{"id":2966,"date":"2024-02-29T01:10:43","date_gmt":"2024-02-29T01:10:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hazmatuniversity.com\/news\/?p=2966"},"modified":"2024-03-08T20:47:54","modified_gmt":"2024-03-08T20:47:54","slug":"virtual-hazmat-training-program-and-virtual-supervision-for-hazmat-employees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hazmatuniversity.com\/news\/virtual-hazmat-training-program-and-virtual-supervision-for-hazmat-employees\/","title":{"rendered":"Virtual Hazmat Training Program And Virtual Supervision For Hazmat Employees"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"hazardous<\/p>\n

What might seem like a minor mistake \u2013 mislabeling a hazmat package, misclassifying a hazardous material, or failing to include safety instructions \u2013 can lead to a hazmat incident that can not only harm the employees involved, but also harm anyone who might unknowingly come into contact with the materials.<\/p>\n

It’s why the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) requires hazmat employees to be trained properly before they are allowed to perform any function related to hazmat shipping. It says that regular training for hazmat employees is the single most effective way to reduce the risk of hazmat incidents caused by human error.<\/p>\n

At the same time, it\u2019s critical to understand that there might be situations where an untrained employee might have to handle hazardous materials – especially in remote areas where trained hazmat employees might not be available. As rare as these situations might be, it\u2019s fundamental for hazmat employers to know what they can do in these situations to comply with Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) without impeding the hazmat shipping process in any way.<\/p>\n

Virtual Supervision \u2013 The Solution to the Untrained Hazmat Employee Problem<\/h2>\n

Recently, the PHMSA was asked about a scenario where an untrained employee in a remote location has to handle certain pre-transportation functions \u2013 due to the lack of trained hazmat employees on site. The question raised was \u2013 whether HMR (49 CFR Parts 171-180) allows untrained employees to perform pre-transportation functions \u2013 if they can be virtually supervised by a trained hazmat employee via video call.<\/p>\n

In its response, the PHMSA stated that an untrained employee can be allowed to perform pre-transportation functions under the virtual supervision of a trained hazmat employee \u2013 as long as the following conditions are met.<\/p>\n