Speaker Biographies: SDS Webinar Series

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES

Benjamin Y. Barrett 

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS: Degree: Bachelor of Science, Electrical Engineering, University of Missouri at Kansas City, 1988; Certifications: Professional Engineer.

REGULATORY PHILOSOPHY: The benefits of dangerous goods and hazardous chemicals are indispensable to society. The risks are also significant, and regulations are in a continual state of development to control their safety and security during manufacturing, distribution, storage and use. It is particularly important for efficient distribution that transport regulations be harmonized across borders and modes of transport. Regulations must manage risk rather than attempting to eliminate it. Requirements should accurately reflect a wide variation in hazard levels, and explosives should be benchmarked against other common dangerous goods, which often present greater risk. We believe in establishing principles for a systematic approach.

EXPERIENCE: Ben Barrett is President of DG Advisor, LLC, a consulting firm which participates in the development of dangerous goods (hazardous materials) regulations, specializing in explosives and general issues. Services include advocacy for regulatory improvements, live training and e-learning, transport data sheets, approvals and permits, research and consulting.

Mr. Barrett worked for 18 years in gun powder manufacturing. In 2006 he formed the company DG Advisor, LLC to consult on dangerous goods shipments and storage. On behalf of the Sporting Arms & Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute (SAAMI), Mr. Barrett serves at the United Nations Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (TDG) and the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling (GHS); the Joint RID/ADR/ADN (Europe). He has participated in the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). In coordination with the chairs, he organizes meetings of the International Group of Experts on the Explosion Risks of Unstable Substances (IGUS), in the Explosives, Propellants and Pyrotechnics (EPP) working group which monitors and initiates developments in explosives policy and regulations.

Mr. Barrett is a member of the Technical Committee on Explosives for the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), which issues the NFPA 495 Explosives Materials Code. He has experience working with the US Department of Transportation (DOT), the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), the EU, Natural Resources Canada, Transport Canada, fire and building officials and local governments.

Mr. Barrett consults to clients on regulatory compliance and develops and instructs training for dangerous goods of most types. He has produced three videos on ammunition and propellants for fire training and shipping. DG Advisor, LLC provides a turnkey service for obtaining Class 1 transportation EX# approvals and special permits, including preparation, analysis, lab testing, application and follow up. EX approvals are optimized to be as comprehensive as possible.

Jennifer H. Lawless is a Senior Industrial Hygienist in the Directorate of Standards and Guidance (DSG), in the US Department of Labor OSHA’s National Office in Washington DC. She is a Certified Safety Professional (CSP) with a BS in Biology/Chemistry. Ms. Lawless works on a multi-department OSHA team responsible for the rulemaking efforts in DSG. She is responsible for writing the physical hazards sections of the HCS and the subsequent guidance materials that support the standard. Concurrently, Ms. Lawless is part of the Sub-Committee of International Subject Matter Experts for the United Nations Globally Harmonized System for the Classification and Labelling of Hazardous Chemicals (GHS). She is the Team Lead for the U.S. Task Force on Explosives which is a team made up of U.S. industry explosives experts and a large selection of federal agencies including, DOD, DOE, ATF, and others. She is the OSHA point of contact for Physical Hazards covered in the Hazard Communication Standard as it aligns with the GHS and TDG Sub-Committees at the UN Level.

Ms. Lawless is part of the United States-Canada Regulatory Cooperation Council (RCC), which is an international committee, the Global Regulatory Cooperation Project sponsored by the US Chamber of Commerce in Washington DC.

Prior to her position in OSHA’s National Office, Jennifer is a former New York Regional Office Compliance Assistance Specialist (ROCAS), for the US Department of Labor/OSHA in Region 2 and before that Ms. Lawless was a Safety and Health Compliance Officer (CSHO) for OSHA for more than 15 years. Jennifer has a wide breadth of knowledge in General Industry, Construction as well as experience in the medical field with an emphasis on Hospitals and Nursing Home compliance. She is a member of the NFPA 704 Committee and maintains her 40 hour HAZWOPER certification, and 10 and 30 hour certifications in OSHA’s Outreach Trainer for Construction and General Industry.

Eddie Murphy, U.S. Department of Transportation, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. Eddie Murphy is the Emergency Response Liaison for Outreach, Engagement and Grants, in the Office of Hazardous Materials Safety in Washington, DC.

Mr. Murphy has more than 30 years of experience in hazardous materials and oil spill preparedness, response, training and emergency management. He has been a PHMSA employee since 2012 and has worked for both the Office of Pipeline Safety and the Office of Hazardous Materials Safety. Eddie was previously employed by Hillsborough County Fire Rescue Office of Emergency Management in Tampa, Florida, ChemTel Inc., and is veteran of the United States Coast Guard.

Eddie is originally from Ithaca, New York and attended Cornell University. He has a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from Thomas Edison State University.

Eamonn Patrick is a Transportation Specialist in the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) Office of Hazardous Materials Safety (OHMS). Mr. Patrick has been a member of the OHMS Standards and Rulemaking Division for 5 years. He has led rulemaking teams on topics including compressed gas cylinders, rail tank cars, miscellaneous regulatory reform proposals, electronic hazard communication, and LNG by Rail.