The Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) require every hazmat employer to train, test, and certify every hazmat employee before the employee performs any function subject to the HMR. Recurrent/refresher training is required at least once every three years. Hazmat training must include, unless excepted, general awareness/familiarization training, safety training, security awareness training, in-depth security training, function-specific training, and modal-specific training.
1) General Awareness/Familiarization training (49 CFR 172.704(a)(1)):
Provides knowledge of the HMR and its requirements, and enables a hazmat employee to recognize and properly identify hazardous materials.
AVAILABLE J. J. KELLER® TRAINING SOLUTIONS:
Hazmat: General Awareness Training (online course and streaming video program, available in English or Spanish)
2) Safety training (49 CFR 172.704(a)(3)):
Addresses emergency response information, measures to protect an employee from hazards associated with exposure to hazardous to which they may be exposed, as well as methods and procedures for avoiding accidents.
AVAILABLE J. J. KELLER® TRAINING SOLUTIONS:
Hazmat: Safety Awareness Training (online course and streaming video program, available in English or Spanish)
3) Security Awareness training (49 CFR 172.704(a)(4)):
Provides an awareness of security risks associated with the hazmat transportation process and ways to enhance security, and also includes how to recognize and respond to a possible security threat.
AVAILABLE J. J. KELLER® TRAINING SOLUTIONS:
Hazmat: Security Awareness Training (online course and streaming video program, available in English or Spanish)
NOTE: Employees who deal with hazardous materials that require their employer to have a security plan need to receive company-specific “In-Depth” Security training (172.704(a)(5)). This training is 100% company-specific, it MUST be created by the individual company.
4) Function-specific training (49 CFR 172.704(a)(2)):
Addresses the HMR requirements that apply to the specific job (or functions) that a hazmat employee performs.
AVAILABLE J. J. KELLER® TRAINING SOLUTIONS:
Hazmat: The Hazardous Materials Table
Hazmat: Shipping Papers
Hazmat: Marking
Hazmat: Labeling
Hazmat: Placarding
Hazmat: Reporting an Incident
Hazmat: Loading/Unloading & Load Segregation
Hazmat: Packaging
5) Modal-Specific training (177.816 and 49 CFR 172.700(c)):
Provides additional training that is required for the mode of transportation (highway, rail, air, vessel) that will be used. For drivers this would include the driver training specified in section 177.816.
Record of Hazmat Training
A record of current training, inclusive of the preceding three years, must be created and retained by each hazmat employer for each hazmat employee for as long as that employee is employed by the employer as a hazmat employee and for 90 days there after.
The record must include:
- hazmat employee's name;
- most recent training completion date of the hazmat employee's training;
- description, copy, or the location of the training materials used to meet the training requirements;
- name and address of the person providing the training; and
- certification that the hazmat employee has been trained and tested.
Please note: 49 CFR 172.704(d) of the HMR requires each hazmat employer to create and retain a record certifying the current training of each hazmat employee. It is the responsibility of the hazmat employer to complete additional company-specific training in order to formally certify each student. Trainers may use the J. J. Keller-issued certificate for compliance with the recordkeeping requirements in Section 172.704(d)(3). The trainer and the trainer’s company are considered the “person providing the training” in Section 172.704(d)(4). Because of this, trainers should maintain additional records documenting a description or copy of the additional company-specific training materials provided to each student.
