According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) final rule published on December 18, 2024
titled ”Drug and Alcohol Testing of Certificated Repair Station Employees Located Outside of the
United States,” the FAA announced a formal requirement that international regulatory authorities
and repair stations have been dreading for years.
A Final Rule posted to the Federal Register on 12/30/2024 increased the fines for DOT and FAA violations, including Hazardous Materials transportation laws, again in 2025. The long list of legal citations and penalties can be found here. Remember that findings during FAA and DOT audits can result in a multitude of violations andsome penalties […]
On December 11, 2024, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) on X (formerly Twitter) asked the public to provide examples of “wasteful and burdensome regulations.” We were more than happy to oblige. Below is a snippet of our submittal. We must give credit to the Aeronautical Repair Station Association (ARSA), which so eloquently summarized the […]
Tym’s recently submitted a public comment on Docket No. PHMSA-2024-0041 regarding the development of “general investigative questions” that may be used by PHMSA’s Office of Hazardous Materials Safety (OHMS) field operations personnel when “investigating potential general safety issues.” We asked that the questions not be adopted based on the agency’s false premise that the questions […]
The application process for Special Permit party status is straightforward. However, DOT PHMSA will respond with a request for documentation, such as training records, at a minimum. In the worst case, the process will trigger a full regulatory audit or on-site visit. Typically, the agency asks questions that may be misleading or confusing to the […]
Can you use a Department of Transportation (DOT) Special Permit (SP) that is not your own? An important rule, sometimes not re-stated in an applicable Special Permits, is 49CFR § 173.22a covering “Use of packagings authorized under special permits.” Section a of § 173.22a clearly states that a Special Permit may not be used unless […]
There are so many nuances to the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) it’s hard to keep up sometimes. This is not helped, at all, by the various DOT Special Permits (DOT SP) sprinkled in that affect how you use, fill, and requalify packaging and transport Hazardous Materials. There is a common misconception that Special Permits are […]
Function Specific Training Requirements Department of Transportation (DOT) training is required in accordance with Subpart H of 49 CFR Part 172. Function Specific training is referenced specifically in § 172.704(a)(2)(i), which clearly states that anyone who performs a regulated function must be trained on the specifics of the Hazardous Materials Regulations, as it relates to […]
Problem Tym’s recently assisted a Department of Transportation (DOT) regulated facility that uses 59 different Special Permits (SP) in 5 different job functions. The company struggled with training compliance based on the complexity that the sheer number of documents and job functions presented. The financial burden of wages paid for training and lost productivity from […]
Tym’s recently sent a letter to the leadership of DOT PHMSA regarding the process of evaluating party status applications for DOT Special Permits. Not long ago, this was a simple administrative procedure by the agency. It was quick, painless, and included reasonable actions to demonstrate compliance related to the specific request. The same was true […]