PHMSA Sets Post-Shutdown Priorities

As federal operations get back on track after the recent shutdown, PHMSA is wasting no time refocusing its mission. With renewed momentum, the agency is sharpening its priorities to strengthen safety across the dangerous goods community. PHMSA has outlined several key initiatives in a newly released memo that is aimed at enhancing protection of the public, property, and the environment from risks tied to dangerous goods transportation and related facility operations. Their efforts will focus specifically on targeted outreach to boost industry engagement, improve awareness of regulatory requirements, and build stronger cooperation across the dangerous goods community.

What will Be Prioritized?

PHMSA has decided to focus their inspection priorities on targeting the highest-risk areas in dangerous goods transportation. By focusing on these areas, their goal is to more effectively prevent incidents and ensure compliance. Below is a list directly from the memo that was released on November 20^th, which outlines the current priorities of PHMSA inspectors:

General hazardous materials shippers: Routine oversight of shippers helps ensure that the foundational requirements of the HMR are consistently met.
Cylinder requalification facilities: Proper cylinder maintenance and requalification are essential to preventing catastrophic failures during transportation.
Cylinder manufacturing (both foreign and domestic entities): Ensuring compliance at the point of manufacture supports the safe distribution and use of cylinders throughout the supply chain.
Drum manufacturing operations: Quality oversight at manufacturing facilities minimizes risks associated with packaging failures.
Drum recertification entities: Verifying recertification processes protects the integrity of reused packaging and prevents unsafe containers from re-entering commerce.
Follow-up inspections of companies with previous major safety violations (recidivism focus): Revisiting high-risk companies reinforces compliance expectations and helps deter repeat violations.
Shippers of lithium batteries: Increased oversight in this rapidly growing sector helps prevent incidents associated with improperly packaged or declared batteries.
Undeclared hazardous material shippers operating via e-commerce platforms: Targeting undeclared shipments strengthens our ability to address emerging risks in an evolving marketplace.

As PHMSA moves forward, these renewed priorities look to improve safety, communication, and help support compliance across the industry. By focusing on partnership and outreach, PHMSA aims to ensure that dangerous goods shippers are better equipped, better informed, and are better prepared to meet the 49CFR regulations. Ultimately, the goal is to ensure that the entire dangerous goods community has a safer and more resilient future. The link to the full memo can be found HERE.

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