Dangerous goods training is required for anyone who handles or ships dangerous goods by ground, air, or ocean. You have to be trained in IATA/ICAO regulations (if you ship by air), 49 CFR (if you ship by ground), or IMDG regulations (if you ship by vessel).
Choosing the right dangerous goods online training provider is critical if you want to be adequately trained in the applicable federal and international regulations related to the safe transportation of dangerous goods.
The factors you need to consider while choosing a dangerous goods online training provider are listed below.
Training Programs Offered
Does the dangerous goods training provider offer initial training as well as recurrent training programs? Do their training programs thoroughly cover all relevant regulations? These are the first questions you need to ask while choosing a hazmat training provider.
It is also advisable to choose a training provider who offers function-specific training programs for each mode of transportation (IATA programs for air, IMDG programs for ocean, and 49 CFR programs for ground). If you ship by more than one mode of transportation, then you would likely choose a dangerous goods training provider that offers multimodal training programs. These in-depth courses cover the dangerous goods regulations pertaining to two or three modes of transportation, depending on the course.
By proactively seeking a reputable and knowledgeable training provider that offers the exact services you need, you can attend a dangerous goods training program that is tailored to your business needs. For instance, if you ship dangerous goods by ground and air, you can sign up for a multimodal training program which covers 49 CFR and IATA regulations.
Dangerous Goods Online Course Material
The quality of a dangerous goods online training program depends to a great extent on the course material it covers. Ideally, the course material should cover a minimum of the following information:
- Identification and classification of dangerous goods based on the risks the materials present and the criteria of the 9 hazard classes
- The regulatory requirements pertaining to packing, marking, and labeling dangerous goods
- Dangerous goods placarding and segregation requirements for transport vehicles
- The regulatory requirements related to loading/unloading of dangerous goods
- Completion of the various forms of shipping paperwork that are required to ship dangerous goods by ground, air, and ocean
- The regulations pertaining to prohibited and restricted dangerous goods
- Regulatory exceptions and the circumstances under which they are applicable
- The most common security hazards associated with shipping dangerous goods and applicable safety measures to take
Dangerous Goods Training Methodologies
What methods of presentation does the dangerous goods training provider offer? Do they provide in-person, instructor-led webinars, as well as online training programs? This is something you need to consider, especially if you have budgetary and/or time constraints to contend with.
Dangerous Good Classroom Training and Instructor-led Webinars
Classroom and webinar training programs are instructor-led and are conducted at a specific location at a specific time. Such training sessions are often held at a centralized location that is convenient to a wide range of attendees. Participants are required to physically attend the classroom presentation or webinar and these training sessions are most often designed to provide general information that is common to a wide-array of shippers. This is often an economical option to receive interactive face-to-face training but this option still requires planning and budgeting from a travel standpoint.
Dangerous Goods Onsite Training
Onsite training programs, on the other hand, are usually highly personalized and are held at your specific place of business. The course material is tailored to the specific needs of your organization, which provides many advantages. However, similar to classroom and webinar training programs, onsite training still requires participants to physically attend the course at the determined place and time. These types of training courses also usually come at a premium cost.
Dangerous Goods Online Training
On the contrary, Dangerous goods online training programs, do not require your physical presence at all. You can access the course material using your tablet or computer at any time or any place with an internet connection. As such, this is perhaps the most convenient and cost-effective method of obtaining required dangerous goods training. Online dangerous goods training sessions can save you a lot of time and money, since they do not involve any travel costs, instructor fees, or scheduling commitments.
Choose the Best Dangerous Goods Online Training Program Provider
Even amidst the COVID-19 crisis, we stand ready to provide essential online training options for hazmat employees on the frontlines of the supply chain. For a limited time, all online hazmat training options are available at a 40% discount, with free 24/7 technical support through December 2020.
Hazmat University has professionals with over 45 years of experience in the dangerous goods shipping industry. We specialize in dangerous goods courses for shippers, freight forwarders and supply chain. Want to see what our courses look like? Click here to view an Interactive Demo. To know more, call us now at (844) 532-7634 or (609) 860-0300. You can also contact us online.
