PHMSA Quarterly Newsletter

In addition to developing and enforcing the regulations for the safe and reliable transportation of dangerous goods, PHMSA publishes a newsletter several times a year to keep dangerous goods shippers in the loop of any news or changes on the horizon. Recently PHMSA has issued their quarterly newsletter for the time period between April and June 2022. Some of the topics include upcoming public meetings, a fireworks standard change, as well as events that have taken place.

What is in the Newsletter?

Upcoming Meetings

There was no shortage of topics in PHMSA’s latest quarterly newsletter. First and foremost, the newsletter announced some upcoming public meetings related to dangerous goods on the international level. These meetings include the 60th session of the UNSCOE TDG, scheduled for June 27 to July 6, 2022, in Geneva, Switzerland, the ICAO DGP Working Group 22, tentatively scheduled for November 21–25, in Montreal, Canada, and the 61st session of the UNSCOE TDG, scheduled for November 28 to December 6, 2022, in Geneva, Switzerland. These meetings will be virtual, with concurrent in-person sessions possible, depending on public health guidelines.

Fireworks Standard Change

PHMSA is currently updating their website to include guidance on the latest fireworks standard change. The American Pyrotechnics Association (APA) Standard 87-1 version 2001 is now obsolete as of November 26, 2021, so moving forward all fireworks classification applications submitted to PHMSA must be in compliance with the nest 2018 APA Standard 87-1. Details of the final rulemaking can be found here be found here.

EVENT SPOTLIGHT

This past January, members of PHMSA’s Office of Hazardous Materials Safety (OHMS) attended the 2022 Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show, also known as SHOT. Attendance of this event was a part of the agency’s small arms ammunition and components safety initiative which is a component of PHMSA’s “Check the Box” campaign created to raise awareness of the dangers of undeclared dangerous goods shipments. The SHOT trade show, which is sponsored by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), is the largest annual trade show for the shooting sports, hunting, outdoor recreation, and firearm manufacturing industries. During this event, PHMSA’s new compliance assistance brochure, “The Facts on Small Arms-Related HAZMAT,” was presented to industry stakeholders. This brochure was created in partnership with the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), who recognized a trend of materials such as primers and propellants being listed by unlicensed shippers for shipment through the U.S. Postal Service and other large carriers. For access to PHMSA’s full quarterly newsletter feel free to click here.

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