At the end of this module, you will be able to:
- Provide the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) definitions for "hazardous material," "hazmat employer" and "hazmat employee"
- Describe the key components of the U.S. DOT's Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR)
- Identify who must comply with the HMR
- Use the information in the Hazardous Materials Table (HMT) from the HMR to correctly fill out the shipping description on a shipping document for a hazardous material
- List the civil and criminal penalties that are possible for violations of the HMR
The following key questions are answered in this module:
For the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR), how does the U.S. DOT define "hazardous materials"?
A "hazardous material" is any material that, due to its chemical properties, has the potential to cause injury, loss of life, or damage to property or the environment when transported in commerce
How often must hazmat employees be trained on the HMR?
The HMR stipulates that new hazmat employees must be directly supervised by properly trained personnel for an initial period of 90 days, and retraining must occur at least every three years
Where can I find the HMR (Hazardous Materials Regulations) and HMT (Hazardous Materials Table)?
The HMR can be found in Parts 171-180 of Title 49 in the US Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), and the HMT can be found in Part 172 of Title 49 in the CFR
What is the significance of the materials in the "List of Marine Pollutants" in Appendix B to the HMT?
The materials in the "List of Marine Pollutants" have HMR requirements that apply only when they are transported by waterborne vessel
Who handles enforcement of the HMR?
Enforcement is handled by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), U.S. Coast Guard, and Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)
Below is a transcript of the video sample provided for this module:
The U.S. Department of Transportation defines hazardous material as any material or substance that, due to its chemical properties, has the potential to cause injury, loss of life, or damage to property or the environment when transported in commerce. This includes materials that are radioactive, explosive, toxic, flammable, infectious, chemically reactive, or corrosive. In the U.S., the DOT regulates the shipping and packaging of hazardous materials being transported between states and also internationally.
Use the additional resources and links below to learn more about this topic:
- US Department of Transportation – www.tranportation.gov
- US Department of Transportation Pipelines and HazMat – www.phmsa.dot.gov
- US Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health and Administration – www.osha.gov
- OSHA We Can Help - https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/trucking_industry/transportinghazardousmaterials.html
- US Government Publishing Office – www.ecfr.gov
- US Government Publishing Office Electronic Code of Federal Regulations - http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title49/49cfrv2_02.tpl