subject: Proper Training Ensures A Safe Work Environment [print this page] The transportation industry is an extremely important part of the civilized society and especially those that are dependent on their factories. Not only do they help in bringing the raw materials to the production units but also help in transporting the finished goods to the markets. Therefore, the importance of the roadways, airways, waterways and railways cannot be denied.
One of the important raw materials used by the modern industries is the hazardous materials. They are a group of materials like volatile gases, combustible liquids, concentrated acids, etc that are of enormous importance for todays industries. But they need to be handled extremely carefully.
Therefore, a number of rules and regulations have been formulated to make their transportation safe both for the people associated with the job and also the goods themselves. It has been made a mandate by the federal government to follow the rules and provide training to their employees.
The training has to be provided by the employer to all of their employees who are in any way associated with the transportation of the hazardous materials. There are three scenarios in which the training has to be provided:
When a new employee joins
When there is a change in the job description of the employee
When there is a change in the rules
It takes about 4-5 working days to complete the training and it includes various aspects of the job from identifying the hazardous materials to packaging it for transportation and also keeping a record of the goods transported. The training also needs to be renewed after a set period of time, usually 2 years, just to keep the employees up to date about the latest developments. There are a number of IATA certification programs for the employees who have to deal with hazardous materials in their line of business.
By properly training the employees the transportation company will not only be in compliance of the rules but will also be providing safety to those who have to handle the hazardous materials, thereby, providing a safe work environment.
Companies that do not abide by the laws are heavily penalized and their professional licenses are also revoked by the federal government. Not only will the person who lacks training be penalized, but also the company employing him/her. So, it is always best to be on the right side of the law and get the employees trained for the job they have been hired for.
