Part 2 - The High Risk Job of a Military Charter Loadmaster

The High Risk Job of a Military Charter Loadmaster


This is a really good article and it touched a nerve with me, because I did this for a couple years.

First, I was part of the crew, but as the article stated and as I illustrated in my previous post, I had no protections as a crew member would.  As soon as we landed, I hit the road running.  However, I do have to say, Northwest Airlines did take great care of us and in no way ever took advantage of us nor did I ever feel abused.  BUT....yes, I slept on the plane in flight, ate junk, cleaned with baby wipes and all that other stuff.  Not until later, after we started burning out did we get authorization to rotate around to get a night in a hotel in either Ramstein or Incerlik.  I would never trade in my days as an NWA loadmaster!

We were met by our local Ground Service Coordinator, which was often a local vendor we contracted with to provide local liaison at the remote airfields we visited.  This began the work, reviewing the paperwork for the next flight, checking the load plans, planned haz mat, time line, etc.  At this point, it was a waiting game, depending on who all was in line ahead of us.

The on/off loads were interesting.  Generally we got a team of military airmen most between 18 and 20 years old, with very little experience.  I had to be in two places at once to supervise the entire load.  Occasionally an NCO or SNCO would pop in to check on them, but for the most part, I had to check and double check everything they did.

To begin with, the loaders the AF uses are not designed to fit with commercial freighters, so getting them to align to the door took an experienced driver and a keen eye on the loadmaster hanging out of the cargo door two stories up.  This was the greatest challenge of the day as the drivers were often "new".  Once we started, the next set of challenges hit the door, like, pallets would come in the door that were either wrong pallets, wrong weights, undeclared or improperly declared haz mat, poorly built/secured and I had to reject them or move them around in the load and coordinate with load planning.

Often the GSC was trying to learn the craft of being a load master, so he was often close at hand and very helpful.  We always had to check the lockdown of each and every pallet to ensure it was done right, pretty often I would find problems.  The problem is that military pallets and commercial freighters don't fit perfectly together, so you have to be very creative on loading to ensure total safety and legality.

Large roll on stock, requires a great deal of knowledge to load and my experience tells me that many of the "loadmasters" I encountered didn't really have that kind of experience.  I learned as an Embarkation Specialist (0431) in the Marine Corps, loading Helos and other Heavy Equipment or Motor T assets into military aircraft.  I loaded many C5s, C141s, C130s and even special ops Ch-53s with cargo.

Now, while all this is going on, you have to coordinate with the fuelers or even fuel the aircraft yourself, if there was no fuelers available, ensure catering is done, ensure all the paperwork is correct and the crews have been called out and picked up in time for an on-time departure.  It was generally an incredible hard and fast paced 2 or 3 hours followed up by a lot of sit around and wait.

So all this being said, imaging doing this after sleeping in a chair for say 10 out of the last 48 hours, eating crappy food and being in extreme weather conditions like 100 degree heat in the middle east after working in 20 degree weather on the east coast and 50 degree weather in Germany.  Toss in snow, rain or a massive dust storm and you have a fun time.

There is no room for error.  Mistakes in this job can have catastrophic results as the article points out, but to blame the loadmaster straight out is harsh as no one knows the circumstances surrounding the event.  However, no matter what, it is the loadmasters job to ensure that everything done to that plane is perfect, so the buck stops there.  The Loadmaster is the commander of that aircraft while it is on the ground until the release is signed by the Captain taking custody of the aircraft.

Loadmasters are a special breed or people who work absolutely insane hours in the most insane environments and they love it.  What we considered a good week, most nine to fivers would think was grounds for quitting.  Murphy's Law ruled the day and the word "easy" was looked on with skepticism.  But I wouldn't trade the experience in for the world.  

All-terrain wheelchair connects disabled woman with outdoors | Outdoors | The Seattle Times

All-terrain wheelchair connects disabled woman with outdoors | Outdoors | The Seattle Times

Some new technology hitting the streets ...or rather the off-road.  At 350 pounds, I suspect that these may be a bit large to move on a passenger plane, but as technology improves, it often gets smaller.

According to the spec sheet:

http://www.actiontrackchair.com/

The device is powered by two " 12v wheelchair batteries" So this is not too clear.  Anyway, something to watch for in the battery powered mobility device arena.

E-cigarette causes home fire - www.marionstar.com

E-cigarette causes home fire .  The device was plugged into a cell phone charger.  This is a sure way to get your e-cig to become a flaming mess.

These devices are starting to gather a rather bad reputation in the dangerous goods world.  The have the potential of becoming very dangerous in aircraft baggage, or even if charging in the cabin.  Definitely a technology to watch.

Press Release – FAA Proposes Civil Penalties Against Seven Companies for Allegedly Violating Hazardous Materials Regulations

Civil penalties for failures to comply with the HazMat Regulations.



Press Release – FAA Proposes Civil Penalties Against Seven Companies for Allegedly Violating Hazardous Materials Regulations

ICAO releases Corrigendum #1 to the 2015-2016 TI

http://www.icao.int/safety/DangerousGoods/Documents/Doc%209284.2015_2016.Corr1.en.pdf

The document is very short and addresses Special Provision A201.

It gives States a provision to make exception to the ban of UN3090 Lithium Metal Batteries on passenger aircraft.

The link above takes you directly to the document.

Why lithium-ion smartphone batteries keep exploding | Globalnews.ca

"Though Casserly maintains that the phone was not plugged into its wall charger when its battery exploded, over-charging is said to be one of the leading causes of battery explosions"

Why lithium-ion smartphone batteries keep exploding | Globalnews.ca

The High Risk Job of a Military Charter Loadmaster

I look back at my days of doing this and it would be considered brutal by many.  I would start working a flight on Monday morning with a few hours of reconfiguring the decks for military cargo, board the flight on Monday afternoon for the east coast, get there that night, wait in line to get your first load.  Quite a bit of hurry up and wait in this line of work.  Take care of all the particulars for the trip, get the flight ready to depart then leave LATE on Monday night which was actually early Tuesday morning.

Get to Germany on Tuesday afternoon, wait in line....Get your cross load done, all has to be done and out by 10pm or risk curfew.  Again, do all the particulars and get out on time!  Pretty often there was a back log of planes on the ramp in KWI, so you got held up in Ramstein for a spot to open up.  Flying over Baghdad every week was a bit wierd, but you got used to it.

Head down to the middle east, to get there weds morning, unload and load before the sun comes up and the temps hit 120 degrees .... good luck with that as you again have to ...wait in line.  Ku-WAIT was a saying in those parts of the world.  Take off Weds Morning and get back to Germany Late Weds afternoon.  Hey and guess what you get to do....wait in line some more .... then you actually have a couple hours to grab a shower in a public shower room.  Take off from there Late Wed evening and get back to the east coast Thurs afternoon.  This was the slowest part of the trip.  Again, you have to wait in line....then you have to do the ceremonies for the Angels on board.  This took quite some time because there was a ceremony for each casket and yo usometimes had multiple Angels.  Once that is complete, you do your offload.  Take off from there late Thursday night, get back on Friday Morning and reconfigure the deck back to a civilian format and you are done about 7am.

That was my work week and did you notice there was no mention of a hotel in there.  I slept in a seat or mat on the floor of the aircraft while in the air, in between flight segments and time zones, never really knowing what day or what time it was since we lived on "Zulu" time.  I ate airplane food for 3 meals a day, unless there was a few minutes and someone coule run to the base Burger King for me ar Ramstein, and I did this every week.

Toss in a maintenance problem or back log of aircraft in the middle east or a missed curfew and it easily rolled over into saturday.  The whole time I was doing everything, every thing necessary to make that aircraft airworthy and legal to fly, fueling included!

You have to be on your A game the whole time, every detail has to be seen, nothing can be missed or bad things happen.  You master the load, managing a bunch of 19 year olds who know very little about air cargo as a whole and watching everything they did, checking and double checking.    It was a great gig, but exhausting.  I do miss it though!

That was the glamorous live of a loadmaster for Northwest Airlines.  Check out the article below!


The High Risk Job of a Military Charter Loadmaster

E-cigarette plugged in with wrong charger EXPLODES and burns down Kent bedroom | Daily Mail Online

"I'd put my kids to bed and put the e-cigarette on charge. About five minutes later I heard a bang, I just assumed it was our neighbours moving things about."

E-cigarette plugged in with wrong charger EXPLODES and burns down Kent bedroom | Daily Mail Online

The dangers of using the wrong charger for the device caused this Holiday nightmare.  Think yo uare safe?   Read the next article.

"As you might expect, several lawsuits have been filed against e-cigarette manufacturers for injuries received when the e-cigarettes exploded."

http://www.propertycasualty360.com/2014/11/25/think-youre-safe-from-fires-by-smoking-an-e-cigare  - Article by www.propertycasualty360.com

Southwest: Passenger's e-cigarette use caused emergency landing | Maryland News - WBAL Home

E-Cigarettes in the news again.  This time causing an emergency landing on Southwest.



Southwest: Passenger's e-cigarette use caused emergency landing | Maryland News - WBAL Home

IATA releases guide for safely transporting lithium batteries | Safety content from ATWOnline

AWTonline.com article on the IATA Guide

I have read through the guide and find that it contains a lot of good information.  Read the article linked below and let me know your thoughts!

IATA releases guide for safely transporting lithium batteries | Safety content from ATWOnline

Many passengers are similarly oblivious to the potential hazards of lithium batteries. The result is that there are safety risks from lithium batteries in baggage, cargo and mail. This guide has been produced to assist operators in determining their strategies for mitigating these risks.”

Student’s Samsung phone explodes, causing bedroom fire | WGN-TV

Student’s Samsung phone explodes, causing bedroom fire | WGN-TV

This isn't as uncommon as you expect.  You have got to be careful with your phones and how you handle and store them.

The residual of the processor and batteries running is heat and Lithium batteries do not react well to prolonged exposure to heat.

United latest carrier to restrict lithium batteries | Air Cargo World

Still in the Media

Air Cargo World's take on the renewed interest in Lithium Batteries as Cargo.



United latest carrier to restrict lithium batteries | Air Cargo World



Importantly, “Lithium batteries are safe to transport provided that they are designed, tested, manufactured and packaged in accordance with the global transport safety standards,” said Kevin Hiatt, IATA’s senior vice president-safety and flight operations. - See more at: http://aircargoworld.com/Air-Cargo-World-News/2014/12/united-latest-carrier-restrict-lithium-batteries/6901#sthash.KDt5NvxV.dpuf

IATA - News Brief: IATA Launches Lithium Battery Risk Mitigation Guidance for Airline Operators

Lithium Battery Risk Mitigation Guidance

Montreal – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced the publication of the first edition of the Lithium Battery Risk Mitigation Guidance for Operators. This free online guidance material provides airline operators with critical information related to the safe handling and transport of lithium batteries by air.

IATA - News Brief: IATA Launches Lithium Battery Risk Mitigation Guidance for Airline Operators

View the manual from this link

Media at it again

Recently, there has been a lot of press concerning Lithium batteries in cargo on airplanes.  Most of it if all hype by the media, trying to make something look far worse than it really is.  The articles are all full of mis-quotes or things taken out of context.  Some I read were just plain fabrications.

As always, I recommend not paying any attention to these hype articles in the main stream media.  They are all for ratings and readership numbers.

Your best bet are industry publications, websites, forums and blogs.  For the most accurate info, contact your trusty Dangerous Goods by Air Expert.  The media will hype anything to make it far worse than it is to get you to read or watch, keep that in mind.

Dreamliner Battery Still Not Safe Enough, NTSB Report Says | Christine Negroni

"Thousands of pages document the tests, inspections and analysis the Japanese and American safety authorities have conducted searching for the answer and many things remain unknown. The list gives way to a number of recommendations for better ways to handle lithium ion batteries on airplanes and explains the conclusion that as of now, they are not safe enough."



Dreamliner Battery Still Not Safe Enough, NTSB Report Says | Christine Negroni

United Continental Tightens Restrictions on Lithium Batteries in Cargo - WSJ

A company spokesman said the tighter rules were put in place “out of an abundance of caution,” but added that United Continental “will continue to accept lithium ion batteries loaded on open or flat containers.”

United Continental Tightens Restrictions on Lithium Batteries in Cargo - WSJ

NBC News - Could Lithium Ion Batteries Pose Fire Risk on Passenger Planes?

Lithium Batteries in the News



Also an article hit the presses:

http://www.pressherald.com/2014/12/03/in-bulk-lithium-ion-batteries-aboard-airplanes-pose-threats/

Design flaws led to 2013 lithium-ion battery fire in Boeing 787: NTSB | Business Insurance

Two recent articles about the Boston 787 Lithium Battery incident.

Design flaws led to 2013 lithium-ion battery fire in Boeing 787: NTSB | Business Insurance

The National Transportation Safety Board said the battery, manufactured by GS Yuasa Corp., experienced an internal short circuit that led to thermal runaway of the cell.

787 lithium battery short circuited in Boston plane fire - USA Today

The manufacture of lithium-ion batteries allowed contaminants and other defects in batteries aboard Boeing 787 Dreamliner planes, 

BBC One - Fake Britain looks at fake batteries

BBC One - Fake Britain, Series 5, Episode 13

Geoff Leach worked with BBC on the production of this episode!  It looks like you can watch it online after it airs!

Give it a look!

"Matt Allwright investigates the conmen who are trying to get their hands on your money by using fakes, forgeries and frauds and shows you how to avoid being taken for a ride. In this episode, Matt reveals the fake batteries being used in mobile phones, cameras and laptops that can give you more than you bargained for. Plus the police officers cracking down on courier fraud."

Fire Containment Concepts Releases Fire Containment System To Deal With Fires Resulting From Lithium-Ion Batteries On Aircraft

"One of the potential safety risks affecting the aviation industry today is the potential danger of fire resulting from the use of PEDs and the lithium batteries that power them onboard aircraft. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has confirmed 144 documented safety incidents involving these devices and lithium batteries." - read the article from www.safetyonline.com at the link below.

Fire Containment Concepts Releases Fire Containment System To Deal With Fires Resulting From Lithium-Ion Batteries On Aircraft

Think you’re safe from fires by smoking an e-cigarette? Think again | PropertyCasualty360

Excellent article on E-Cigarette safety by PropertyCasualty360.com.  As I continue to research this technology and how it would impact Air Cargo or Passenger Bags / operations, I continue to be concerned as to how unregulated this technology is, globally.

Fortunately, their use on aircraft is forbidden, but they can still be in passenger bags and there have been incidents where modified devices have been accidentally activated while in transit, over heated and eventually the battery vented / combusted.  Additionally, these devices ship in cargo and in mail, which is concerning considering there is no requirement they be UL tested and certified.  Also, there is the potential that the installed batteries or after market batteries are not tested in accordance with the required UN 38.3 test standards.  Which is a huge risk, particularly when being transported in cargo or mail.

The article is quoted as saying,

"The USFA noted that currently there is no regulation, code or law that applies to the safety of electronics or batteries in e-cigarettes. Although many consumer products are required to be tested by a nationally recognized test laboratory such as UL, there are no such requirements for e-cigarettes."

read more in the article at the link below.

Think you’re safe from fires by smoking an e-cigarette? Think again | PropertyCasualty360

E-cig charging devices now start one fire each week | Daily Mail Online

"Describing the dangers of incompatible chargers, he said: ‘You plug in an e-cigarette that doesn’t use an awful lot of current into a charger that does and ... the device starts to heat up."

Good article put out by the Daily Mail Online from the UK.  It includes some good graphics on the dangers of E-Cigs when using incompatible chargers.  The lithium batteries on these devices are small, but they pack a serious punch.  As with any Lithium battery, if you use a charger that pushes too much power into the battery, and it is not designed to hand that amount, the battery will heat up.  The heat causes the battery to fail and go into thermal runaway.  Eventually it will vent and possibly combust.

Always use brand name batteries, from reputable sources with the same voltage which the device and charger is designed to use.  Another part of the problem is using cheap knockoff batteries that may or may no have gone through the required testing for safety.

read more about it here.

E-cig charging devices now start one fire each week  | Daily Mail Online

The belt that charges your handset (and keeps your pants up) | Digital Trends

New Technology

Just when you thought you knew everything about lithium batteries....new technology springs up and hits you upside the head!  www.digitaltrends.com reports on a new item hittingthe streets!

“It looks, feels and weighs about the same as a really nice belt….but comes with a mighty 2,100mAh of hidden charge and can charge pretty much any device,” the Nifty team says.

The belt that charges your handset (and keeps your pants up) | Digital Trends

ANALYSIS: Lithium ion battery fix prompts mixed reviews for 787 operators - 11/17/2014 - Flight Global

787 Lithium Ion Battery

A good article about the 787 Lithium Battery issue and the current status.  It is from www.flightglobal.com


"Eighteen months after the US Federal Aviation Administration lifted the grounding order on the Boeing the 787-8 fleet, the two rechargeable lithium-ion batteries installed in the aircraft produce mixed reactions among operators."



ANALYSIS: Lithium ion battery fix prompts mixed reviews for 787 operators - 11/17/2014 - Flight Global:



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Press Release – FAA Proposes $168,000 Civil Penalty Against Medstar Health, Inc.

Undeclared Lithium Batteries

The FAA alleges that on Dec. 6, 2012, MedStar Health offered a cardboard box containing 180 lithium-ion batteries to FedEx Corp. for shipment by air



Press Release – FAA Proposes $168,000 Civil Penalty Against Medstar Health, Inc.:



'via Blog this'

New IATA Rules for Paint and Coatings Industry : Products Finishing

Special Provision A192

Good short article from www.pfonline.com about the new special provision related to paint.

New IATA Rules for Paint and Coatings Industry : Products Finishing

This will definitely make the shipping of paint and paint related materials easier, without compromising safety.

A192—is a new special provision that is assigned to Paint, Paint related material, Paint, corrosive,
flammable, Paint related material, corrosive, flammable, Paint, flammable, corrosive, Paint related
material, flammable, corrosive, Printing ink and Printing ink related material. The special provision
allows the shipper to just use the “related material” proper shipping name on the Shipper's Declaration and the package marking when substances assigned to the standard entry and to the “related material” entry are in the same package.  

By citing this SP, a shipper may one use one Proper Shipping Name to describe the contents, if all the commodities are from the same UN Number (UN1263).  This will apply to the Declaration as well as the markings on the package.

New Technologies in Mobility Devices.

An article about new technologies in mobility devices.  The Uni-cub and the Walking Assist Device are on the way.  Soon to be found in a baggage compartment near you.

The walk assist device is similar to existing exoskeletal devices, but smaller and less cumbersome. The Uni-Cub (a sit on electric powered unicycle) specs indicate that it is powered by a lithium ion battery, but did not provide the size or specifications, though it is written that it is good for 90 minutes of use.  It does indicate that the battery is easily removed with the touch of a button, which makes it easy to transport per the regulations.  The article below is a good read on the topic.

photo courtesy of:  http://www.extremetech.com/

Who’s riding Honda’s motorized unicycles? Today, it’s rock stars—but tomorrow it might be your grandma - Quartz

Honda's page on the Uni-Cub provides a bit more detail on the device:  http://world.honda.com/UNI-CUB/

The media is touting it as the latest technology which will replace the Segway as a popular device.  This is a good article by extremetech.com on the device.

http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/186683-move-aside-segway-hondas-uni-cub-could-make-walking-a-thing-of-the-past

The Uni-Cub has not been released yet, but it is on the way and I can imagine that there will be people who will want to travel with it.  Honda reports that the device will weigh 25kg (55lbs) which makes it easily portable as a mobility device and the battery removal, makes it clear that Honda has designed it with this in mind.

Keep an eye open for this!

transporting by air a specimen to be tested for Ebola | Toronto Star

All of the regulatory bodies, worldwide have provided guidance on transporting Ebola, which is a regular Division 6.2 Dangerous Goods.

The communications have been out for a while and the guidance is there.  Unfortunately things like this happen, it is a part of transporting DG, not just Ebola.  Just the nature of the item, makes it news worthy.

View the article here:

Air Canada pilot balked at transporting specimen to be tested for Ebola | Toronto Star:



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Mg-ion batteries could prove that two electrons are better than one | Article from ExtremeTech

Mg-Ion Batteries on the Horizon?  

A good article explaining how Li-Ion batteries work and the future possibilities in battery technology.
"Given the enormous possible benefits of switching from lithium to magnesium, it seems like a foregone conclusion that it will happen eventually"


Magnesium-ion batteries could prove that two electrons are better than one | ExtremeTech:



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PHMSA - Home - PHMSA Provides Guidance for Transporting Ebola Contaminated Items

Infectious Substance Category A - Ebola Waste

‘‘DOT Guidance for Transporting Ebola Contaminated Items, a Category A Infectious Substance’’ provides common FAQs regarding the HMR requirements for Category A infectious substances.



PHMSA - Home - PHMSA Provides Guidance for Transporting Ebola Contaminated Items

NEW TECHNOLOGY - LiFePO4 Batteries : Greentech Media Article

NEW TECHNOLOGY - LiFePO4 Batteries

Alevo says its lithium-iron-phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries are the first to use an inorganic electrolyte based on sulfur, which prevents the chemical reactions that lead to heating, expansion and eventual failure for lithium-ion batteries. 



Alevo Unstealthed: A New Gigawatt-Scale Grid Battery Contender : Greentech Media



Test cells have lasted more than 40,000 cycles in “hammer tests” that completely discharge and then overcharge them over and over again, without significant degradation of performance, he said.




These are large scale batteries at the moment and are not planned for commercial scale, but the technology can eventually lead to new fronts on the PED scale Lithium Batteries.  Something to watch!

New material could lead to longer-lasting batteries | PCWorld

New Technologies

New Battery Technology is on the horizon.  Keep an eye on the following:



The scientists have been experimenting with a “garnet ceramic” material called LLZO that could hasten the release of batteries based on lithium-air chemistry. Lithium-air batteries have been in development for decades but are considered unstable for practical use.



Read the PC World Article here:



New material could lead to longer-lasting batteries | PCWorld

Airbus cautious on lithium battery design for A350 - 10/27/2014 - Flight Global

After observing the situation with the B787 Li-bat designs, Airbus has addressed the problems and has provided some details on their design.  See the flightglobal.com article:



ANALYSIS: Airbus cautious on lithium battery design for A350 - 10/27/2014 - Flight Global:



"Though much heavier than the Boeing design, the Airbus approach is more cautious. Instead of the 787’s two batteries, Airbus will install four Saft-made lithium-ion batteries in each A350-900. Each of the Saft batteries consists of 14 cells storing a combined 45Ah of energy and running at 3.6V."



'via Blog this'

Lithium batteries top CASA’s most dangerous goods list | Australian Aviation

Aviation's Most Wanted

A good article from www.australianaviation.com.au   about Lithium Batteries

"Lithium batteries have topped the Civil Aviation Safety Authority’s (CASA) list of potentially dangerous items to take on an aircraft."



Lithium batteries top CASA’s most dangerous goods list | Australian Aviation

Hactl hosts IATA Dangerous Goods Board meeting | Air Cargo World

IATA DGB

Hey!  Our meeting made the news!  :-)


Hactl hosts IATA Dangerous Goods Board meeting | Air Cargo World

E-cigarette EXPLODES 'like a grenade' | Daily Mail Online

Smoker's legs are nearly torn off after e-cigarette EXPLODES 'like a grenade' | Daily Mail Online

WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT

"Mr Aspinall, who may need three years of skin grafts to recover, told The Sun: 'It glowed and burned in my hand. I dropped it and it exploded."

E-Cigs like any other device are susceptible to  damage, especially when you use third party or "generic" parts, batteries or modify them from their original functionality.  

"He claims the shop that sold him the e-cigarette blamed faulty batteries."  

Keep in mind that Lithium batteries, particularly, "no name" batteries or off market brands are fragile.  Dropping them or jarring them may cause them to have unseen internal damage that can cause the battery to go into an overheat or thermal runaway situation.  

"It is believed he was using a third-party charger that did not come with the original e-cigarette"

It is always recommended to spend the few extra cents or dollars to purchase the proper parts that are designed to operate with the model or the intended batteries.  Although it doesn't happen often, it can, don't do things to make you one of the subjects of an article like this!  

Cheers to the Dailymail in the UK for the article.  

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2791061/smoker-s-legs-nearly-torn-e-cigarette-explodes-like-grenade.html#ixzz3HLf5vY4Q 
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

*** FOLLOW UP INFO***

A decent review by vapers on what he was using and may have caused it.  It is pretty detailed and shows some dangers of modifying e-cigs.  

http://www.ecigclick.co.uk/mutant-almost-creates-an-x-man-e-cigarette-news/

Lithium Battery Article by Alex Lennane, plus my 2 cents

Link to the Article:  lithium batteries

“Governments should have a stronger oversight on counterfeit battery makers. The focus on counterfeit goods tends to be on luxury products, handbags and so on. But this is about safety."

*****  My 2 Cents *****

This is one point which I often bring up.  The legally tested, packaged, prepared, documented and tendered shipments of lithium batteries are not the greatest risk.  

The risk comes from the sale and transport or these clandestine or counterfeit batteries which are sold via the internet and transported, often undeclared in post or other means of express transport.  

"While it is hard to determine how many lithium batteries are carried on aircraft – partly because counterfeits go undetected – the market is growing fast." 

This is the hard truth, It is not easy to detect these in transport.  The governments where these shipments originate, do what they can, but the problem is too big and too varied for them to be effective.  The more restriction you put on these items, the more you feed into the problem as shippers either go underground to avoid the restrictions or they just tender incorrectly due to ignorance of the complicated regulations. 


This is where the focus needs to be.  How to we stop this problem from causing the next incident?   

Press Release – FAA Proposes Civil Penalties Against Five Companies for Allegedly Violating Hazardous Materials Regulations

Press Release – FAA Proposes Civil Penalties Against Five Companies for Allegedly Violating Hazardous Materials Regulations



ATLANTA The U.S. Department
of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is proposing civil
penalties ranging from $54,000 to $66,000 against five companies for allegedly
violating Hazardous Materials regulations.

In each case, the FAA alleges the shipments were not accompanied by shipping papers to indicate the hazardous nature of their contents and were not marked, labeled or packed in
accordance with the Hazardous Materials Regulations. The FAA also alleges the
companies failed to provide emergency response information and failed to ensure
their employees had received the required hazardous materials training.

Press Release – FAA Proposes $227,500 Civil Penalty Against Shanghai Yancui Import and Export Co. for Alleged Hazardous Materials Violations

Press Release – FAA Proposes $227,500 Civil Penalty Against Shanghai Yancui Import and Export Co. for Alleged Hazardous Materials Violations



ATLANTA -The U.S. Department
of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is proposing a
$227,500 civil penalty against Shanghai Yancui Import and Export Co., of
Shanghai, China, for allegedly violating Hazardous Materials regulations.

Air Umbrella Creates "Force Field" That Keeps You Dry | IFLScience

Air Umbrella Creates "Force Field" That Keeps You Dry | IFLScience



"The umbrella’s shaft is a rechargeable lithium ion battery."   


Yet another bit of new technology sporting Li-Ion batteries.  Coming to a piece of baggage near you!   

Travelling Safely with Lithium Batteries

Battery Fires on Planes Spur New Proposals - WSJ - WSJ

Battery Fires on Planes Spur New Proposals - WSJ - WSJ



More doom and gloom concerning Lithium Batteries.  The ICAO changes arent a big deal, they just adopted the US standard, which we have been doing here for years.



The FAA studies are good and have given us a lot of insight on loading Lithium Batteries in unvented structural ULDs, This is big news, and good info to have.



The position doesn't really CALL for anything.  It indicated that gel packs or other mitigation options exist and have had some amount of effectiveness.



The problem which we need to focus on isn't the properly packaged and documented shipments of Lithium Batteries.  It is the huge amount of counterfeit, untested, undeclared, undocumented shipments of batteries that unscrupulous shippers will pass off as general cargo to get around all of the restrictions.  Lithium Batteries in mail that are shipped, unregulated.  Lithium Batteries tossed in Checked bags that get through screening.



These are the biggest threats to safety and little is being done to address that.

Information for Health Care Workers | Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever | CDC

Information for Health Care Workers | Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever | CDC



An excellent informational site set up which is one stop shopping for all your Ebola related questions.

Lithium Batteries in Baggage, this is a possibility!

 Lithium Batteries in Baggage ...

Oh, it will be okay in there.... 

This is the result of a model Helicopter battery touching something metallic in a checked bag and shorting out.  A fire started, fortunately the bag was in a bag room and not in the belly of an aircraft.  

The reality is that these batteries are dangerous.  When you put an unprotected Lithium Battery in your bag, you take the chance of creating a serious incident.

Be smart and stow these batteries in your carry on bag, protected from coming into contact with anything metal.

Don't let this be your bag, on your flight, in a compartment no one can get into with a fire extinguisher.  Oh yeah, did I mention that the Halon systems in the aircraft holds are not completely effective?

US DOT Lithium Battery Harmonization (HM-224F) Final Rule

HM-224F Lithium Batteries

On August 6, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) issued the Final Rule on lithium batteries (HM-224F).  

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-08-06/pdf/2014-18146.pdf

There are many significant harmonizations in the final rule.  To quote the press release from the DOT, The final rule will:

• Enhance packaging and hazard communication requirements for lithium batteries transported by air; 
• Replace equivalent lithium content with Watt-hours for lithium ion cells and batteries; 
• Adopt separate shipping descriptions for lithium metal batteries and lithium ion batteries; 
• Revise provisions for the transport of small and medium lithium cells and batteries including cells and batteries packed with, or contained in, equipment; 
• Revise the requirements for the transport of lithium batteries for disposal or recycling; 
• Harmonize the provisions for the transport of low production and prototype lithium cells and batteries with the ICAO Technical Instructions and the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code; 
• Adopt new provisions for the transport of damaged, defective, and recalled lithium batteries.

Girl’s Galaxy S4 Smartphone Burns Under Her Pillow as She Sleeps

People ... This happens and it is not uncommon, just un-reported!



Girl’s Galaxy S4 Smartphone Burns Under Her Pillow as She Sleeps:

The other issue, according to Samsung, was that the phone was being smothered by a pillow, restricting airflow while charging. This is something the manufacturer warns against in the device’s instruction materials


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Lithium Batteries - Guidance for Cargo and Ramp Personnel

Press Release – Fireworks Don’t Fly

Press Release – Fireworks Don’t Fly:



"The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration is reminding passengers who are flying this July 4th holiday to leave their fireworks at home. Fireworks pose a significant fire risk to aircraft in the air and on the ground and are not permitted in carry-on or checked baggage."



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Volume to Mass Conversion.

In October of 2013, I had written a letter to PHMSA (DOT) requesting an interpretation on how to convert liquid volume to KG Gross.  The Background on why; The FAA had advised me that it is required to use the specific gravity of the liquid to make the conversion of volume to mass for liquids.  UN3082 was one of the UN Numbers which was of concern to me.  Their advice was difficult to comply with, mainly because the specific gravity is not required information on the Shipper's Declaration.

After making a convincing argument and six months of follow up, the DOT/PHMSA issued REF. No.:  13-0203 / 01 May 2014 (Letter of Interpretation) advising that "as an alternative to the use of specific gravity data, a 1:1 conversion ratio where 1 liter is equal to 1 kilogram may be used for the purposes of interpreting the HMR cargo quantity limitations (49 CFR 175.75) expressed in Kilograms."

Great news and a big step forward.  It hasn't been uploaded to the PHMSA Interpretation page yet, but when it is, you will find it here:

http://www.phmsa.dot.gov/hazmat/regs/interps/date

http://www.phmsa.dot.gov/portal/site/PHMSA/menuitem.6f23687cf7b00b0f22e4c6962d9c8789/?vgnextoid=5c14295bba776410VgnVCM100000d2c97898RCRD&vgnextchannel=aa8cd3c1af814110VgnVCM1000009ed07898RCRD&vgnextfmt=print

IATA DG Board

Board Elections

Yesterday afternoon, I received word that I was elected to a term on the IATA Dangerous Goods Board.  

This is a great honor for me and I look forward to the work that I will do to advance safety in the transportation of Dangerous Goods by air.  

Well....back to work!  I just wanted to post the news!  

Pack Safe

Pack Safe



The Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) are federal transportation safety rules found in 49 CFR, parts 171-180. The FAA enforces the HMR in aviation. Passengers violating the HMR can be fined from $250 to $50,000. Those who intentionally violate the regulations are subject to a criminal penalty of up to $500,000 and/or five years imprisonment. So, it is important to know what items are hazardous materials and whether or not they are allowed in the aircraft cabin or in checked baggage.

Passenger Flights Must Stop Carrying Lithium-Ion Batteries as Cargo - The Daily Beast

Passenger Flights Must Stop Carrying Lithium-Ion Batteries as Cargo - The Daily Beast

***********

My Two Cents

 True, The fact is that Lithium batteries are not safe, but the concern is not about legally prepared and tendered batteries.  The real problem, particularly in Asia, is with illegally prepared and tendered shipments of batteries or counterfeit batteries.  

If you impose more restrictions to impede shippers from shipping, or you raise the cost, unscrupulous shippers will do so illegally and this is often seen in some parts of the world.  More regulation will be the cause of greater risk as shippers know that actual enforcement is difficult and they will skirt the law to get around the increased costs involved with shipping properly.  

As someone with 25 years of freighter and hazmat experience, I find the argument that the batteries had anything to do with MH370 to be weak.  This article poses one point of view, from one of the extreme viewpoints.  They are dangerous, but so are many other things we allow to be carried on aircraft.  The point is, through proper packaging and preparation, the risk is mitigated.  

Keep it simple, easy to understand and do not compromise safety, the risk is mitigated to its lowest point.  

BBC News - BA cabin crew struggled with fire that 'kept reigniting'

Air accident investigators have described a struggle by cabin crew to put out a fire on a British Airways jumbo jet on 14 October last year.



BBC News - BA cabin crew struggled with fire that 'kept reigniting'

Lithium cargo clue to MH370 fate? | Air Traffic Management | Air Traffic Management - ATM and CMS Industry online, the latest air traffic control industry, CAA, ANSP, SESAR and NEXTGEN news, events, supplier directory and magazine

Lithium cargo clue to MH370 fate? | Air Traffic Management | Air Traffic Management - supplier directory and magazine:



I highly doubt that this is the cause.  You can never rule anything out, but the smoke would have alerted long before it could have burned so hot that it would affect comm.  Seriously...definitely written by one of those anti Li-Bat advocates trying to do everything to make them look bad.  They are dangerous...yes.  But properly packaged, identified and tendered batteries have a seriously mitigated risk and are quite safe.



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IATA DG Board - Los Angeles, March 2014

The Spring Session of the IATA DG Board is in full swing.  As usual, I attend as a Subject Matter Expert / Observer to the board, representing one of the largest airlines in the world.

I wasnt elected this time around, but it was my first nomination.  There will be three more seats coming open in the near future and I am certain that my company will nominate me again.

The first day was uneventful.  Mostly going over all the changes that the ICAO DG Panel approved.  Only some minor editorial changes were discussed, but over all, the changes are moving forward with emerging technologies.

The big discussion was concerning the new CCAR276 changes regarding the permit process for transporting DG in/out/through China.  There is a lot of confusion and frustration regarding the changes.  We are pretty much at a standstill regarding the issue, since the answers we are looking for, do not yet exist.

For the American flag carriers, the FAA is actively working with the CAAC to properly inform the carriers to be able to easily comply.

Day two is a more active discussion as we are going over member proposals.  The big discussion of the morning is regarding GHS and how to minimize the impact of the GHS program to transportation.  The big concern is frustrating freight because frontline employees see these diamond shaped labels and immediately assume that the article is an undeclared DG.  The Board is looking to provide guidance to the industry on how to handle the program requirements when in conjunction with the transportation of these items.

In my opinion, it complicated the transportation process when the GHS committee chose to use diamond shape labels, with no required size standard.  This easily confuses the acceptance and handling agents, who will think that the article is suspect.  So we need to determine how to best mitigate this problem.

The MSDS issue is also a big discussion item. They are standardizing the format, but the responsibility for accuracy is not owned by any singular governing body.  This continues the question of validity.  For example, you can have a product classified three different ways by three different manufacturers.  How do you know which is accurate or if they are all accurate?

More to come Later

CNN Exclusive: Analysis shows Flight 370 crashed in Indian Ocean - CNN.com

CNN Exclusive: Analysis shows Flight 370 crashed in Indian Ocean - CNN.com: "



• Lithium batteries: U.S. officials say investigators are looking into concerns that lithium batteries in the cargo hold, which have been blamed in previous crashes, played a role in the disappearance, according to U.S. officials briefed on the latest intelligence and law-enforcement developments in the investigation. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release details to release details to the media.
If the batteries being carried on the plane caused a fire, it still doesn't fully explain other anomalies with Flight 370, the officials say, such as why it may have turned west and then flown toward the Indian Ocean.
If lithium batteries were smoldering, likely the first instinct of the pilots would have been to turn around and return to the airport -- not fly for an additional five hours, said Arthur Rosenberg, an aviation expert who is a pilot, engineer and partner in the New York-based law firm Soberman & Rosenberg.
It's also likely radio traffic would have initially been picked up, as it was with the pilots aboard Swissair Flight 111 that crashed off the coast of Canada following a fire, he said"



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I knew that someone would try to work this angle.  It just doesn't compute well with all the other anomalies.

IATA Dangerous Goods Board Meeting

I leave for LAX tomorrow to attend the IATA DG Board meeting.  Like the last meeting in Sept., I am a Subject Matter Expert attending as part of the panel.  But I am nominated to be one of the 12 elected members ... Wish me luck!!!

We have a lot to cover in two days, I suspect it will be a busy few days.  I will post what I can!

Class 10?

I personally think that putting Lithium and other similar new-technology batteries into a class all by themselves.

Incorporating them in to Class 9, I believe takes away from the hazard which they truly post.  I remember back in the 1990s when the military used to move these, how dangerous they were and how they were forbidden in air transportation at any time, but flew with a number of Special Permits following them around.  It was a pain!

We continue to debate these things, slap band-aids on the existing rules, to the point that the lay-person has no idea what they are doing any more and are terrified to accept or load them, yet we run around with two or three of them on our person at any given time.  The Packing instructions with their subsections and limits are changing every year and becoming even more complicated for both the shipper and acceptance person to comprehend.  This may lead to clandestine shipments of undocumented packaged just to get around the fact that the rules are becoming a nuisance.  

Of all the DG that I experience, these need to be the most straightforward and simple to understand so that there is no question and that compliance is easy for all concerned.  So that acceptance is achieved without difficulty and so that it does not promote the practice of clandestine shipping.  To make things worse, the differences between US and ICAO regulations complicates the matter to the point, where it can become confusing even to "experts".

Screw it....just ship everything as fully regulated.   I've hear that exclaimed before.

The rules for Lithium batteries need to be completely overhauled.  They need to be classified in their own Class / Division and the Packing Instructions need to be easy to read and understand so that there are no questions as to how to comply.

Im am not certain as to the politics concerned with why this has not been done.  I understand that it has been brought up in the past and often shot down.  I sit and read the continuing debate by the ICAO DGO to ban these items all together and the differenced that the IATA DGB have with the ICAO proposal.  The fact the the US FAA has yet to Harmonize completely with the International regs and that the proposals all seem to continue the cycle of making the existing rules much more complicated.

What do you think?

FAA Proposes $78,000 Civil Penalty Against Amazon Fulfillment Services

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                            

Date:   February 6, 2014     

FAA Proposes $78,000 Civil Penalty Against Amazon Fulfillment Services

FORT WORTH, Texas – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is proposing a $78,000 civil penalty against Amazon Fulfillment Services of North Las Vegas, Nev., for allegedly violating U.S. Department of Transportation Hazardous Materials Regulations.

The FAA alleges that on August 29, 2013, Amazon Fulfillment Services shipped a quart of high gloss enamel paint on a FedEx Corp. aircraft from Lexington, Ky., to Corpus Christi, Texas, where workers discovered that leaking paint had soaked through the shipping box. Paint is considered to be a Hazard Class 3 Flammable Liquid.

Investigators determined the shipment was not accompanied by shipping papers to indicate the hazardous nature of its contents and it was not marked, labeled or packed in accordance with the Hazardous Materials Regulations. The box also contained no hazardous material inner packing, such as inserts or absorbent materials. Finally, the package failed to protect against a release of hazardous material into the environment under normal transportation conditions.

Amazon Fulfillment Services has 30 days from the receipt of the FAA's enforcement letter to respond to the agency. 

BBC News - Batteries on planes pose 'increased fire risk'

In June last year, police at San Diego International Airport noticed a passenger's bag was smoking as it journeyed around the carousel.

Inside, a lithium-ion battery had touched a screwdriver and both had melted.

BBC News - Batteries on planes pose 'increased fire risk'

Boeing confirms new 787 battery incident

Battery problems resurfaced on Boeing's 787 on Tuesday, after gas was discovered coming out of a battery on a plane parked in Tokyo.

Boeing confirms new 787 battery incident