation this week, but the supply chain never takes a holiday. That’s why we’d like to take a few moments to share our thanks for everyone who helps keep our highways, skies, rails and oceans safe. Thank you to the truckers, pilots, train drivers and others…
DG Digest: Court upholds suspension of OSHA Covid-19 vaccine mandate for many U.S. workplaces
Here we are in mid-November. Winter is rolling in quickly, so make sure your workplace has its cold weather plan ready. Snow removal needs are already here for some northern and high elevation locations, with much of the rest of the country sure to follow soon. Don’t get caught unprepared! The week saw relatively limited…
DG Digest: PHMSA to suspend LNG transport in rail tank cars; OSHA to require proof of vaccination (or weekly testing) in January
The first full week of November is wrapping up with the release of OSHA’s long awaited Interim Final Rule in reference to COVID vaccine and/or testing mandates in the workplace. The measure is not without controversy. However, here we’ll only cover the rule’s contents. People doubtless have their own opinions in reference to the rule.…
Which sites have the best hazmat information for eCommerce shippers?
During the recent Dangerous Goods Symposium, U.S. Postal Inspection Service Hazardous Materials Program Specialist Vinny Desiderio described the ongoing challenges USPS has with eCommerce shippers who don’t know (or act as if they don’t know) they’re shipping hazmat. Some of them—purveyors of ammunition, smoke grenades and chemicals such as calcium carbide—almost certainly know better. The…
DG Digest: PHMSA releases Lithium Battery Handling Guide in attempt to simplify disparate regulations across the U.S.
Did your workplace mark Fire Prevention Week? The annual reminder to take fire danger seriously is based on the anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire, which occurred 150 years this year from October 8th through the 10th in 1871 and destroyed a 3.3 square mile area—at that time, a span encompassing most of the city. The tragedy…
What if Dangerous Goods regulatory publications were made into movies?
Why aren’t people more excited about the release of new Dangerous Goods regulatory publications? Sure, they’re long and intimidating, but that didn’t stop the Game of Thrones series from becoming best-sellers. And no, they’re not very entertaining, but they are completely essential for their role in keeping hazmat shipments safe and compliant. Every organization in…
2021 DG Symposium recap, part 3: Final thoughts and a secret message
The 2021 Dangerous Goods Symposium delivered everything a supply chain professional could want. 18 virtual sessions over two weeks addressed every significant Dangerous Goods regulatory update—domestic and international, via land, sea and air—along with deeper dives on training, e-commerce, anti-terrorism measures, C-suite priorities and, naturally, lithium battery transport. (Want to go back and watch a…
DG Digest: PHMSA announces virtual Research, Development & Technology Forum – starting October 12, 2021
Amazingly enough, we’ve just finished the last weekend in September. Where does the time go? Cooler fall weather is beginning to settle in across the country; now is a great time to start thinking about your company’s cold weather plans for things like snow clearance, keeping walkways safe, and making sure heaters, boilers, and furnaces…
DG Digest: PHMSA reinstates pandemic relief of test & recertification of pressure cylinders; IMO releases chart outlining current and future IMDG Code amendments
Hopefully, everyone has had a chance to enjoy all or part of the ongoing Labelmaster Dangerous Goods Symposium. As usual, the employees creating and coordinating the event are doing their amazing best. Many thanks to them, to all of the speakers, and to everyone participating. (You can register for this week’s sessions here.) Hopefully, next year’s event can…