Hazardous Materials Education and Training for Beginners
One can obtain hazardous materials education and training through a variety of resources
Hazardous materials education and training is essential for those individuals who work in fields that deal with dangerous materials. Examples of occupations that require such training include jobs in the transportation industry, such as truck drivers, forklift operators and plant managers, as well as emergency responders who respond to accidents where there may be chemical spills.Hazmat training involves knowing the properties of the hazardous materials you are transporting, storing or responding to, how to properly store, cleanup and dispose of hazardous materials and how to treat someone that exposed to the hazardous substance. To determine the various types of hazardous material training available to you, perform the following steps:
1. Contact a hazmat education and training facility
2. Contact government agencies for hazardous materials regulations
3. Contact government agencies to inquire about training opportunities they provide
Look to government agencies to learn the regulations for hazmat training
Familiarize yourself with the hazardous materials regulations that you will ultimately be responsible for following and/or enforcing by consulting a government agency. When searching for a hazardous materials training education program, make sure their hazardous materials courses cover all aspects of hazardous materials regulations set forth by legislation.
Try: The United States Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and Environmental Health & Safety Online provide information regarding training requirements, continuing education and maintenance of training records.
Contact a hazmat education facility to inquire what hazardous materials courses they provide
There are many options to complete your hazardous materials education and training. For beginners, you may complete your coursework in a classroom setting, led by a certified instructor or through an online hazardous materials training course. Participants may receive certification upon completion of the course, depending on the program and/or course they enrolled.
Try: The Association of Bay Area Governments offers online hazardous materials training in hazardous waste, emergency response, Department of Transportation HAZMAT transport and industrial and construction safety courses. Texas Engineering Extension Service Emergency Services Training Institute (ESTI) provides standardized instruction or personalized instruction focusing on transportation, pipeline and fixed facilities emergencies to clients at their facility in Texas or on-site at the client’s location.
Consider government agencies for the hazardous materials training opportunities they provide
Government agencies may host hazmat classes on their own or work together with another governmental agency or educational institution to develop a hazardous materials training education program designed to meet requirements established by the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) and the Department of Transportation.
Try: The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign School of Labor and Employee Relations, in conjunction with the National School for Occupational Safety & Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the United States Department of Health and Human Services, offer hazardous materials classes focusing on hazardous waste operations, emergency response and hazardous materials transport. The Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, through their Hazardous Materials Safety Assistance Team, provides compliance assistance as well as nationwide training in the safe transport of hazardous materials through outreach programs, hazmat seminars and publications.
Copyright © 2011 Business.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
