Today is the Summer Solstice; the longest day of the year. Lots of daylight for safe and effective work on those out of doors projects around home, office, or plant—do it safely! The world of Dangerous Goods and EH&S was typically busy over the last week: EPA The EPA is amending its hazardous chemical reporting…
DG pro has weird allergic reaction to the words “lithium batteries”
A Midwestern Dangerous Goods professional has developed a psychosomatic reaction to the words lithium batteries, apparently resulting from overexposure to news articles, blog posts and customer inquiries about the subject. Ted—who requested his last name and company not be revealed—experiences facial skin outbreaks, headaches and nausea when he hears or reads the words lithium battery…
DG Digest: PHMSA Updates to 49 CFR, OSHA’s Annual Heat-Related Warning, and a Tribute to a DG Hero
June is here! Hopefully your summer is starting to ramp up—safely, of course! As usual, the world of Dangerous Goods and EH&S kept right on going, regardless of seasonal changes. Here’s the latest: PHMSA: In what is easily the week’s biggest news, PHMSA released a set of new amendments to the 49 CFR Parts 100…
DG Digest: OSHA’s Millions, PHMSA (ALSO) to Ban e-Cigs in Checked Bags, and EPA Grants!
It’s Monday again—hope you’re coping—and time thus for another edition of the weekly peek at what’s new in the world of Dangerous Goods and EH&S: OSHA: OSHA announced the new availability millions of dollars in grant monies to qualifying small governments and training organizations under the annual Susan Harwood Training Grant program, targeting safety improvements…
DG Digest: OSHA’s New Reporting Requirement, More PHMSA Special Permits, and Amtrak #118 One Year Later
Happy Monday! May has been a chilly month in much of the nation, but hopefully it finds you gearing up for a safe and productive summer. Here’s the past week’s “latest and greatest” in reference to the world of DG transport and EH&S activity: PHMSA: PHMSA took a variety of actions in reference to Special…
DG Digest: OSHA’s Interest in Benzene, PHMSA Guidance to Firework Makers, and FRA Lists Most Dangerous Crossings
It’s the last week of April already! Hope everyone is thinking spring by now. Here the latest’s news of note in the worlds of Dangerous Goods and EH&S: OSHA: OSHA released a new information collection request in reference to Benzene, a common industrial chemical used in many applications but that has hazardous qualities that make…
DG Digest: LithBat Webinar on Wednesday, EPA on Hydrological Alteration, and the TSA’s BASE Program
As part of our nation basks in Spring warmth and other areas get snowed under, the DG news flow this week was a little more quiet than has been the recent norm. Here are the most relevant briefs: Special Lithium Battery Regulatory Update Webinar: Shipping Lithium Batteries by air remains a huge topic of interest…
Domestic shippers take note: PHMSA to adopt ICAO lithium battery rules
When the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and International Air Transport Association (IATA) imposed new lithium battery air shipping restrictions April 1, 2016, many shippers whose products never cross US borders believed that the new rules didn’t apply to them. Because those restrictions have not been adopted into the U.S. Hazardous Materials Regulations (49 CFR),…
USDOT/PHMSA formalizes requirements for “Reverse Logistics”
In today’s edition of the US Federal Register, the United States Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) published a final rule under Docket # PHMSA-2011-0143 (HM-253), RIN 2137-AE82 under which the agency sets forth specific rules to regulate the transport of materials under the so-called “Reverse Logistics” principle. This function…
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…