Shipping, handling, and storing hazardous materials is high-risk work. The possibilities for damage to the environment and property, along with the risk of lost productivity and even injury or death can be substantial. There are strict rules regarding the handling and management of hazardous materials, and the penalties for ignoring these rules can be significant. To achieve the required level of safety, every employee must be well-trained regarding these risks and the associated procedures.
Hazardous Materials or “HazMat” training is essential to develop a well-functioning and safe HazMat facility. Workers from gas stations to home cleaners, to importers and industrial plants, often handle dangerous goods that can impact their health and the safety of those around them if not managed properly and according to regulations. This is why HazMat training is so important.
Approaches to HazMat Training
The shipping and handling of hazardous materials is not typical for most workers, but a select group of people must perform these functions. For these workers, HazMat training is a requirement and mandated according to federal and international regulations.
There are five types of that any organization that handles hazardous materials must implement:
General Awareness: Builds a base-level knowledge of hazmat safety
Function-Specific: Specialized training on any hazmat-related functions that specific employees or team must perform
Safety Training: For the prevention of accidents, ensuring proper responses to emergencies, and building an overall culture of safety.
Security Awareness: To address basic security practices for HazMat transportation
In-depth Security Training: Regarding the specific details of an organization’s policies for those employees with greater security obligations
According to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), organizations must document their HazMat training program to verify which employees have received which types of training and when. Employees are required to complete their training before they start working or within 90 days of starting, if they work under the direct supervision by a trained staff member.
How to Develop a HazMat Training Program
If you are looking to develop a HazMat training program for your organization, the important components of that training will include:
Identify Your HazMat Employees
HazMat employees are those workers, who in the course of their job duties, directly affect hazardous materials safety. This can include any worker who transports hazardous materials in commerce. This can also include an individual, employed by a HazMat employer who, during the course of their work:
Loads, unloads, or otherwise handles hazardous materials
Manufactures, tests, reconditions, repairs, modifies, marks, or otherwise represents containers, drums, or packagings as qualified for use in the transportation of hazardous materials
Prepares hazardous materials for transportation
Has responsibility for the safe transportation hazardous materials
Operates a vehicle for the transportation hazardous materials
Determine the Best Training Approach for Your HazMat Employees
Training may be delivered directly by the HazMat employer or through independent training organizations. With a variety of training options available, the HazMat employer is responsible for choosing and implementing training that helps ensure the company meets its safety goals and requirements. The process often begins by performing a needs assessment based on a thorough understanding of your organizations’ operations and your HazMat employees’ responsibilities, along with their current knowledge and abilities.
The Benefits of HazMat Online Training
In recent years, online learning or “eLearning” has emerged as a cornerstone for all types of employee training, including HazMat training. If your organization is considering incorporating eLearning into your HazMat training program, some of the benefits you can expect will include:
Cost-Effectiveness
eLearning reduces or even eliminates many of the expenses associated with classroom-based training, such as travel, venue fees, meals, instructor fees, and the distribution of learning materials.
Convenience
Unlike classroom-based training, your HazMat workers can accomplish their eLearning training activities at a time and place that is convenient for them. All that is required is an Internet connection (and some eLearning activities can even be conducted offline).
Self-Paced
While classroom-based training forces employees to learn at the pace set by the instructor, eLearning allows workers to learn at their own pace and revisit important or difficult materials multiple times before moving on to the next learning section.
Communications and Collaboration
Many eLearning platforms now include online tools to facilitate communication among students or between students and instructors. These tools help to support the learning process and provide an ideal way for instructors and administrators to collect user input and feedback.
Measurement
eLearning allows for easy and thorough data collection of program usage, success rates, and more. The analysis of this data can be extremely valuable as you work to revise and improve your HazMat training program over time.
LMS Portals for HazMat Online Training
LMS Portals offers a cloud-based platform for build customized eLearning portals. Our system allows your organization to build your own branded eLearning portal to build, deliver, and measure your HazMat online training program quickly and cost-effectively.
We even provide services to build your HazMat online training content for you and deliver it through your own branded eLearning portal.
Contact us to discuss a customized HazMat Online Training Courses and a
branded eLearning portal for your organization.
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