Summer continues into its traditionally warmest month; be sure your employees remain able to cope with the heat that can afflict our workplaces. It’s also a heavy vacation month and the reduced staffing that can result can pressurize employees that are covering vacationing colleagues; be on the lookout for people who may be trying a little…
DG Digest: TSA issues ICR to stakeholders engaged in surface transportation
The week found the United States and her allies marking the 75th Anniversary of the World War 2 invasion of Normandy in France, beginning the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi rule. The Labelmaster family joins with our fellow citizens in expressing gratitude for the bravery and sadness at the sacrifice of those who took…
The hazmat pro’s guide to Game of Thrones, Season 8
At last, the moment for which hazmat pros have waited untold winters! The final season of Game of Thrones starts Sunday. Everyone in the Dangerous Goods galaxy knows Game of Thrones is really about hazmat transport. For all its swordplay, palace intrigue and dragons, the show addresses the same issues hazmat pros deal with every…
DG Digest: PHMSA harmonizes with ICAO on lithium battery transport
The second full week in March finds PHMSA having published its lithium battery by air revisions, and, just to make things interesting, the agency threw in a twist. See the details below. Meanwhile, Spring Break season is here. Make sure your employees don’t get distracted from their need to be safe—a looming vacation can often…
DG Digest: FRA publishes emergency relief docket and DOT reviewing need for some external guidance documents
The last two weeks found federal agencies slowly returning to their normal schedules following the recent shutdown. The result? A much busier DG Digest! Meanwhile, much of the country is experiencing the grip of the depth of winter. Is your workplace safe for employees? Remember to keep your walkways clear and dry, watch inside flooring…
DOT Departments Limit Services During Continued Government Shutdown
Have you been curious how the partial Government shutdown has affected the Department of Transportation (DOT) offices? DOT recently issued a plan document outlining how each office is operating during the current funding freeze. It includes a summary of personnel affected (working vs. furloughed), as well as summaries of continuing operations and suspended activities. Hazardous…
DG Digest: Lithium Batteries in the News and PHMSA adds 60 Days to Comment Period on Bulk Flammable Liquid Carriage
Today is the first day of Spring! I hope the day finds you someplace that is getting warmer and brighter as the year progresses. Progress on the regulatory front remains slow, as the “freeze” continues to make its presence felt through a still-glacial pace of new regulatory releases. On the HM-215N front, the song remains…
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),…
Are There New FMCSA Electronic Logging Devices Regulations on the Horizon?
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) submitted a notice of filing on December 10, 2015, that will mandate the use of electronic logging devices (ELDs) by interstate commercial motor vehicle drivers who currently use a driver’s log to record their hours of service. This ruling is scheduled to be posted in the Federal Register…
Trucker’s Group Requests Extension of Comment Period for FMCSA Required Drug and Alcohol Testing
In an action published in yesterday’s Federal Register, the US Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) extended the comment period on the proposed rulemaking (NPRM) which would establish a new nationwide database for reporting and tracking drug and alcohol related citations and test results for operators of commercial vehicles (CMV) holding…