New FRA grant program to help state & local governments improve rail safety
In the Friday, September 04, 2015 edition of the Federal Register, the US Department of Transportation’s (USODT) Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) announced a new grant program. Under the Railroad...
View ArticleICAO releases new Addendum/Corrigendum updating Technical Instructions for...
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has released a new Addendum and Corrigendum revising the 2015 – 2016 Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air,...
View ArticlePTC Alert! The Positive Train Control Deadline Creates a Potential...
Will January 1, 2016 be the day the trains stop? As America’s railroads and Congress fail to agree on extending the December 31 deadline for implementing Positive Train Control systems, that threat...
View ArticlePHMSA/FAA Meet to Discuss Concerns on Lithium Battery Transport
The US Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) held a joint public meeting in Washington, DC on...
View ArticleEPA revises pesticide protection regulations for agricultural workers
On September 28, 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that they have completed the much anticipated revisions to the Worker Protection Standard (WPS) found in Title 40 of the Code...
View ArticleCongress advances bill to delay Railroad PTC Mandate
The US House of Representatives has introduced legislation to delay until 2018 the current deadline for US railroads to implement Positive Train Control (PTC) systems on their tracks. As discussed in...
View ArticleIATA Lithium Battery workshop concludes; undeclared and non-compliant...
Last week, I was part of the Labelmaster team that attended the Lithium Battery workshop hosted by IATA in Montreal. For those of us who’ve been following the twists and turns of the regulations...
View ArticleCongressional politics threaten PTC extension bill
Just when American railroads were perhaps starting to breathe a bit easier about the December 31st, 2015 Positive Train Control (PTC) deadline account the seeming agreement in the House of...
View ArticleBan lithium batteries from airlines? Pursue the violators instead.
On August 12, 2015, a handling agent at London’s Heathrow Airport saw smoke emanating from a pallet that had arrived from Hong Kong. He removed the smoking box and discovered that a lithium battery...
View ArticleD.O.T. moves to ban e-Cigs in checked bags
On October 26, 2015, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) issued an interim final rule banning passengers and crew from storing...
View ArticleFAA to develop task force addressing drone registrations
Drone operators in the U.S. are going to be impacted by some big regulatory changes in the near future. Drones, referred to as unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), currently are not to be operated within 5...
View ArticleLithium battery packaging strives to reduce fire risks
“Striving to better, oft we mar what’s well.” King Lear – William Shakespeare Or to put it in the modern vernacular, “The perfect is the enemy of the good.” This is the aphorism that came to mind...
View Article2018 Rail PTC Extension rolls through Congress
Congress acted to avert confusion and delay on the nation’s rail infrastructure on Wednesday October 28th, 2015 by passing an extension to what had been a looming December 31st, 2015 deadline for...
View ArticleFor the first time in 25 years, OSHA fines will increase dramatically in 2016
On November 2, 2015, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (H.R. 1314) was signed by President Obama, ensuring that the federal government will have a budget in place for the next two years. Great news...
View ArticleGuest Blog: Workplace and transport labeling: Communication cures the confusion
Guest blogger Chandra Deeds Gioiello helps clients across the globe navigate regulations with Industrial Health & Safety Consultants, Inc. She is a registered Safety Data Sheet and Label Author and...
View ArticleHoverboards, this season’s hot holiday gift, banned from airline transport
While many Americans focus on holiday activity and the shopping often attendant to that, one product that might be on people’s “get list” looks like it may run into logistics trouble arriving under the...
View ArticleNew FMCSA Medical Examination Forms Released
On Monday December 7th, 2015, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) posted example copies of the revised Medical Examination Report Form (MCSA-5875) and Medical Examiner’s Certificate...
View ArticleNew OSHA Letter of Interpretation clarifies Import/Export issues under the HCS
On November 23rd, 2015 the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) released a Letter of Interpretation (LOI) which offered further clarification of US companies’ responsibilities when...
View ArticleAre 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...
View ArticleHow 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...
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