1. Training for Handling
Hazardous Materials

2. Definition of Hazardous Materials
“A hazardous material is defined as any
substance or material could adversely affect
the safety of the public, handlers or carriers
during transportation.” – Department of
Transportation
Northeastern University

3. Why is Training Necessary?
Human error due to ineffective training is the
most common cause of accidents associated
with handling hazardous materials.
Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety
Administration

4. 49 CFR Parts 100-185
Also known as the Hazardous Materials
Regulations, the standard, codified as 49 CFR
Parts 100-185 was issued by the Department of
Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). The
standard applies to commercial transportation
lines that operate by land, air, and water.
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety
Administration

5. The Hazardous Materials
Regulations’ Training Requirements
• Indicated by subpart H of Part 172 of the
HMR
• Required of hazmat employees and
employers
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety
Administration

6. Hazmat Employees
A person employed by a hazmat employer and is
directly involved with hazmat transportation.
Responsibilities include: operating a vehicle that
transports hazmat; loading and unloading hazmat;
packing hazmat for transportation; ensures the
safety of hazmat transportation.
Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety Administration

7. Hazmat Employers
Hazmat employers employ hazmat workers in
transporting hazmat for commercial purposes.
The term covers any Indian tribe or state agency
or representative division involved in the sales
and transportation of hazmat. The term also
covers owner-operators of vehicles that are used
for transporting hazmat for commercial uses.
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety
Administration

8. Training Deadlines and Other
Requirements
• Training should be completed within 90 days from
the date of hire or change in job function;
• Hazmat employees should be supervised by a
trained person throughout the duration of their
training before engaging in hazmat handling,
storage or transportation;
• Hazmat employees should complete refresher
training once every three years;
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

9. • Hazmat employees must be assessed
following training completion;
• Hazmat training may be provided by hazmat
employers or public or private third-party
providers;
• Hazmat training should be current and should
address the job demands of the hazmat
employee;
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety
Administration

10. Five Types of Training
General Awareness/Familiarization Training
• Is required of all hazmat employees;
• Provides employees a general background of
the requirements of the HMR;
• Provides hazmat employees the necessary skills
and knowledge to effectively recognize and
identify hazardous materials;
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety
Administration

11. Function-Specific Training
• Dedicated training for specific job roles;
• Provides hazmat employees a
comprehensive understanding of the
requirements of the HMR that their job entails
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety
Administration

12. Safety Training
• Is required of all hazmat employees;
• Provides workers knowledge and skills in
recognizing hazardous materials, and
handling and storing them safely, as well as
procedures to mitigate the risks of such
materials
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety
Administration

13. Security Awareness Training
• Required of all hazmat employees;
• Provides employees information on security
risks that could compromise their safety and
of the public as they transport hazardous
materials from one point to another. The
training provides techniques on how to
mitigate and respond to these security risks.
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety
Administration

14. In-Depth Security Training
• Is required of security personnel manning a
hazmat facility as well as security managers
and hazmat employees that work under the
requirements of a security plan or are tasked
to implement a security plan.
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety
Administration

15. Types of Hazardous Materials
•
•
•
•
•
Hazardous materials, according to the US
Department of Transportation, are divided into nine
classes, namely:
Class 1: Explosives
Class 2: Gases
Class 3: Flammable Liquid and Combustible Liquid
Class 4: Flammable Solid, Spontaneously
Combustible, and Dangerous When Wet
Class 5: Oxidizer and Organic Peroxide
U.S. Department of Transportation
(www.fmcsa.dot.gov)

16. • Class 6: Poison (Toxic) and Poison Inhalation
Hazard
• Class 7: Radioactive
• Class 8: Corrosive
• Class 9: Miscellaneous
• Class 10: Dangerous
U.S. Department of Transportation
(www.fmcsa.dot.gov)

17. Reporting Hazardous Material
Information
• Why do workers need to collect data from each vehicle
that carries hazardous materials from your work
premises?
• Information you collect is used in risk assessment,
management, and formulating emergency response
procedures, according to the Department of
Transportation. Moreover, it is also required by law.
Vehicles loaded with hazardous materials should carry
shipping papers that provide the HM Class and ID
number and name of each hazardous material.
U.S. Department of Transportation (www.fmcsa.dot.gov)

18. Components of an Accident or
Collision Report Supplement:
Guide Questions (Wordings May Vary)
1. Does the vehicle have a hazardous
material placard? Yes or No

19. • Placard Example:
U.S. Department of Transportation
(www.fmcsa.dot.gov)

20. This question intends to determine whether a
placarded hazardous material was actually
released and not stolen from a transport
container. Fuel or oil carried by the vehicle
and used by the company is not considered
cargo and need no reporting.
U.S. Department of Transportation
(www.fmcsa.dot.gov)

21. 2. ENTER THE FOUR-DIGIT NUMBER (OR
NAME) FROM THE PLACARD 1 9 9 3
The said four-digit number should be found
on an orange panel or white square-on-point
panel. If not present, then fill in the placard
name.
U.S. Department of Transportation
(www.fmcsa.dot.gov)

22. 3. ENTER THE HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
CLASS NUMBER FROM THE BOTTOM OF
THE PLACARD 3
The Class number is composed of one or two
digits and a decimal value. It is necessary for
recognizing and examining hazardous
materials type involved in accidents and
spillage.
U.S. Department of Transportation
(www.fmcsa.dot.gov)

23. 4. WAS HAZARDOUS CARGO
RELEASED? YES NO
This will help workers identify the cargo, and
determine whether it has been released or not.
When released, the cargo should have a placard
placed on all sides of the containing vehicle.
If placards were placed inside containers and
packages within the vehicle, the vehicle itself should
be marked on both sides and ends.
U.S. Department of Transportation
(www.fmcsa.dot.gov)

24. Sources:
• Northeastern University. Office of Environmental Health and
Safety. Web. (n.d.) December 2013
http://www.ehs.neu.edu/hazardous_material/hazardous_mat
erial/
• “What You Should Know: A Guide for Developing a
Hazardous Materials Training Program.” PHMSA.DOT.gov:
U.S. Department of Transportation. Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety Administration, n.d., Web. December 2013.
<http://www.phmsa.dot.gov/staticfiles/PHMSA/Downloadable
Files/Developing_HMT_Program_Guide.pdf>