First let’s address a bit of a pet peeve here at Eduwhere. There are no government certified courses or trainers regarding hazardous materials. The government requires employers to know the rules and train their employee on the rules. The hazmat employer may provide the training in house or use a subject matter expert to conduct training. The employer must decide if the expert is qualified to teach the Regulations. If the trainer has been offering courses for 30 years you may have found a good prospect.
You probably searched for “Hazmat Certification” because you need training on these rules so let’s discuss hazmat training – what it is, who needs it and where to find it. And if you call our help desk 866.523.9108 and ask how to get “hazmat certified” we can quickly tell you if your employer uses our courses. We can also ask you some questions like what are you shipping to help you select which course our clients use and which your hazmat employer might consider. Your hazmat employer certifies you by sending you through our training. So with that huge clarification out of the way we can begin.
Hazmat, or hazardous materials, are substances and products we encounter daily. They are ingredients, chemicals, or properties that threaten the health of humans, animals, and the environment. You might find some of these substances at your place of work, in which case you will need the proper hazmat courses under your belt to do your job properly.
This article will cover what hazmat training is and offer some guidance on the different hazardous materials training courses you will need for your profession.
What Are Hazardous Materials Certifications?
Hazmat training is a must for compliance with Department of Transportation (DOT) and The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards for safety. Employers must certify that their employees have passed required safety courses on handling hazardous materials. Employees must complete hazardous materials training before shipping, receiving, handling, cleaning, packaging, or preparing hazardous materials.
Who Needs Hazmat Training?
All employees who will be in contact with hazardous materials at any point in the supply chain must attend hazmat training classes, as required by the Department of Transportation (DOT). Truck drivers, warehouse workers, waste management personnel, and many others may need different levels of hazmat training to do their job safely and effectively and comply with the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).
Title 49 of the CFR covers Transportation. Subchapter C covers Hazardous Materials Regulations and Part 172.702 addresses the applicability and responsibility for training and testing.
The types of hazmat certifications required vary depending on the kind of work and field. Again, the hazmat employer has responsibility for training the hazmat employee. Safety training is required and recurring so employees may stay well versed in how to properly identify hazmat and protect their safety and the safety of others.
How To Become Hazmat “Certified”
Begin by checking with your employer because “a hazmat employer shall ensure that each of its hazmat employee is tested by appropriate means on the training subjects covered in § 172.704.” The government does not certify training or trainers, they put the requirement on the hazmat employer to train the hazmat employee on the safety regulations.
You may get your hazmat training online, on-site, or via webinar. Many hazardous material certification courses are also available locally at different educational facilities.
You can explore the selection of webinars on the Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration site. As for on-site training, check out your local community education centers and schools for availability.
If online training suits you more, Eduwhere features a large selection of online hazardous materials training courses that will give you the proper classes for handling hazmat at various levels.
Types of Hazardous Materials Courses
Depending on the work you will be involved in, you must complete different types of hazardous materials training. Eduwhere has several courses that can teach you to handle hazardous materials at work.
DOT General Awareness of Hazardous Materials
This course will provide its students with general awareness training for hazardous materials and their transportation. It’s a required course by the DOT and covers all the basic regulations of transporting hazardous materials, different classifications, and security.
What you’ll learn:
- Proper training requirements for hazmat employees
- Federal hazmat regulations, such as the Hazardous Materials Table
- What makes something hazardous material
- The nine classes of hazmat, according to the DOT
- The risks that come with the transportation of hazardous materials
Who should take this course:
Those who will be working with and transporting hazardous materials are required to complete this course. That may include employees that will be responsible for any of the following involving hazardous materials:
- Loading and unloading
- Shipping and receiving
- Transporting
DOT Hazardous Materials Transportation
This course will give students the necessary information on the proper procedures and regulations regarding ground transportation of hazardous materials. It’s a 10-step approach that outlines all activities associated with preparing hazardous material for travel. Students of the course will learn the classes of hazardous materials, how to choose the right packaging for hazmat, mark/label containers, and prepare shipping documents. This course will also cover new requirements enacted over the past year.
What you’ll learn:
- Locating and using the federal hazardous materials regulations
- Proper labeling and marking of hazardous materials that are ready to be shipped
- Completing a Bill of Lading for hazardous materials
- Selecting the proper packaging for hazmat
- Requirements regarding vehicle placards
- Developing emergency response information that will accompany hazmat shipments
- Security awareness and plans
Who should take this course:
Completion of this course is required of employees who will be involved in the following:
- Shipping hazardous materials by ground or preparing hazardous material shipping papers
- Loading, unloading, or handling hazardous materials
- Marking, labeling, or preparing containers, drums, or packages containing hazardous materials for transportation
- Ensuring the safety and security of transporting hazardous materials
DOT Hazardous Materials Shipping for Environmental Professionals
Environmental professionals are required to take this course to properly protect the environment, other employees, and the public. It will cover all DOT regulations and requirements for shipping supplies, equipment, and samples related to hazardous materials and waste.
What you’ll learn:
- Locating and using the federal hazardous materials regulations
- Proper labeling and marking of hazmat containers
- Completing a Bill of Lading for hazardous materials
- Selecting, preparing, and packaging hazardous materials
- Vehicle placarding requirements
- Filling out the Uniform Hazardous Waste Manifest
- Developing appropriate emergency response information to accompany shipments
Who should take this course:
Environmental professionals that will handle or come in contact with hazardous materials, which may include:
- Samplers
- Drillers
- Engineers
- Geologists
- Lab techs
- Scientists
- Field techs
- Hazardous waste handlers
Hazardous Waste Management Courses
There are also training courses specifically for hazardous waste. Hazardous waste has properties that prove to be dangerous or life-threatening to humans, property, or the environment.
DOT Hazardous Waste Manifest
This course introduces the Uniform Hazardous Waste Manifest, which helps those who generate hazardous waste keep track of its management and disposal and follow regulations from start to finish. All employees that sign off on the manifest must receive the proper training to complete manifests.
What you’ll learn:
- The requirements set by the manifest
- Completing a hazardous waste manifest
- All possible security concerns that come with hazardous materials shipments
- Transporting hazardous materials
Who should take this course:
- All employees who will be handling, generating, storing, treating, or disposing of hazardous waste
- Environmental professionals who are responsible for manifesting hazardous waste
- Environmental managers who may use hazardous chemicals at certain facilities
- Individuals who want to learn more about hazardous waste regulations
RCRA Hazardous Waste Management for Generators
This course is all about handling hazardous waste at the facilities where the waste is generated. It will cover all federal solid and hazardous waste management laws and regulations as well as the history of hazardous waste management. The course also features a complete guide on recognizing hazardous waste and managing it from labeling to shipping.
What you’ll learn:
- Federal hazardous waste regulations
- Identifying and managing hazardous waste
- Determining the generator status and maintaining the facility’s overall compliance
- Recognizing the regulations for record-keeping, training, and enforcement regarding hazardous waste management
- Managing used oil
- The requirements for restrictions regarding land disposal
Who should take this course:
- All employees who will be handling, generating, storing, treating, or disposing of hazardous waste
- Environmental managers who may use hazardous chemicals at certain facilities
- Individuals who want to learn more about hazardous waste regulations
Hazardous Waste Management and Shipping for Environmental Professionals
This hybrid DOT-RCRA course is designed to meet annual training requirements for professions that generate hazardous waste. It will showcase the history and overview of laws and regulations regarding hazardous waste management. It will also teach you how to comply with various regulations and manage all aspects of hazardous waste.
What you’ll learn:
- Identifying and managing hazardous waste
- Determining the status of the generator and maintaining facility compliance with regulations regarding hazardous waste
- Recognizing regulations for hazardous waste record-keeping and reporting and adhering to them
- Proper labeling and packing of containers that contain hazardous waste
- Filling out the manifests for hazardous waste
Who should take this course:
Environmental professionals charged with handling, shipping, or receiving hazardous materials (including hazardous waste) and professionals involved with managing hazardous waste during cleanup activities must take this course. These professionals may include:
- Samplers
- Drillers
- Engineers
- Geologists
- Lab techs
- Scientists
- Field techs
Take Action to Maintain your Compliance Training, with Easy, Online Courses!
Eduwhere makes online learning simple and easy with its large selection of online courses. You can study on the go whenever you want to get your compliance training. All you need to do is select the course you need and register securely online. We will send you your login credentials and activate your account.
You set the pace for how fast you complete the course, so you can work toward your “certification” in the way that is most convenient for you. With nearly 30 years of training experience the government auditors may be our best endorsement. Recently during a review of one of our clients an auditor spotted an Eduwhere Certificate of Completion in the files. “if you are using Eduwhere, you will be fine.”
Eduwhere has designed learning to be flexible so that you can achieve your goals without disrupting your regular routine. Explore how you can complete your 49 CFR hazmat training requirements online now with Eduwhere.
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