In practically every single post on our blog, we usually focus on the hazmat employee. Hazmat employee is a term typically used to refer to the people on the forefront of the hazmat compliance process, the ones who may be tasked with the responsibility to classify, package, mark, label and prepare shipping papers and as a final step load the hazmat cargo onto the transport vehicles.
However, although our online hazmat training programs see these employees as the main audience, they are designed for anyone involved in hazmat transport at any level. That includes the people in the highest positions at their companies, including the COO, CFO, and even the CEO. Here is some more information on hazmat training and certification for C-level executives.
The Role of C-Level Executives
People do not usually think about the roles of C-level executives in maintaining hazmat compliance and safety. When they do consider the matter, they just assume that middle-management types keep the employees in line, while executives take care of business-related matters. This misconception may stem from inexperience: few people have ever held such high positions or even met anyone in those positions.
Regardless of how it emerged, it is a misconception nonetheless. Executives share some responsibility for guaranteeing the safety of their hazmat employees and those involved in the transport process and the public at large. As the people in charge, they must ensure that the business can stand up to a surprise audit by regulators. Otherwise, they risk incurring civil penalties – or worse, they risk creating the conditions for a hazmat incident.
No matter how high someone may rank, no one is above hazmat regulations. If executives are incapable of understanding hazmat compliance, they cannot be trusted to properly manage a business involved with hazmat shipping.
Hazmat Training and Certification for C-Level Executives
Ideally, the people in charge of any kind of business are experts in or have a great deal of experience with, the goods and services they provide. In this case, that would mean not just being knowledgeable about hazardous materials, but also the shipping process and the regulations governing that process. In short, C-level executives need to know how to comply with regulations just as much as the lowest-level employees. We need compliance from the top down.
In order to gain that knowledge, they need to undergo hazmat training. They need to be exposed to the five types of dangerous goods certification training required under 49 CFR. In-depth security training, for example, is required for anyone involved with “implementing the security plan” of the business – typically the boss’s purview. Once they complete this training, the executive, like anyone else, will receive certification proving that they are capable of maintaining compliance and safety.
There is one more benefit to people in high positions undergoing training. It is an experience that they would have in common with their employees. As a result, they would have a greater understanding of what hazmat employees on all levels are responsible for in their labor. This is just as valuable as being certified – for any executive in any line of work.
Receive Online Hazmat Training Today
Hazmat University offers hazmat certification online training for anyone involved in hazmat transport, in any capacity. That includes offering hazmat certification for C-level executives. Whether your position involves shipping by ground, shipping by air, shipping by vessel, or multimodal shipping, we have the course you need. Try out our comprehensive, up-to-date, and entirely online programs today.
