 All of these workers are involved with the transportation of hazardous materials, and each of them must be able to recognize and identify the wide variety of hazardous materials they may encounter in their jobs. What are hazardous materials? Hazardous materials are substances or materials that can burn, explode, react violently, or cause injury or harm to people, property, or the environment when transported in commerce. The U.S. Department of Transportation, DOT, is responsible for developing, issuing, and enforcing the hazardous materials regulations. These regulations govern the transportation of hazardous materials in interstate, interstate, and foreign commerce. DOT's primary safety goal is to reduce the risks posed by the transportation of hazardous materials. The Hazardous Materials Regulations, codified in Title 49 of the Federal Regulations, 49 CFR Parts 171 through 180, set forth standards applicable to hazardous materials, including classification, packaging, hazard communication, emergency response information, training of hazmat employees, transportation, and incident reporting. DOT regulations require each hazmat employer to ensure that each of its employees who perform work functions covered by the HMR receive training, including retraining. Hazmat training must include general awareness, familiarization, function-specific, including driver training for each hazmat employee who will operate a motor vehicle, and safety training. This training video provides general awareness, familiarization training, as well as guidance in recognizing and identifying hazardous materials. We will discuss the following topics, hazard classification, packaging, markings, labels and placards, shipping papers, loading, unloading, and securement of shipments, emergency response information, and incident reporting requirements. DOT regulations define nine hazard classes of materials which are capable of posing an unreasonable risk to health, safety, and property when transported in commerce. Each hazardous material is assigned to one or more of these classes. Class 1 explosives. Explosives include chemical devices, compounds, and mixtures that function by explosion, that is, an extremely rapid release of gas and heat. Explosives include products such as model rocket engines, fireworks, small arms ammunition, and dynamite. Class 2 gases. Class 2 is broken down into three divisions. Division 2.1 is flammable gas, such as acetylene. Division 2.2 is non-flammable compressed gas, such as nitrogen. Division 2.3 is poisonous gas, such as chlorine. Class 3, flammable and combustible liquids. Class 3 materials and their vapors are highly flammable. Gasoline, some paints, and lighter fluid are familiar examples of this hazard class. Class 4 is divided into three divisions. Division 4.1, flammable solids, such as matches. Division 4.2, spontaneously combustible materials, such as phosphorus. Division 4.3, dangerous when wet materials, such as sodium. Class 5 is divided into Division 5.1 oxidizers and Division 5.2 organic peroxides. Products in Division 5.1 oxidizers, such as hydrogen peroxide, generally yield oxygen readily and cause or contribute to the combustion of other materials. Products in Division 5.2 organic peroxide include materials such as benzoyl peroxide, which may be thermally unstable compounds. Under certain conditions, an organic peroxide can begin to chemically decompose by itself, producing heat or combustion. Class 6 is divided into Division 6.1 poisonous or toxic materials and Division 6.2 infectious substances. Poisons such as sodium cyanide and parathion may cause injuries, even death, if swallowed, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin. Infectious substances include microorganisms, such as hepatitis and tuberculosis, and regulated medical waste that may cause disease in humans or animals. Class 7, radioactive material. Radioactive materials emit ionizing radiation that may be harmful to humans or animals and can affect photographic and x-ray film. Class 8, corrosives. Corrosive materials cause damage when they come into contact with living tissue, aluminum, or steel. The acid in a car battery is an example of a Class 8 material. Class 9, miscellaneous hazardous materials. These are any materials that may pose a risk to health, safety, and property, and which are not covered in other hazard classes. Class 9 includes environmentally hazardous substances, hazardous waste, and marine pollutants. Familiar examples of Class 9 materials are dry ice and asbestos. In addition to these nine hazard classes, DOT defines other regulated materials, or ORMs. ORM-D materials present a limited hazard during transportation due to their form, quantity, and packaging. Consumer commodities fall into this category. Hazardous materials must be properly packaged, marked, and if required, labeled and placarded. Packing groups must be considered in selecting the proper packaging for hazardous materials. The packing group indicates the relative degree of danger of the material. Packing group 1 represents great danger. Packing group 2, medium danger, and packing group 3, minor danger. Packing groups are not assigned to Class 2, Class 7, or ORM materials. Examples of non-bulk packaging include fiberboard boxes, drums, and cylinders. Examples of bulk packagings include rail cars and cargo tanks. Packaging manufacturers must ensure that each packaging complies with the hazardous materials regulations. The person who offers a hazardous material for transportation and commerce must use the packaging required for the specific hazardous material being offered. Markings are required on most packages. For non-bulk packages, some examples of markings are proper shipping name, identification number, shipper or consignee name and address, and orientation arrows. Examples of markings on bulk packages include proper shipping name if required, and identification number. Other markings you may see on packages include inhalation hazard, marine pollutant, manufacturers mark, and RQ for reportable quantity if the material is a hazardous substance. Also, a transport vehicle, freight container, or rail car in which the lading has been fumigated or is undergoing fumigation with any material is considered a package containing a hazardous material and must display the new fumigant marking. Labels and placards on packages and transport vehicles communicate important information to emergency responders in the event of an incident. Generally, non-bulk packages display hazard labels, while transport vehicles display hazard placards. Labels are diamond shaped and are approximately 4 inches on each side. Placards are essentially a larger version of the label and are approximately 11 inches on each side. Some materials have more than one hazard and may require a separate label for each hazard. Likewise, a few products may require more than one placard. Labels and placards convey information about the hazardous material in several ways, by color, with symbols, with text, and with hazard class number or division number. Additionally, placards may display the ID number of the material. You may also see an international placard which displays neither text nor the ID number. With certain exceptions, placards must be displayed on all four sides of freight containers, rail cars, transport vehicles, or portable tanks and must not be faded, damaged, or blocked from view. The shipper must offer the carrier the required placards for the material being offered for transportation, unless the proper placards have already been affixed to the transport vehicle. In some cases, the shipper must affix the placards. Most hazardous materials must be described on a shipping paper. Shipping papers communicate the hazards of the material and must include the following information. Shipping name, hazard class or division, identification number, and packing group if assigned. This is known as the basic description. The information must be listed in this order, spelled correctly, and only DOT authorized abbreviations may be used. An emergency response telephone number must be noted on the shipping paper. The shipping paper must show the quantity of the material by weight, volume, or other unit of measure. Additional information may be required on the shipping paper, for example, DOT exemption number if the material is being shipped under an exemption, and RQ if applicable. Other additional information which may be required on the shipping paper includes limited quantity, poison inhalation hazard, and zone A, B, C, or D as appropriate, technical name or names of contents, radioactive material, hazardous substance constituents, and residue last contained. Non-regulatory information concerning the material, such as brand or trade name, may be included, but must be listed after the required DOT hazardous material description. If a shipment contains both hazardous and non-hazardous materials, the hazardous material must be entered on the shipping paper in one of the following ways. One, the hazardous material must be listed first, or two, it must be printed or highlighted in a contrasting color, or three, it must be identified by an X or RQ if appropriate in a column headed HM. Complete and accurate information on the shipping paper is critical for effective emergency response. Emergency response information must be available at all times while the hazardous material is in transportation, including storage, loading and unloading incidental to transportation. This emergency response information may be in the form of a guide, such as the North American Emergency Response Guidebook or other documents, such as a material safety data sheet that include the required emergency response information. As mentioned previously, an emergency response telephone number must appear on the shipping paper. This number must be monitored at all times while the hazardous material is in transportation, and must be the number of a person who is knowledgeable about the hazards and characteristics of the materials being shipped. This person must be capable of providing incident mitigation information for the hazardous material, or have immediate access to someone with that knowledge. Finally, a signed shipper's certification is required on most shipping papers. The person who signs the shipping paper certifies that the information is complete and accurate, and that the materials have been prepared for transportation in accordance with DOT regulations. Upper loading and securement are essential elements in the safe transportation of hazardous materials. Incompatible hazardous materials may not be loaded or stored next to each other. Hazardous material shipments must be blocked and braced to prevent movement during transportation. Despite all precautions, accidents do happen. But incidents and accidents that result in any of the following require verbal notification to the Department of Transportation as soon as possible. Death or injury requiring hospitalization. Damage greater than $50,000. An evacuation of the general public that lasts an hour or more. Shutdown of a major facility or transportation artery for an hour or more. Or change in the operational flight pattern or routine of an aircraft. Put these incidents and accidents to the National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802 and follow up with a written report within 30 days. A written report is also required for any incident involving the release of a hazardous material regardless of the seriousness of the incident. This video is not all-inclusive. We have not discussed exceptions for materials of trade, agricultural operations, limited quantities, other regulated materials, consumer commodities, material-specific and operational specific requirements. Remember, you must also complete function-specific training and safety training as well as driver training if you will be operating a motor vehicle transporting hazardous materials. The responsibilities for hazmat safety are shared by everyone who handles hazmat shipments from the shipper to the carrier. Training is the best means of preventing hazardous materials incidents and hazmat safety begins with you.