Designer of Dangerous Goods Placard System Retires After 40-Year Career
The distinguished and nearly never-ending dangerous goods shipping career of 95-year-old Abe Samuels finally concluded when his employer of 40 years, Chicago-based Labelmaster, hosted a retirement celebration on May 26. Samuels’ crowning achievement, in addition to working every week and traveling on business while in his mid-90s, is one that will continue to be viewed by anyone who travels America’s highways.
Samuels is the developer of the Spacemaster flip placard system that allows trucks and tankers to easily display signage that indicates the presence of dangerous goods (DG) on board, so critical to alert first responders to any potential hazards if an accident occurs. The beauty of Abe’s design is its simplicity and flexibility to communicate the wide variety of hazardous materials often transported on just one carrier to ensure regulatory compliance and foster safety.