As most Dangerous Goods professionals know, hazmat employees are required to receive not only general awareness training on the requirements for hazmat shipping, but also function-specific training related to their particular roles.
For operations that ship hazmat via ground, sea and air, this requirement often means employees have to take a training course for each mode.
Not anymore!
Labelmaster recently introduced multi-modal online hazmat training courses that combine training for multiple transport modes, along with general awareness training. In today’s fast-paced, multi-modal Dangerous Goods supply chain, these “bundled” courses can save your operation money while better preparing your teams for safe, compliant hazmat shipping.
We’ve already received lots of questions about these new courses. See the answers below to determine whether our multi-modal bundles are right for your operation.
What do the new multi-modal courses cover?
We offer two new multi-modal courses:
- Shipping DG by International Air and Domestic Ground Dangerous Goods Training—the “Air and Ground” course, for short—which covers the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) and the 49 CFR.
- Shipping DG by International Air and Domestic Ground and International Waterways Dangerous Goods Training—a.k.a. the “Air, Ground and Ocean” course—which covers the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations, the 49 CFR and the IMDG Code.
Typically, online courses covering individual transport modes each include a general awareness component. These bundled courses save employees the time and effort of going through the general awareness component more than once.
How much money will multi-modal courses save us?
Your savings can be significant:
- The “Air and Ground” course costs 28% less than the combined cost of our individual IATA DGR and 49 CFR courses.
- The “Air, Ground and Ocean” course costs 27% less than the combined cost of our individual IATA DGR, 49 CFR and IMDG Code courses.
Are there other advantages to multi-modal hazmat training courses?
Yes—they help you streamline your training. All our training modules contain a General Awareness component, so people taking courses for individual modes would have to take that portion each time. With bundled courses, they only need to take it once.
Plus, they only have to log in to one course, and they get one certificate that covers all modes.
Do we have to take the entire course in one sitting?
Of course not! Like all our online Dangerous Goods certification courses, you can take them wherever and whenever works best for you. The courses “remember” where you left off, so you’ll never waste time backtracking. They’re convenient and cost-effective, giving everyone the training they need while minimizing time off the floor.
Do we really need training specific to every transport mode?
The regulations in the 49 CFR do not explicitly require specific training for each transport mode. However, each mode requires employees to perform specific functions to assure compliance, so employees must be trained to perform those functions.
More importantly, it’s simply smart business to make sure employees receive training that covers all their Dangerous Goods-related tasks. A better-trained team gives you a more efficient, more confident, more compliant operation, with fewer compliance errors, reduced delays and returns, elevated on-time performance and reduced civil penalties for Dangerous Goods violations.
Will these courses certify us to ship hazmat anywhere in the world?
Almost. When employees are trained on the IATA DGR and the IMDG Code—the go-to manuals for Dangerous Goods regulations covering air and ocean shipping—they’re prepared to compliantly ship hazmat to just about every nation on the planet.
However, many countries and regions have their own rules for Dangerous Goods transport within their borders. If your organization ships to Canada or South America (or has supply chain partners there), you may want to look into these courses:
- TDG Canada General Awareness Online Training—a valuable introduction or refresher for Transport Canada’s Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations
- MERCOSUR Dangerous Goods Road Regulations Online Training—an essential guide to the harmonized regulations for shipping hazmat in South America
What other courses might we need?
These days, almost every organization ships lithium batteries or lithium battery devices of some sort. The regulations for shipping them are complex, and they change with unsettling frequency. That’s why we offer no fewer than five lithium battery training courses, so there’s one or more that are ideal for almost any operation.
Our Training for Shipping Limited Quantities is perfect for organizations that ship small quantities of certain hazardous materials.
Finally, our Hazardous Materials General Awareness Online Training is a great overview for employees who don’t perform any specific functions related to hazmat transport. It’s a great introduction for new employees, too.
To determine which training courses are best suited to everyone in your organization, check out our newly updated Who Needs Hazmat Training infographic.
Economical, convenient and efficient training
Our new multi-modal hazmat training courses are the most economical, most convenient, most efficient way to prepare your teams for today’s multi-modal Dangerous Goods supply chain. To keep all your employees compliant with training requirements for all three transport modes, we have a two-word recommendation:
Bundle up!
Make sure your shipments are safe and in complete compliance with a full line of solutions from Labelmaster—a full-service provider of goods and services for hazardous materials and Dangerous Goods professionals, shippers, transport operators and EH&S providers.
