What is DOT HAZMAT Training and Who Needs it?

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What is HAZMAT?

HAZMAT is an abbreviation for hazardous materials, and hazardous materials are substances that pose a reasonable risk to health, property, or the environment.

Some common examples of Hazmat include:

Toxic Chemicals
Radiological Agents
Nuclear Waste
Fuels
And much more!

Who needs Dot HAZMAT Training?

First what is HAZMAT Training? The Department of Transportation or DOT created the hazardous materials regulation 49 CFR 172.704 to regulate that transportation of hazardous materials.

49 CFR 172.704 covers anyone who:

Handles HAZMAT
Prepares HAZMAT
Transports HAZMAT
Ships HAZMAT

HAZMAT Training

HAZMAT employees must receive training within 90 days of starting a job that involves transporting, preparing, shipping, transporting or handling of HAZMAT/hazardous materials.

Training must include:

Identification of hazardous materials
Hazard classification system
Hazardous materials table
Packaging
Markings and labels
Placards
Shipping papers
Segregation
Requirements for incident reporting
Security

Refresher Training

After the initial certification you must receive refresher training every three years to keep your training up to date and compliant with The DOT.

Penalties and Fines

Maximum civil penalty for HAZMAT shipping violations is $84,439 per day, per violation
Violations that result in a death, serious injury, illness or property damage are $194,691 per day, per violation
The Minimum penalty for failure to provide hazmat training to employees is $502 per employee per day

These fines and penalties can add up fast so getting proper training is immensely important!