Safety training in the workplace is a must for organizations, both for-profit and non-profit, requiring its employees to handle hazardous materials. These materials include but are not limited to flammable, radioactive and poisonous solids, liquids and gases used in the manufacturing, construction and service industries, among others.
No Exceptions
Employers dealing with hazardous materials, also known colloquially as hazmat employers, are required to provide appropriate training for their hazmat employees including their workers and supervisors. Hazmat employees are defined as individuals employed by the organization to directly handle, transport and store hazardous materials.
The following are just a few types of jobs undertaken by hazmat employees who must undergo safety training in the workplace:
- Load, unload and moves as well as works on and transports hazardous materials
- Operation of any vehicle and equipment used in loading, unloading and working on hazardous substances
- Classification of materials including the analysis and research of related literature
- Determination of the RQs of the material (i.e., hazardous waste, infectious waste or hazardous material)
- Assignment of hazard zones and/or packing groups
- Identification of the properties of hazardous materials like specific gravities, vapor pressures, and viscosities
- Determination of the emergency response information included in shipping documents
- Selection of shipping descriptions
It must be emphasized that there are no exceptions to safety training in the workplace for employees who deal with hazardous materials regardless of their scope of involvement. If an employee deals with hazardous substances in any way, then he must be trained. Of course, the scope and type of training will vary depending on the employee’s involvement.
Categories of Training
The safety training can be classified into the following categories:
- General Awareness Training. All employees should undergo it for a general understanding of the proper processes and procedures for handling hazardous materials.
- Function-specific Training. Every employee should be trained based on his job function in relation to hazardous materials handling.
- Safety Training: Employees who handle (i.e., load, unload, move) or who are exposed to hazardous materials should undergo training in safe handling including emergency response procedures.
Many hazmat employers also include security awareness and security plan training in their safety training in the workplace program especially when the organization must deal with the possibility of terrorist acts. The bottom line: These employers have the responsibility of ensuring the safety and security of their workers when handling hazardous materials.
