42
FULLY CHARGED BATTERIES • CHANGING REGULATIONS AND NEW EFFORTS TO ADDRESS NON-COMPLIANCE MAKE PROPER PACKAGING AND LABELLING MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER IN 2020, SAYS LION’S ROGER MARKS* IN A PRESS release issued in December 2019, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) gave a stark warning to lithium battery shippers who fail to comply with the latest regulations. Together with the Global Shippers Forum (GSF) and other industry groups, IATA renewed its call for governments to crack down on counterfeit battery manufacturers and non-compliant lithium battery shipments. Industry is urging governments to bolster
For businesses and shippers who do put investment in employee training, proper packaging and labels and dangerous goods compliance, rogue shippers who flout safety standards and regulations pose a serious problem. Their refusal to comply with accepted requirements undercuts the competitive advantage that companies earn by shipping lithium batteries (and other dangerous goods) properly. What is more, the recent uptick in lithium
enforcement efforts and “get much tougher with fines and penalties.” Increased scrutiny on lithium battery shipments means that compliance with domestic and international shipping regulations for packaging and labelling these batteries is more important than ever in 2020.
battery air incidents – many of which are caused by undeclared or ‘hidden’ lithium battery shipments – has raised concerns among the general public about batteries that, when shipped and handled properly, are safe to transport and use. Simply put, rogue shippers have given lithium batteries a bad name.
HCB MONTHLY | JANUARY 2020
Efforts to make shipping dangerous goods as safe as possible enjoy broad support among shippers and other stakeholders. But when the rules frequently change, as the lithium batteries rules have, it puts a strain on industry professionals doing their best to ensure compliance. Only last year, lithium battery shippers had to update their procedures again to stay on top of changing regulations. Following a two-year transition period, new lithium battery marks and labels became mandatory on 1 January 2019. The label currently required for fully regulated lithium batteries is a special Class 9 hazmat label featuring an illustration of lithium batteries. Also newly required in 2019 is the lithium battery mark for excepted lithium battery shipments – that is, smaller batteries and batteries packaged in or with equipment. It is hoped that regulators will allow these new labels to be used for a long while before they change them again. US DOT ADDS EXTRA WRINKLE In March 2019, the US Department of Transportation (DOT) finally harmonised Title 49 of the US Code of Federal Regulations (49 CFR) with the latest international standards for shipping lithium batteries by air. In its harmonisation Interim Final Rule (HM-224I),
