Americase gives Bob Richard lifetime achievement award for hazardous materials safety

Americase International has honored Bob Richard with its 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award for work that helped shape global dangerous goods rules and train the next generation of hazardous materials professionals. The award was presented June 18 in Annapolis, Maryland, during the launch event for Mastering Lithium-ion Battery Safety.

Why it matters: - Richard’s work has influenced the rules that govern lithium batteries, medical devices, dangerous goods and other high-risk shipments moving through global supply chains. - The award underscores how hazardous materials standards are evolving alongside lithium-ion batteries, energy storage systems and advanced medical devices. - Americase framed the honor as recognition of both technical contributions and mentorship that has strengthened the broader safety community.

What happened: - Americase International announced that Bob Richard received the company’s 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award. - The award was presented June 18 in Annapolis, Maryland, during the launch event for Mastering Lithium-ion Battery Safety. - Richard’s career spans more than 28 years and includes leadership roles at the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, the United Nations and international dangerous goods bodies.

The details: - Richard served as deputy associate administrator for hazardous materials safety at PHMSA from January 2006 to October 2010. - At PHMSA, Richard managed the national hazardous materials transportation safety program across all modes and advised the administrator on safety matters. - Richard chaired the United Nations Sub-Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods and maintained the UN Model Regulations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods. - Richard also served as chairman and vice-chairman of the ICAO Dangerous Goods Panel, helping develop air transport rules for dangerous goods. - As U.S. delegation lead for the IMO Dangerous Goods, Solid Cargoes and Containers Sub-Committee, Richard helped shape the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code into its current format. - Richard later served as vice president of regulatory compliance at Labelmaster from 2010 to 2017. - Richard led HazMat Safety Consulting as president from 2017 to 2025 and now serves as vice president. - Richard has been executive director of the Medical Device Transport Council since 2015, where he promotes the safe transport of lithium batteries and battery-powered medical devices. - HazMat Safety Consulting is part of the Americase International family of companies. - Americase said Richard has guided HazMat Safety Consulting toward becoming the global resource for hazardous materials safety he envisioned.

Between the lines: - Americase is signaling that Richard’s value goes beyond regulatory drafting and into institutional knowledge transfer. - His influence appears in both formal standards and the careers of professionals he mentored, including Ryan Paquet, who later rejoined him to help build HazMat Safety Consulting. - Richard’s work on UN, ICAO and IMO frameworks highlights how hazardous materials safety depends on coordination across air, maritime and land transport systems. - The company is also tying the award to a broader business theme: helping customers manage compliance as advanced batteries and medical devices create new transportation risks.

What’s next: - Richard’s legacy is likely to remain relevant as regulators continue updating hazardous materials rules for emerging technologies. - Americase and HazMat Safety Consulting are positioned to keep advising companies on packaging, testing and regulatory compliance for lithium-ion batteries and other hazardous goods. - Richard will continue serving as vice president of HazMat Safety Consulting and executive director of the Medical Device Transport Council.

The bottom line: - Americase’s award recognizes Richard as both a rulemaker and a mentor whose work helped make hazardous materials transport safer worldwide. - His influence spans the standards that govern global shipping and the people now carrying that work forward.

More information: Americase International