According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), any worker who is designated to handle and transport hazardous materials (hazmat) must be properly certified before performing any tasks related to that duty.

This requirement was put into place to mitigate the risk of transporting these materials and reduce the number of incidents caused by human error. It’s also caused many people to wonder how exactly they should go about receiving the training they need to obtain a certification. This helpful guide from CARGOpak is designed to clear up any confusion you might have.

Who Qualifies as a Hazmat Employee?

According to the PHMSA, a hazmat employee is defined as an individual who directly affects hazmat transportation safety, whether they work for a hazmat employer or are self-employed. Affecting hazmat transportation safety can take many forms, including each of the following:

• An owner-operator of a motor vehicle that transports hazardous materials.
• A person who:
• Loads, unloads, or handles hazmat.
• Designs, manufactures, fabricates, inspects, tests, reconditions, repairs, modifies, marks, or otherwise represents packaging as qualified for use in the transportation of hazmat.
• Prepares hazmat for transportation.
• Is responsible for safety of transporting hazmat.
• Operates a vehicle used to transport hazmat.

If you fall under any of these categories, you must receive a hazmat shipping certification. While you don’t necessarily need to pass a test in the conventional sense, you must be able to demonstrate that you can perform your assigned duties in compliance with the rules and regulations. This is done through a performance, written, or verbal test, or some combination of the three.

How CARGOpak Can Help You Earn Your Hazmat Shipping Certification

On-site classes.

Our on-site hazmat shipping certification training has long been a popular option among the companies and individuals we work with because it gives them a chance to learn in an in-person and hands-on setting. Our consultants are on-site, so they can easily answer any questions your team has about the safe transportation of hazardous materials.

We’ll work with you to better understand your unique shipping requirements and create a site-specific training approach that’s tailored to your needs. Through our private, customized, on-site compliance training, your hazmat shipping personnel will gain a complete understanding of the mandatory requirements and how to safely and efficiently transport this hazardous cargo.

Online webinars.

With COVID-19 restrictions still in place, our online webinars have become an increasingly viable solution to receive the training you need to obtain a certification. We offer private, live instruction through a safe and secure virtual web portal where your team can learn the pertinent regulatory information. There are many benefits of opting for our live online webinars besides protecting yourself and your team from the coronavirus.

This highly flexible format means attendees can learn from anywhere; all they need is a reliable internet connection. This saves everyone on travel costs that can quickly get prohibitively expensive for some people. Since the webinars are live, you can also enjoy real-time interactions with our knowledgeable instructors as we work through the easy to digest training sessions.

Are You in Need of a Hazmat Shipping Certification?

Then let the team at CARGOpak help. With over 25 years of experience consulting various businesses on hazmat shipping, we’ve worked with everyone from small businesses to Fortune 500 corporations. We understand the intricacies of safely transporting hazmat, and we can provide the training you need to ensure your business remains compliant with all applicable regulations.

Whether you want to take advantage of in-person training, an online webinar course, or you require consulting to fine-tune your hazmat shipping processes, CARGOpak can help. Visit us online to learn more about our offerings and to fill out our needs assessment form so we can understand how to best serve you and your business.