Articles

Public Policy

How to Prepare for the Food Safety Modernization Act

How to Prepare for the Food Safety Modernization Act

When President Obama signed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) in January 2011, it marked the first time in more than 70 years that the U.S. government introduced any significant legislative change to the food industry. The motive was clear: Educate and instruct public and private sectors on how […]

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Forest Himmelfarb

Making Hazmat Regulation Compliance Less Hazardous

Hazardous material (hazmat) transport regulations can often seem like a foreign language. An abundance of unique terms leaves many shippers perplexed. Even the phrase "hazardous materials" can be confusing because the term "dangerous goods" is standard outside the United States. And with regulations constantly shifting and changing, it gets increasingly harder for shippers to remain […]

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Par Wetterlof

Regulation as an Opportunity

Manufacturers are facing an increasing number of regulations in a variety of areas from increasing food safety to meeting specific ground-level ozone policies. The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act of 2010, signed into law in 2011, is just one example of recent legislation. Resulting from widespread cases of tainted eggs and peanut butter, the sweeping […]

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Trends—September 2014

Trends—September 2014

HCS Updates: Asked and Answered The Occupational Safety and Health Administration‘s (OSHA) 2012 Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) is sure to elicit a supply chain reaction from chemical manufacturers, distributors, and end users. The updates to HCS 1994, OSHA’s previous convention, feature some cosmetic changes—"material safety data sheets" are now referred to as "safety data sheets"— […]

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Jim Syfan

A National Standard for Hiring ‘Safe’ Motor Carriers

Q: Is there confusion over what constitutes a safe carrier when screening and contracting for shipments? A: Most definitely. Unfortunately, the courts are deciding safety standards for carriers, and their opinions vary widely from state to state. This puts contractors—shippers, brokers, forwarders, and receivers—in an awkward position, particularly when something goes wrong, such as a […]

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Ronald Leibman

House Members Seek to Set Due Diligence Standards for Motor Carrier Hiring

On May 22, 2014, Representatives Duncan (R-Tenn.), Paulsen (R-Minn.), and Davis (R-Ill.) introduced legislation in the United States House of Representatives entitled “To enhance interstate commerce by creating a National Hiring Standard for Motor Carriers,” H.R. 4727 (the “Bill”). If the Bill were to be enacted into law, the states would be prohibited from imposing […]

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