| Don’t Take a Spill | DOT HAZMAT Incident Prevention |
The U.S. Department of Transportation has determined that human error is involved in most HAZMAT transportation incidents. To help reduce the number of incidents, Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 100-185) have been issued by DOT’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA).
These regulations provide requirements for the commercial transportation of hazardous materials by highway, rail, vessel, and air. Training requirements are also addressed in the HMR (Subpart H of Part
172), with mandated training for employees and employers who prepare HAZMAT for shipment or who transport HAZMAT in commerce.
Types of Training Required in the HMR
- General Awareness/Familiarization Training
- Function-Specific Training
- Safety Training
- Security Awareness Training
- In-Depth Security Training
All HAZMAT employees must receive general awareness, security awareness, and safety training. They must also be trained on the specific functions they are required to perform. In-depth security training is required for employees who perform certain regulated functions or who implement the security plan.
Employee training must be completed within 90 days of the first day of employment or the first day of a change in job function. HAZMAT employees must be supervised until training is complete, and training must recur at least once every three years.
The transportation of hazardous materials can put the the public, environment, property, and HAZMAT employees at some level of risk. Through implementation of effective training programs, the number of HAZMAT transportation incidents can be reduced and the risks can be better managed.
For information on available DOT HAZMAT Online training courses, please see our DOT HAZMAT Training page. For more information on the HMR Training Requirements, please see the US DOT PHMSA’s Training Program Guide.
