A Report From The National Fireworks Association Expo 2008 Several hundred fireworks enthusiasts from around the world converged in Billings, Montana, for the National Fireworks Association’s Expo 2008. The Expo was scheduled around daytime seminars and a large trade show with over eighty exhibitors representing an impressively wide range of products and services for the…
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has recently issued a clarification of the prevailing fireworks policy regarding approvals or certifications for specialty devices. [Docket No. PHMSA-2013-0206; Notice No. 13-15; dated October 2, 2013]. Interestingly, this Agency may have deliberately elected to issue a clarification to bypass seeking public comment; PHMSA routinely seeks public comment…
A recent article mentioned that Amazon has distributed instructions to its employees identifying which states to avoid visiting for and on behalf of Amazon; until further notice, only non-business travel to these ‘problem’ States is permitted. The sole purpose of this directive by one of the world’s largest Internet retailer is avoidance of sales taxes….
Effective October 1, 2010, PHMSA may begin to issue violations for failure to institute new practices in order to fully comply with new rules and procedures. For instance, PHMSA is adopting new criteria for the 24-hour Emergency Response System (ERS). The new regulation requires shippers of hazardous materials to include their ChemTel issued ‘Contact Number’…
Floating Fireworks- dateline, Panama City, Florida In a prior article I wrote about the hazards and perils associated with fireworks displays over water and, as an example of life imitating art, an unexploded fireworks shell was found floating in the waters off Tyndall Air Force Base. The date of discovery is July 24th, meaning that…
Effective damage control starts with the policies that govern your business operations. While it is vitally important to direct the flow of information you do not, however, have to assume the role of control freak to accomplish this task. This article will briefly describe the two types of damage control most commonly encountered in the…
August 10, 2007 – Fargo, North Dakota, the site of the 2007 convention of the Pyrotechnics Guild International, billed as Fargo Firestorm – 2007. I am pleased to report that great things happen at these events, and I have drunk the Kool-Aid and I like it; so much so, that this year I was joined…
Appleton, Wisc. The U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Special Permits and Approvals, is in the process of making changes to the current EX Application form. Although the new application form should be publicly available in the near future, the January 1, 2007 effective date is approaching fast. Therefore, a prudent businessman is best served…
The Internal Revenue Service, and its state counterpart, The Commissioner of Labor, continues to aggressively pursue reclassification of independent contractors as employees. For fireworks display companies that rely upon technicians to temporarily supplement its full-time technical staff, an assessment by federal and state agencies can put a company out of business, given the significant dollars…
